Congress Archives - Page 6 of 6

Gun Control Bills Quick to Pop up in Congress

February 18, 2021February 17, 2021 The Center Square

Democratic congresswomen from New York and Texas each introduced several pieces of legislation that they say are aimed at curbing gun violence.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, who represents New York’s 12th Congressional District, introduced a package of five bills, three of which she also tried to get passed two years ago, shortly before the third anniversary of the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida where 17 people were killed and another 17 injured by a former student.

Democrats in Congress Renew Push for D.C. Statehood, but It Faces Uphill Climb in Senate

February 18, 2021February 17, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Democrats in Congress are renewing their push for Washington D.C. statehood with their party in the majority in the House and Senate.

Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, the non-voting House member representing the District, has reintroduced the Washington, D.C. Admission Act, which has picked up 210 Democratic co-sponsors so far. Delaware Democratic Sen. Tom Carper introduced the Senate version of the bill, which has 39 Democratic co-sponsors to date.

Commentary: The World Goes on While America Sleeps

February 12, 2021February 11, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

The Democratically-controlled Senate spends thousands of collective hours conducting an impeachment trial against a president who is no longer president.

The acquittal is predetermined, as in the first impeachment effort a year ago—and known to be so to the Democratic prosecutors.

Commentary: Congress vs. Normal People

February 11, 2021February 10, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

In the 1960s, Moscow inaugurated special “ZiL Lanes” or “Chaika Lanes.” Named after the Soviet limousines reserved for high government officials (the ZiL was a copy of the ’63 Lincoln, the Chaika a copy of the ’56 Packard) these were roads that, like the limousines, were reserved for high government officials. ZiL Lanes allowed the Nomenklatura to whiz from the Kremlin to their country dachas in comfort, while their inferior comrades were stuck in jams on the Kutuzovsky Prospect. The Soviets built several ZiL Lanes, and the one along the Kutuzovsky Prospect is still in use today serving Putin’s pals.

Black Lives Matter Backs Effort to Expel over 100 GOP Members from Congress

February 3, 2021February 2, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

The official Black Lives Matter organization has announced its support for a radical effort to expel over 100 Republicans from Congress, as reported by Fox News.

The far-left group, which was responsible for burning cities all across America last summer, causing over $2 billion in damages and leading to at least 25 deaths, wrote on its website that it supported the effort led by Congresswoman Cori Bush (D-Mo.) to expel every Republican member of Congress who voted against the certification of the 2020 electoral results.

Capitol Police Chief: Capitol Needs ‘Permanent’ Wall to Protect Congress

February 1, 2021January 31, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman said the U.S. Capitol needs a permanent wall to protect Congress members in the wake of the riots on Jan. 6.

“In a statement on Thursday, Pittman said the security at the Capitol building must include a “permanent fencing” barrier — a similar barrier to the one halted by President Joe Biden’s administration at the U.S.-Mexico border,” Breitbart reported.

Commentary: Nobody Should be Surprised by Biden’s Executive Actions—That’s the System Congress and the Courts Created

January 23, 2021January 22, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

President Joe Biden’s first day in office began with a flurry of executive orders and other actions, taking out former President Donald Trump’s travel restrictions from countries with known Islamist terrorist activity, stopping further construction of the border wall on an emergency basis, rejoining the World Health Organization, reentering the Paris Climate Accords, and halting the Remain in Mexico policy that had asylum seekers wait out their cases in Mexico before being allowed to enter in the U.S.

Pelosi: Members of Congress May Need to be Prosecuted if They Helped Capitol Rioters

January 17, 2021January 16, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday that congressional members may have to be prosecuted if they helped the Capitol rioters.

“If in fact it is found that members of Congress were accomplices to this insurrection, if they aided and abetted the crime, there may have to be actions taken beyond the Congress in terms of prosecution for that,” Pelosi said during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol Friday.

All Four Virginia Republican Congressmen Challenge Pennsylvania’s Electors

January 8, 2021 Eric Burk

All four of Virginia Republican congressmen voted in support of objections to at least one state’s electors, joining 147 Republican representatives from across the country, according to The Washington Post. Congressmen Ben Cline (R-VA-06), Bob Good (R-VA-05), Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09), and Rob Wittman (R-VA-01) all voted to support objections to Pennsylvania’s electors. Of the four, Wittman was the only one who did not also support a challenge to Arizona’s electors. The objections for both states were defeated, and objections to other states did not have enough support in the 117th Congress to go to a vote.

All Four Virginia Republican Congressmen Challenge Pennsylvania’s Electors

January 8, 2021January 7, 2021 Eric Burk

Trump Supporters Storm U.S. Capitol, Halting Ratification of Electoral College Vote by Congress

January 6, 2021January 6, 2021 The Center Square

Supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol Building Wednesday afternoon, interrupting the congressional session that was meeting to confirm the Electoral College votes.

Hundreds of protesters were shown on television news coverage walking through Statuary Hall without having gone through any security checkpoints. Debate was halted, and lawmakers were ordered to return to their offices and shelter in place. Legislators were told they may need to hide under their chairs and to be quiet and not draw attention to themselves.

Eleven Republican U.S. Senators and Senators-Elect Join Growing Chorus in Congress Who Say They Will Challenge Electoral College Results Wednesday

January 2, 2021January 2, 2021 Jason M. Reynolds

Eleven more Republican U.S. senators and senators-elect from 10 states said they will contest the Electoral College results Wednesday over fraud concerns.

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), one of the 11, made the announcement Saturday. Senator-Elect Bill Hagerty (R-TN), who was endorsed by President Donald Trump in the election, is working with her in the dissent.

Eleven Republican U.S. Senators and Senators-Elect Join Growing Chorus in Congress Who Say They Will Challenge Electoral College Results Wednesday

January 2, 2021 Jason M. Reynolds

Eleven more Republican U.S. senators and senators-elect from 10 states said they will contest the Electoral College results Wednesday over fraud concerns.

Congress Overrides Trump’s Veto of Defense Authorization Bill

January 2, 2021January 1, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

The Senate on Friday voted to override President Trump’s veto of the $741 billion defense authorization bill, giving Trump the first veto overide of his presidency.

Commentary: Why Do So Few Clergy Serve in Congress?

December 26, 2020December 25, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

While campaigning for Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, U.S. Rep. Doug Collins – a former pastor – attacked her opponent, Democrat Reverend Raphael Warnock, the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, for his views on abortion rights.

“There is no such thing as a pro-choice pastor,” Collins said of Warnock. “What you have is a lie from the bed of hell.”

Commentary: How Trump Can Make Congress Great Again

December 4, 2020December 3, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Although at the time of this writing it is far from certain, it nevertheless seems likely that President Trump’s supporters will be robbed of all the joy from his record-smashing, poll-obliterating electoral performance in November—a performance that inexplicably lifted every “toss-up” Republican boat from sea to shining sea except his own. Despite Trump’s garnering nearly 11 million more votes than in 2016, we are supposed to believe that the country has handed the keys of the Oval Office over to a moribund, provably corrupt, mostly virtual candidate on political, if not actual, life support.

Congress Passes Bill to Boot Chinese Companies from Stock Exchanges If They Don’t Comply with Audits

December 4, 2020December 3, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation Wednesday that would boot businesses from China and other foreign countries from U.S. stock exchanges if they failed to give American auditors access to examine financial reports.

Commentary: A DOJ Roadblock to America’s Big Tech Beatdown?

November 2, 2020November 1, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

It’s safe to say that Big Tech hasn’t had a great month.

Google received a beating at the Supreme Court for allegedly stealing the coding needed to create Android. Congress subpoenaed Facebook and Twitter for deliberately blocking news coverage potentially damaging to one political party — a move that culminated in a high-profile hearing yesterday. And now, the Department of Justice has charged Google with illegally maintaining its search and advertising monopoly.

Virginia’s First Congressional District Congressman Robert Wittman Describes How Pelosi’s Purpose Lies in Politics Not People

October 17, 2020October 16, 2020 Julie Carr

Friday morning on The John Fredericks Show, host Fredricks welcomed Virginia’s First District Congressman Robert Wittman to the show to discuss how the Speaker of the House is holding up the passing of a bill that would help many suffering Americans.

Pelosi Unveils 25th Amendment Proposal to ‘Create a Process for Future Presidents’

October 12, 2020October 11, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday unveiled legislation that would allow Congress to oust a president from office using the 25th Amendment, stressing that “this is not about President Trump,” but about creating “a process for future presidents,” meaning potentially Joe Biden.

The bill would set up a commission to assess the president’s ability to lead the country and ensure a continuity of government. It comes one year after Pelosi’s House launched impeachment proceedings against Trump. If passed by a 2/3 vote in both houses, the 25th Amendment would allow for the vice president to become acting president after it was determined that the president was “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.”

Pelosi Says No Standalone Stimulus Bills, Democrats Will Be ‘Talking’ About 25th Amendment Friday

October 9, 2020October 8, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that she won’t agree to “standalone” bills for an airline bailout, direct payments or more stimulus funding for small businesses without an agreement on a “bigger” stimulus bill.

“The only point about negotiations is there ain’t going to be no standalone bill unless there’s a bigger bill and it could be part of that or it could be in addition to that,” said Pelosi, the leader of the Democrat-controlled House, who is negotiating with the White House on another coronavirus stimulus package.

Minnesota, Virginia Congressmen Propose Constitutional Amendment to Limit Supreme Court Size at Nine Justices

September 26, 2020September 25, 2020 Jason M. Reynolds

U.S. Reps. Collin C. Peterson (D-MN-07) and Denver Riggleman (R-VA-05) said they want to make sure that neither political party can ever pack the Supreme Court.

In a bipartisan joint press release issued Thursday, the representatives said they introduced an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to permanently set the number of U.S. Supreme Court Justices at nine.

Pelosi Says ‘Large Number’ of Dems Wanted Her to Shut Down Government to Stop GOP Filling Court Vacancy

September 25, 2020September 24, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that she rejected calls from fellow Democrats outside of the chamber who wanted her to shut down the federal government over the Senate GOP’s handling of the Supreme Court vacancy.

“I have the privilege of being a leader in the most diverse party in every possible way including opinion. A large number of people outside, not in the House, but outside wanted me to shut down government because of what they’re doing on Justice Ginsburg. Shut down government? I’m not a big believer in shutting down government,” she

Rob Wittman Discusses the Dragging Feet of Congress and the Mechanics of Operation Warp Speed

September 19, 2020September 18, 2020 Julie Carr

Friday morning on The John Fredericks Show, host Fredericks welcomed the U.S. Representative of Virginia’s First District to the show to discuss how Congress is dragging its feet on appropriations bills and the details of a coronavirus vaccine.

The Supreme Court Keeps Trump Taxes Private for Now

July 10, 2020July 9, 2020 The Associated Press

Rejecting President Donald Trump’s complaints that he’s being harassed, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday in favor of a New York prosecutor’s demands for the billionaire president’s tax records. But in good political news for Trump, his taxes and other financial records almost certainly will be kept out of the public eye at least until after the November election.

In a separate case, the justices kept a hold on banking and other documents about Trump, family members and his businesses that Congress has been seeking for more than a year. The court said that while Congress has significant power to demand the president’s personal information, it is not limitless.

Pelosi Says House Police Reform Bill ‘Worthy of George Kirby’s Name’

June 27, 2020June 27, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said during her weekly press briefing Friday that the Democrat-led police reform bill is “worthy of George Kirby’s name.”

The bill, however, is named for George Floyd, who died one month ago while in the custody of the Minneapolis police.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Calls Congress the Culprit in Polarizing Judicial Confirmation Process

October 28, 2018October 28, 2018 Admin

by Tristan Justice Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg points the finger at an increasingly partisan Congress for polarizing the judicial confirmation process. Speaking at the federal courthouse in Washington on Wednesday, Ginsburg said a lack of collegiality and bipartisanship among lawmakers was to blame for polarizing the confirmation…

Pelosi Outlines Agenda if Democrats Retake House

October 17, 2018October 17, 2018 Admin

Projecting confidence about her party’s chances, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi outlined five of the top 10 agenda items Democrats will pursue if they retake the House in next month’s election. Lowering health care costs, rebuilding infrastructure, and running the House chamber with more transparency and openness are near the top…

Commentary: Dems’ Beautiful Blue Wave More Like Stagnant Algae-Filled Millpond

October 17, 2018October 17, 2018 Admin

by Jeffrey A. Rendall It’s always curious when political pundits and media figures use terms like “waves” to describe forthcoming or just concluded elections results. According to the dictionary, a “wave” (used as a noun) is, “a long body of water curling into an arched form and breaking on…

Cyber Infrastructure Gets a Boost by Congress

October 9, 2018October 9, 2018 Admin

by Natalia Castro In the last year, both chambers of Congress have been working hard to improve our nation’s cyber security and cyber infrastructure. Last week, the Senate passed landmark legislation that will modernize U.S. cyber technology to combat growing threats around the world. On Oct. 4, 2018, the…

Congress Can Slash the Cost of Health Care Premiums by as Much as a Third

October 4, 2018October 3, 2018 Admin

by Doug Badger A proposal to repeal Obamacare entitlements and replace them with grants to states would reduce premiums for individual coverage by as much as 32 percent, according to an analysis by the Center for Health and Economy. The Health Care Choices Proposal also would modestly reduce the deficit, increase the number of…

Deceptive Tricks Congress Uses to Drive Spending Higher

September 24, 2018September 23, 2018 Admin

by Justin Bogie Congress is up to its old tricks again, trying to pass another massive spending bill that uses gimmicks and tricks to push deficit spending even higher. And it thinks it can hoodwink President Donald Trump into signing it. Next week, the House is expected to vote on…

Organization Seeks to Help Middle Americans At Risk of Losing Their Pensions

August 31, 2018September 4, 2018 Anthony Gockowski

Millions of Americans are at serious risk of losing their pensions during retirement, but few lawmakers or politicians are addressing the issue, expect for an organization known as Protect Our Workers’ Earned Retirement, called POWER for short. “It’s one of those things that’s a time bomb that’s ticking. At least…

With the End of the Fiscal Year September 30, Congress Is Running Out of Time to Fund ‘The Wall’

August 29, 2018August 31, 2018 Admin

By Robert Romano The 2018 fiscal year will end on Sept. 30 but Congress is no closer to achieving key Trump administration priorities including fully funding the southern border wall, something President Donald Trump has been demanding since 2017 and campaigned on extensively in 2016. So far, both the House…

Former Ohio State Wrestler Recants Claim That Jim Jordan Knew Of Sexual Abuse

August 10, 2018August 9, 2018 Admin

by Chuck Ross A former Ohio State University wrestler is recanting his claims that Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan knew of sexual abuse allegations against a university physician when he coached wrestling at the school over 20 years ago. “At no time did I ever say or have any…

Three Budget ‘Reforms’ That Would Make Matters Worse, Not Better

August 8, 2018August 7, 2018 Admin

by Dody Eid and Romina Boccia A congressional select committee on reforming the budget process recently held another public hearing, supposedly with the ultimate aim of designing a more transparent, accountable, and responsible budgetary process. Any such changes should also re-establish and enhance Congress’ power of the purse. But if those are…

Commentary: GOP Rule Number One: Never Take Agenda or Voting Tips from a Democrat

August 3, 2018August 2, 2018 Admin

by Jeffery Rendall Don’t you just love it when someone who has no expertise or authority into your (personal or professional) business gives you advice on how to conduct yourself and run your life? Such was the case when former New York Democrat congressman Steve Israel wrote about the…

Corker Likens Trump Administration to ‘Banana Republic’ For Wanting to Yank Security Clearances of Misbehaving Ex-Officials

July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker likened the Trump Administration to a “banana republic” for wanting to yank security clearances of ex-government hacks who are using their positions to attack the president. The administration’s proposal is “the kind of thing that happens in Venezuela,” Tennessee’s junior senator told MSNBC, as reported by…

Commentary: The Ticking Fiscal Time Bomb Set in 1937 Could Tip America Into Despotism by 2030

July 13, 2018July 12, 2018 Admin

by Robert Osburn Celebrated this past July 4, America’s founding story of freedom is truly remarkable: unity, courage, integrity, and national integration (incorporating people from around the world). In most other places, the freedom story is bloody, exclusive, and, ultimately, tyrannical. Take Nicaragua, for one example: In 1979, the Sandinistas…

Mark Green Picks Up Another Endorsement For Congress, This Time From Williamson Business PAC

June 29, 2018June 28, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

The Williamson Business PAC on Thursday announced its support of Dr. Mark Green for U.S. Congress to replace Marsha Blackburn. The PAC conducted interviews with all the candidates running for the vacant 7th District congressional seat, and its board concluded that State Sen. Green is the best choice, according to…

Bob Corker Subverts President Trump Yet Again: Says Order to Reunite Immigrant Families Not ‘Realistic’

June 25, 2018June 24, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) told “Face the Nation” that the immigration policy that separated families was done in a “ready, fire, aim way,” and insinuated that Republicans who are concerned about illegal immigration hate others. The Tennessee Republican appeared on the CBS show Sunday. The host asked him if the…

Is Your Representative Playing In The Congressional Baseball Game?

June 14, 2018July 18, 2018 Admin

by Evie Fordham Sixty members of Congress will take the field for the Congressional Baseball Game for Charity on Thursday night in Washington, D.C. Click here to find the complete roster. Twenty-four Democrats and 36 Republicans will face each other at Nationals Park. Notable politicians playing include Republicans Sen. Rand Paul…