#MikeJohnson vowed to use House oversight powers while cutting funds in the #government appropriations process & taking other unspecified #legislative measures.
“We’re going to do everything we can, everything within our scope of our responsibility in the Congress, to address it appropriately,” Johnson said at his weekly news conference afterward.
One of #Trump’s staunchest allies is readying a more aggressive approach. Rep #MarjorieTaylorGreene (R-Ga.) has threatened to file a resolution before the week’s end to #impeach President #Biden. Greene left a Tues meeting w/ #MikeJohnson demanding “in the loudest most possible way” that he allow the #House a vote on removing Biden or she will force such a vote.
…Several #HouseRepublicans …said their backing of #Trump is based on how their constituents reacted. Some, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that they issued stmnts in #fear of how his base would react if they stayed quiet. Trump has animated his followers by painting himself as a martyr & repeatedly suggesting that if the #Biden admin & judicial sys were not coming after him, they would go after them. #Republicans say that message has been effective.
It was unclear how the #House could seek to cut spending for states through the appropriations process, which funds the federal govt. But it has become a talking point for #FarRightlawmakers that was on display during a House #Judiciary Cmte hearing Tues.
#HouseRepublicans think nothing of abandoning their #oathOfOffice in service to their 34x #felon. It's not #Congress' job to "retaliate" against the #DepartmentOfJustice because members from one political party are angry that #FeloniousTrump was tried and convicted by a jury of his peers in a state court. But that's exactly what they're prepared to misappropriate public funds for.
>300 #House lawmakers were reimbursed ≥$5.2M for #food & #lodging while on official business in Washington last year under a new, #TaxpayerFunded prgm that doesn’t require receipts.
The prgm, which kicked off last yr after a #Republican-led House panel passed it, was intended to make it easier for lawmakers to maintain separate homes in DC & their home districts.
But critics argue that its reliance on the #HonorSystem esp given [#HouseRepublicans dearth of honor] & lack of #transparent record-keeping makes it ripe for abuse.
The reimbursement scheme’s lack of receipt requirements is a “ridiculous loophole … Clearly it becomes very difficult to tell whether or not it’s a legitimate payment & whether it’s proper,” said Craig Holman, a lobbyist for the good govt group Public Citizen.
An earlier version of this article said that Rep #MattGaetz (R-Fla.) was the reimbursement program's top spender for 2023. That analysis was based on data released by the #House as of last week. But additional data The Post reviewed Tuesday showed that Rep #JackBergman (R-Michigan) was reimbursed for more than Gaetz was.
Democratic members of the #House select subcommittee on the coronavirus pandemic defended Dr. Anthony #Fauci ahead of Monday's hearing about the #US’ #COVID19#pandemic response, policies & transparency.
The representatives blasted #Republicans’ claims of Fauci’s involvement in starting [for real they had to say this] or covering up the pandemic as a “dangerous” & “cartoonish” narrative.
“This investigation of Dr. #Fauci shows that he is an honorable #PublicServant, committed to #PublicHealth & he is not a comic book supervillain. He did not fund research to create the #Covid19 pandemic. He did not lie to #Congress about gain of function research in #Wuhan. And he did not organize a lab leak suppression campaign to cover his tracks. These are outrageous concoctions, fabrications & distortions,” #Democrat Rep #JamieRaskin said.
Dr #Fauci dismisses ‘preposterous’ allegations that he led #covid coverup
The infectious-disease expert said #Republicans have distorted emails between #scientists as they discussed whether a lab leak of the coronavirus was possible.
Fauci defended himself against claims that he orchestrated a coverup of the #coronavirus#pandemic’s origins, w/the fmr govt official rejecting some allegations as “simply preposterous.”
The prominent infectious-disease expert, who served as a snr leader at the #NIH for 4 decades, said #Republicans have distorted emails between himself & other scientists as they discussed whether a lab leak of the #coronavirus was possible.
“We spend our whole life trying to determine the causes of infectious diseases, & stop them to protect the American people,” #Fauci said, adding that he did not pressure colleagues to reach a conclusion about the origins of the virus.
“I do believe the Supreme Court should step in,” Johnson told #FauxNews. “Obviously, this is totally unprecedented.” neither the [#law or not the #crime are unprecedented, plenty of #precedent, it’s just the #criminal committing the crime that’s new].
The #UnitedStates is preparing a $275M #military#aid package for #Ukraine, which will include 155mm artillery shells, precision aerial munitions & ground vehicles….
The weapons aid, which could be announced as soon as Fri, will utilize Presidential Drawdown Authority, which authorizes the president to transfer articles & services from US stocks w/o specific congressional approval during an emergency.
#HouseRepublicans held a hearing today on the need to prevent noncitizen voting in federal elections, despite it already being illegal and there not being evidence of the phenomenon. #Democrat Rep #JoeMorelle said, “It’s not provable because there’s no proof.”
The #Republican-led UnitedStates House of
Representatives passed a bill on Thurs that would force President Joe #Biden to send weapons to Israel, seeking to rebuke the Democrat for delaying bomb shipments as he urges Israel to do more to protect #civilians during its war w/ #Hamas.
The #Israel Security Assistance Support Act was approved 224 to 187, largely along party lines. 16 #Democrats joined most Republicans in voting yes, & 3 #Republicans joined most Democrats in opposing the measure.
The act is not expected to become #law, but its passage underscored the deep #US#election-year divide over Israel policy as PM Benjamin #Netanyahu's government seeks to wipe out militants who attacked Israel on #Oct7….
Cross-examination of #MichaelCohen resumes, an opportunity for the defense to poke holes in his testimony & perhaps trip up or provoke the state’s key witness. The questioning of Cohen, #Trump’s fmr fixer, is the beginning of the end of Trump’s #criminal trial, which began April 15 & might conclude before Memorial Day weekend at this pace.
“We are here of our own volition [ok], because there are things we can say that President Trump is unjustly not allowed to say,” #Gaetz said outside the courthouse.
#Republicans control the #House by such a slim margin, 217-213, that just 2 defections can sink #legislation even when all members are present — just a few absences can erase their majority altogether. The show of support for #Trump from such a large group meant that for much of Thurs, the GOP handed the majority to #Democrats.
#HouseRepublicans had a vote scheduled for Thurs to rebuke President #Biden for pausing an arms shipment to #Israel & compel his admin to deliver weapons.
The letters were sent hrs before #GOP-led #House Oversight & Judiciary cmtes were to advance a #contempt resolution against AG #Garland for defying a #subpoena demanding the recordings, which include hrs of Special Counsel Hur interviewing #Biden. #DOJ also sent #HouseRepublicans a letter Garland wrote Biden on Wed requesting he assert #ExecutivePrivilege bc releasing the tapes would “damage future #law enforcement efforts," as investigators request voluntary cooperation from #WhiteHouse ofcls.
“The absence of a legitimate need for the audio recordings lays bare your likely goal—to chop them up, distort them, & use them for #partisan#political purposes,” the letter from Edward N. Siskel, counsel to the president, read. “Demanding such sensitive & constitutionally-protected #law enforcement materials from the Executive Branch because you want to manipulate them for potential political gain is inappropriate.”
#Trump has his posse again. Today it’s more #Republican elected officials. Today, Trump will be joined by the #House speaker, #MikeJohnson, as well as #NorthDakota’s governor, #DougBurgum, a contender to be Trump's running mate. Also present will be Representatives #ByronDonalds & #CoryMills of Florida, & #VivekRamaswamy, who was one of Trump's primary rivals this year. Both Donalds & Ramaswamy are longshot hopefuls to be Trump's running mate.
“I came here again today, on my own, to support President Trump, because I am one of hundreds of millions of people — & one citizen — who is deeply concerned about this,” #MikeJohnson said.
Note — #Trump, mins AFTER the vote happened, had encouraged #HouseRepublicans on social media not to oust Johnson —yet: “We’re not in a position of voting on a motion to vacate. At some point, we may very well be, but this is not the time.”