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President Biden announces details of plan to ease student loan debt for more than 30 million borrowers
Read full article: President Biden announces details of plan to ease student loan debt for more than 30 million borrowersPresident Joe Biden says student loan relief will empower Americans to pursue their dreams without the burden of debt.
House approves trans athlete ban for girls and women's teams
Read full article: House approves trans athlete ban for girls and women's teamsTransgender athletes whose biological sex assigned at birth was male would be barred from competing on girls or women’s sports teams at federally supported schools and colleges under legislation pushed through by House Republicans on Thursday.
In Wisconsin, voters shrug off GOP candidate’s Jan. 6 tie
Read full article: In Wisconsin, voters shrug off GOP candidate’s Jan. 6 tieRepublicans see a chance to pick up a House seat in southwestern Wisconsin where retired Navy SEAL Derrick Van Orden nearly won two years ago against Democratic incumbent Ron Kind.
Opposition from GOP senator threatens Biden judicial pick
Read full article: Opposition from GOP senator threatens Biden judicial pickRepublican Sen. Ron Johnson's opposition to President Joe Biden's judicial nominee in Wisconsin has surprised Democrats and is providing the latest test to the Senate tradition of letting home state senators block district court judges from advancing.
House approves pro-union bill despite dim Senate odds
Read full article: House approves pro-union bill despite dim Senate oddsBut it faces an all-but-certain Republican blockade in a narrowly divided Senate and is unlikely to become law. Ad“I’ve heard Democrats argue that it’s the unions that built the middle class,” said Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., the senior Republican on the House labor panel. And what this bill does is take away their freedom.”Labor unions have long been a bedrock of Democratic support. “This far-reaching legislation is nothing more than an union boss wish list,” said Foxx, who led Republican debate on the bill. Virginia Republican Rep. Bob Good excoriated the bill, saying it would effectively “funnel money to Democrats” by allowing unions to collect additional dues.
By slimmest of margins, Senate takes up $1.9T relief bill
Read full article: By slimmest of margins, Senate takes up $1.9T relief billIt’s widely expected the Senate will approve the bill and the House will whisk it to Biden for his signature by mid-March, handing him a crucial early legislative victory. “We are not going to be timid in the face of a great challenge," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Biden and Senate leaders had agreed Wednesday to retain the $400 weekly jobless payments included in the version of the relief bill the House approved Saturday. In another bargain that satisfied moderates, Biden and Senate Democrats agreed Wednesday to tighten eligibility for the direct checks to individuals. AdAs soon as the Senate began considering the bill, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., forced the chamber's clerks to begin reading the entire 628-page measure aloud.
House Dems' campaign chief a moderate who wins in Trump land
Read full article: House Dems' campaign chief a moderate who wins in Trump landThe party's House majority will be as meager as 222-213 next year, the tightest partisan gap in two decades. Maloney worked on Bill Clinton’s successful 1992 presidential campaign and joined the White House after Clinton's 1996 reelection. “Those of us in the LGBT community have seen the system work, and it has worked because we worked,” Maloney said. In 2018 he sought the House campaign committee chairmanship but withdrew when he was hospitalized for an infection. Farrell runs a consulting firm that he says was blacklisted by the campaign committee under Bustos after it helped candidates challenging Democratic incumbents.
US House to offer regular virus testing for members, staff
Read full article: US House to offer regular virus testing for members, staffScott Applewhite)After months without internal testing protocols, members of the U.S. House and their staff will now have regular access to coronavirus testing at the Capitol physician’s office when they return to Washington from their home states. The tests, which have a six- to 12-hour turnaround, represent the first regular testing program in the Capitol since the beginning of the pandemic. While Monahan’s letter is addressed to all members of Congress and staff, it says the House of Representatives will be offering the regular daily testing hours for those who have traveled back to Washington. The office has already been providing tests to members and staff from both sides of the Capitol who were directly exposed to the virus. To keep members safe, House Democrats are holding their caucus elections this week virtually.
Progressive challengers' year: 3 wins and some close calls
Read full article: Progressive challengers' year: 3 wins and some close callsBut some challengers lost, and their overall wins were a modest number compared with the 535 House and Senate members. Kessler wasn't impressed with the three progressive challengers who defeated Democratic incumbents, either. Other high-profile progressive hopefuls lost Senate Democratic primaries in Colorado, Maine and Texas, and House contests in states including Georgia, New York and Ohio. Jamaal Bowman, a Black educator raised by a single mom, defeated House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel of the Bronx and Westchester, New York. They're an effective and well-funded operation now," said Sean McElwee, who does polling and research for progressive Democrats.
Sanders, rising Democrats call for Midwest to unite to win
Read full article: Sanders, rising Democrats call for Midwest to unite to winSanders and the others spoke to activists from five Midwestern states during a virtual meeting coinciding with the third day of the Democratic National Convention. Democrats from South Dakota and North Dakota also participated on the call, which attracted around 250 viewers at any given time. Hes hiding from Wisconsin, Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Andrew Hitt said of Biden on Tuesday. Cory Booker, of New Jersey, and Michael Bennett, of Colorado, along with the state Democratic Party chairs from Michigan and Minnesota. Tlaib, who was elected to Congress in 2018 representing parts of Detroit, said the Midwest would deliver the White House for Biden.
Milwaukee misses Democratic convention: 'It is a gut punch'
Read full article: Milwaukee misses Democratic convention: 'It is a gut punch'This Aug. 13, 2020 photo shows the skyline of downtown Milwaukee, the location of a scaled down Democratic National Convention. It would have been the first time Milwaukee, a city of 1.6 million, hosted a presidential nominating convention. (AP Photo/Carrie Antlfinger)Downtown Milwaukee restaurant owner Omar Shaikh envisioned overflowing crowds, packed dining rooms and a big payday when the Democratic National Convention came to town. It would have been the first time Milwaukee, a metropolitan area of 1.6 million, hosted a presidential nominating convention. Those who worked to bring the convention to Milwaukee argue the city should be first in line for a future convention.
Bipartisan opposition leaves surveillance bill in doubt
Read full article: Bipartisan opposition leaves surveillance bill in doubtHouse Democratic leaders abruptly adjourned without considering the bill, hours after saying there would be a vote Wednesday evening. If the FISA Bill is passed tonight on the House floor, I will quickly VETO it," Trump tweeted, using the acronym for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The legislation first passed the House in March with broad bipartisan support after Attorney General William Barr negotiated a deal with Republican and Democratic House leaders. The final bill passed the Senate with 80 votes. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., announced Tuesday that Democrats had agreed on a similar, but tweaked, amendment that they would offer to the House bill.
Senator calls for Pompeo's salary to be withheld
Read full article: Senator calls for Pompeo's salary to be withheldPhoto by Alex Wong/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON - A progressive senator from Wisconsin has called for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's salary to be withheld until EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland is allowed to testify in the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, according to a report by The Hill. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) sent a letter to Pompeo on Tuesday saying the law allows Congress to withhold compensation if a federal official prevents another government employee from communicating with "any Member, committee, or subcommittee of the Congress." The State Department blocked Sondland from testifying in his scheduled House deposition on Tuesday. In his letter, Pocan referred to a piece of legislature signed by Trump himself earlier this year. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.