ANGUS KING

Social Security may only be able to pay full benefits for another decade. As lawmakers weigh potential fixes, getting bipartisan agreement won't be easy.

Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, was the latest lawmaker to be swept up in the Twitter Files, which show his 2018 campaign flagged hundreds of Twitter accounts it claimed were "bots."

Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills selected Superior and District Court Judge Wayne Douglas to serve on the state's Supreme Judicial Court.

The U.S. would risk enabling the spread of extremism in Europe if it stopped providing support to Ukraine in its war with Russia, Maine's independent senator said Monday in the wake of meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Angus King of Maine and Jack Reed of Rhode Island, who sit on the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, traveled to Kyiv last week to meet with Zelenskyy. King said he came back more certain that U.S. aid to Ukraine is vital.

The following is a transcript of the interview with independent Sen. Angus King of Maine that aired Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, on "Face the Nation."

Rep. Nancy Mace, Rep. Veronica Escobar, Sen. Angus King, and more, will appear on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" this Sunday.

What happens if an independent gets to decide the Senate majority? As history shows, it could get messy.

Utah's Evan McMullin is emerging as the nation’s most competitive independent candidate running for U.S. Senate in the 2022 midterm elections.

If passed and signed into law, the reconciliation bill would be the largest climate investment ever taken by Congress.

Donations from Fidelity Charitable climbed 11% to a record $4.8 billion for the first half of 2022.

President Joe Biden is lauding the CIA as the “bedrock of our national security,” He visited the agency Friday to mark 75th anniversary since its founding after World War II.

Three consecutive summits over the next week will test Western resolve to support Ukraine and the extent of international unity as rising geopolitical tensions and economic pain cast an increasingly long shadow.

A former lawmaker in Oregon is aiming to shake up state politics by running as an unaffiliated candidate for governor.

U.S. intelligence agencies have begun a review of how they judge the will and ability of foreign governments to fight.

WASHINGTON — (AP) — Top U.S. intelligence officials were questioned Tuesday about why they misjudged the durability of governments in both Afghanistan and Ukraine, and whether they need to reform how intelligence agencies assess a foreign military’s will to fight. U.S. intelligence believed the U.S.-backed Kabul government would hold out for months against the Taliban and thought Russian forces would overrun Ukraine in a few weeks. Top U.S. officials have gone to Kyiv to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and pledged more military and intelligence support. Avril Haines, the U.S. director of national intelligence, said that “will to fight” and “capacity to fight” in tandem were difficult to predict. That appears to contradict his statement from Senate testimony in March, when Berrier said he "questioned their will to fight.

Top U.S. intelligence officials acknowledge they misjudged the durability of the governments in both Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Fears are rising about what would happen to Europe’s energy supply if Russia were to invade Ukraine and then shut off its natural gas in retaliation for U.S. and European sanctions.

More than 600 sitting senators have died or resigned since the first Congress met in 1789.

Donald Trump’s relentless, false claims about the 2020 presidential election have sparked fresh urgency in Congress for changing the Electoral Count Act.

Democrats are picking up the pieces after the collapse of their sweeping voting rights legislation.

The struggles of Angus King reflect the rise of Trumpism over centrism.

Donor-advised funds, which are similar to charitable investment accounts, allow donors to receive a tax deduction upfront without directly giving the money to a working charity. The study released by Indiana University and The Giving USA Foundation showed between 2014 and 2018, grants from DAFs were mostly given to education, religious and other public-society benefit organizations, like United Way and civil rights groups. By contrast, environmental and animal organizations received 5% of the grant dollars, the least of all the groups. Though Americans generally give more to religion than education, the study found 29% of DAF gifts went towards education, while 14% were directed at religious causes. In 2020, the average DAF account had nearly $160,000 in assets, according to the National Philanthropic Trust, a DAF sponsor that tracks giving to these funds.

A new report is shedding light on what types of organizations are receiving the most donations from charitable funds that have been a hotbed of contention.

Democrats and some anti-Trump Republicans are panicked about the impact of the ex-president's election lies on American democracy. They see worst-case scenarios looming — but few, if any, solutions.

President Joe Biden says he feels “very positive about reaching a deal on his big domestic policy bill.

The White House says President Joe Biden will lay out his thinking in the coming weeks about moving to “fundamentally alter” the filibuster or even eliminate the legislative roadblock that empowers the Senate minority.

This could push Democrats to change Senate procedural rules, which would include changing the filibuster rules.

This could push Democrats to change Senate procedural rules, which would include changing the filibuster rules.

The procedural vote to begin debate on the Freedom to Vote Act was 49 in favor to 51 against, far short of the 60 votes needed.

(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) (Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON — (AP) — For the third time this year, Senate Democrats on Wednesday tried to pass sweeping elections legislation that they tout as a powerful counterweight to new voting restrictions in the states. Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent who caucuses with Democrats, recently eased his longstanding opposition to changing the filibuster rules, which create a 60-vote threshold for most legislation to pass. The Democrats' voting bill was first introduced in March in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Manchin, who has said that any election overhaul needs bipartisan support, also sought changes to the voting bill to make it more palatable to Republicans. Meanwhile, pressure is building from the Democratic base for Biden and Senate Democrats to take greater action.

The procedural vote to begin debate on the Freedom to Vote Act was 49 in favor to 51 against, far short of the 60 votes needed.

For the third time this year, Senate Democrats tried to pass sweeping elections legislation that they tout as a powerful counterweight to new voting restrictions in the states.

The White House will withdraw the nomination of a gun-control advocate to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives after David Chipman ran into bipartisan opposition in the Senate.

U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Angus King and Roger Wicker have become the latest high-profile lawmakers to test positive for the coronavirus.

Greg Abbott’s mask mandate ban. On Thursday, the state’s seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases hit 713, up 56% from two weeks ago. The announcement was made Thursday amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the state and as hospitals near capacity. ___TOPEKA, Kan. — Officials in some Kansas communities are battling a rise in COVID-19 cases by mandating masks for kids, issuing emergency orders and requiring vaccines. North Carolina on Thursday registered more than 7,000 daily COVID-19 cases, the highest in seven months.

King tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, a day after he began feeling under the weather, his office announced. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File) (Robert F. Bukaty)WASHINGTON — (AP) — Three senators said Thursday they have tested positive for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated, a high-profile collection of breakthrough cases that comes as the highly infectious delta variant spreads rapidly across the United States. Angus King, I-Maine, Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., all said they have tested positive for the virus. Wicker’s office said he tested positive for the virus Thursday morning. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. had announced Aug. 2 that he had tested positive for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated.

Three senators say they have tested positive for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated.

Angus King, I-Maine, Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., all said they have tested positive for the virus. King said he began feeling feverish Wednesday and took a COVID test at his doctor’s suggestion. “While I am not feeling great, I’m definitely feeling much better than I would have without the vaccine,” King said.

Multiple U.S. Senators announced they tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday.

Multiple U.S. Senators announced they tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday.

U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Angus King and Roger Wicker have become the latest high-profile lawmakers to test positive for the coronavirus.

My full statement: https://t.co/LQ6LPOvlX3 — Senator Angus King (@SenAngusKing) August 19, 2021King’s diagnosis was the second announced by a member of Congress on Thursday. Earlier, officials with the office of Sen. Roger Wicker said that the Mississippi Republican had also tested positive for COVID-19. Earlier this month, fully vaccinated Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., tested positive for the viral infection after experiencing “flu-like symptoms.” Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., who is also fully vaccinated, announced last month that he had tested positive for COVID-19. An unidentified White House official and an aide for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also tested positive for the viral infection last month despite being vaccinated. More than 209.6 million COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide, resulting in 4.3 million deaths, according to Johns Hopkins.

Virus Outbreak Boosters FILE - A pharmacy technician loads a syringe with Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, Tuesday, March 2, 2021, at a mass vaccination site at the Portland Expo in Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) (Robert F. Bukaty)AUGUSTA, Maine — U.S. Sen. Angus King of Maine tested positive for the coronavirus Thursday, a day after he began feeling ill, his office announced. It says Senator Wicker is fully vaccinated, in good health and being treated by his Tupelo-based doctor. ___RICHMOND, Va. — A surge of COVID-19 cases is prompting U.S. federal courts to impose new restrictions and requirements for mask-wearing and vaccinations. Despite a world-leading vaccination campaign, Israel has seen new COVID-19 cases skyrocket in recent weeks.

Two more vaccinated senators test positive for COVID-19

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act clocked in at some 2,700 pages, and senators could begin amending it soon. “We haven’t done a large, bipartisan bill of this nature in a long time,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. He said a final vote could be held “in a matter of days.”A key part of Biden's agenda, the bipartisan bill is the first phase of the president's infrastructure plan. Late Sunday, most of the 10 senators involved in the bipartisan effort rose on the Senate floor to mark the moment. Last week, 17 GOP senators joined all Democrats in voting to start work on the bipartisan bill.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act clocked in at some 2,700 pages, and senators could begin amending it soon. “We haven’t done a large, bipartisan bill of this nature in a long time,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. He said a final vote could be held “in a matter of days.”A key part of Biden's agenda, the bipartisan bill is the first phase of the president's infrastructure plan. To prod the work, Schumer kept senators in session over the weekend, encouraging the authors to finish up work. Last week week, 17 GOP senators joined all Democrats in voting to start work on the bipartisan bill.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act clocked in at some 2,700 pages, and senators could begin amending it soon. Senators and staff labored behind the scenes for days to write the massive bill. To prod the work, Schumer kept senators in session over the weekend, encouraging the authors to finish up work. Last week week, 17 GOP senators joined all Democrats in voting to start work on the bipartisan bill. Cornyn said he expects Schumer to allow all senators to have a chance to shape the bipartisan bill and allow for amendments from members of both parties.

Scott Applewhite) (J. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON — (AP) — The vote on a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package could be held "in a matter of days," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Sunday. But as glitches were caught and changes made, the start-and-stop day was turning into an evening Senate session. To prod the work along, Schumer is keeping senators in over the weekend to finish drafting the bill so that senators can begin offering amendments. Last week week, 17 GOP senators joined all Democrats in voting to start work on the bill. As time dragged awaiting the bill, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said Saturday that negotiators were finalizing the last few pieces.

Scott Applewhite) (J. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON — (AP) — The vote on a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill could be held “in a matter of days,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Sunday, as negotiators scrambled to finish writing the legislation. To prod the work along, Schumer is keeping senators in over the weekend, encouraging the authors of the bipartisan infrastructure plan to finish drafting the bill so that senators can begin offering amendments. “We may need the weekend, we may vote on several amendments, but with the cooperation of our Republican colleagues, I believe we can finish the bipartisan infrastructure bill in a matter of days,” Schumer said Friday night. Earlier this week, 17 GOP senators joined all Democrats in voting to start the debate, launching what will be a dayslong process to consider the bipartisan bill. Cornyn said he expects Schumer to allow all senators to have a chance to shape the bill and allow for amendments from members of both parties.

Senators and staff have been laboring behind the scenes for days to write what is certain to be a massive piece of legislation. To prod the work along, Schumer kept senators in a weekend session, encouraging the authors of a bipartisan infrastructure plan to finish drafting the bill so that senators can begin offering amendments. A draft bill circulating Capitol Hill indicated it could have more than 2,500 pages when introduced. “We may need the weekend, we may vote on several amendments, but with the cooperation of our Republican colleagues, I believe we can finish the bipartisan infrastructure bill in a matter of days,” Schumer said Friday night. Cornyn said he expects Schumer to allow all senators to have a chance to shape the bill and allow for amendments from members of both parties.

After much delay, senators have unveiled their $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the chamber should be able to process the legislation quickly given the bipartisan support. “We may need the weekend, we may vote on several amendments, but with the cooperation of our Republican colleagues I believe we can finish the bipartisan infrastructure bill in a matter of days,” Schumer said. There's also $55 billion for water and wastewater infrastructure as well as billions for airports, ports, broadband and electric vehicle charging stations. However, Pelosi has stated there won't be an infrastructure bill vote unless the Senate also passes the more ambitious package, too. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., also appealed for a stand-alone vote on the bipartisan plan because “that's what the country wants."

Congress Infrastructure Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, center, speaks with Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., left, while Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., walks by at right, as the Senate votes to formally begin debate on a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure plan, a process that could take several days, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, July 30, 2021. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the chamber should be able to process the legislation quickly given the bipartisan support. “We may need the weekend, we may vote on several amendments, but with the cooperation of our Republican colleagues I believe we can finish the bipartisan infrastructure bill in a matter of days,” Schumer said. However, Pelosi has stated there won't be an infrastructure bill vote unless the Senate also passes the more ambitious package, too. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., also appealed for a stand-alone vote on the bipartisan plan because “that's what the country wants."

The Senate has advanced a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure plan with a bipartisan group of senators helping it clear one more hurdle on Friday.

Hordes of visitors are "loving our parks to death" since COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.

Regularly rebooting phones won’t stop the army of cybercriminals or spy-for-hire firms that have sowed chaos and doubt about the ability to keep any information safe and private in our digital lives. But it can make even the most sophisticated hackers work harder to maintain access and steal data from a phone. The persistence of NSO's spyware used to be a selling point of the company. In that case, the hackers used Apple’s iMessage texting service. With such a powerful tool at their disposal, Marczak said rebooting your phone won’t do much to stop determined hackers.

At a time of widespread digital insecurity it turns out that the oldest and simplest computer fix there is — turning a device off then back on again — can thwart hackers from stealing information from smartphones.

Charitable arms of many financial firms, including Vanguard Charitable and Schwab Charitable, now run robust DAF programs. Community foundations, along with universities, hospitals, faith-based groups and large charities like United Way also sponsor DAFs. “Community foundations’ business models are based on asset management,” said Paul Major, the CEO of the Colorado-based Telluride Foundation. Some community foundations say they think the bill is unnecessary because their organizations already have policies that incentivize faster payouts. Jeff Hamond, who oversees a coalition of 130 community foundations, contends that the legislation would increase the financial burden on community foundations, requiring them to track each donation.

Wealthy philanthropists have long enjoyed an advantageous way to give to charity: Using something called a donor-advised fund, they’ve been able to enjoy tax deductions and investment gains on their donations long before they give the money away.

Charitable arms of many financial firms, including Vanguard Charitable and Schwab Charitable, now run robust DAF programs. Community foundations, along with universities, hospitals, faith-based groups and large charities like United Way also sponsor DAFs. “Community foundations’ business models are based on asset management,” said Paul Major, the CEO of the Colorado-based Telluride Foundation. Some community foundations say they think the bill is unnecessary because their organizations already have policies that incentivize faster payouts. Jeff Hamond, who oversees a coalition of 130 community foundations, contends that the legislation would increase the financial burden on community foundations, requiring them to track each donation.

Amid an explosion of attention-grabbing ransomware attacks in recent months, the Biden administration Wednesday evening told lawmakers about its plans to confront attackers and assist victims.

Conservative groups opposed to a tax-cheat crackdown ramp up lobbying, threatening infrastructure deal

Looming over the Senate Democrats this year is a decision that could fundamentally change Congress as it has operated for decades.

With American troops withdrawing from Afghanistan, pressure is mounting for the Biden administration to evacuate Afghans who supported U.S. military operations during two decades of war.

Congressional Democrats are eyeing a $6 trillion infrastructure package that goes far beyond roads and bridges.

A bipartisan senators’ group working on a $1 trillion infrastructure compromise has now doubled in size, expanding to 21 members.

The Biden stimulus benefit has deep Democratic support, but Senate moderates could slash the expanded child tax credit. Manchin hasn't weighed in.

(Tom Williams/Pool via AP, File) (Tom Williams)Two key U.S. senators introduced legislation Wednesday designed to spur faster payouts from donor-advised funds and foundations, giving new momentum to an effort that has deeply divided philanthropy. Foundations are required by federal law to distribute at least 5 percent of assets annually, but donor-advised funds have no such requirements. Alternatively, donors could choose to delay the income-tax deductions and have 50 years to distribute their charitable funds. The legislation would bar foundations from meeting their payout obligations by making distributions to donor-advised funds. Community foundations, which also sponsor donor-advised funds, also have warily eyed these kinds of efforts to boost payout, arguing that they operate differently.

Two key U.S. senators introduced legislation Wednesday designed to spur faster payouts from donor-advised funds and foundations, giving new momentum to an effort that has deeply divided philanthropy.

Two key U.S. senators introduced legislation Wednesday designed to spur faster payouts from donor-advised funds and foundations, giving new momentum to an effort that has deeply divided philanthropy. Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, of Iowa, a former chairman of the Finance Committee who still sits on that panel, and Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine who caucuses with the Democrats, have teamed up on legislation that closely tracks a plan put forward by the Initiative to Accelerate Charitable Giving, a group of prominent wealthy donors, foundations, and scholars of charitable giving. “The federal government offers tax incentives to Americans who give back, but in order to ensure that these funds are doing the most possible good, we must reform the rules that govern some charitable donations,” King said in a news release.

The answer is that there are numerous technological, legal and diplomatic hurdles to going after ransomware gangs. President Joe Biden intends to confront Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin, about Moscow's harboring of ransomware criminals when the two men meet in Europe later this month. “It should include a combination of diplomatic, financial, law enforcement, intelligence operations, of course, and military operations,” Riggi said. But the difficulties of taking down ransomware gangs and other cybercriminals have long been clear. Ransomware gangs can move around, do not need much infrastructure to operate and can shield their identities.

Foreign keyboard criminals with scant fear of repercussions have paralyzed U.S. schools and hospitals, leaked highly sensitive police files, triggered fuel shortages and, most recently, threatened global food supply chains.

Foreign keyboard criminals with scant fear of repercussions have paralyzed U.S. schools and hospitals, leaked highly sensitive police files, triggered fuel shortages and, most recently, threatened global food supply chains. The escalating havoc caused by ransomware gangs raises an obvious question: Why has the United States, believed to have the world’s greatest cyber capabilities, looked so powerless to protect its citizens from these kind of criminals operating with near impunity out of Russia and allied countries? The answer is that there are numerous technological, legal and diplomatic hurdles to going after ransomware gangs.

Sunday, June 6, talk show guests: San Francisco Mayor London Breed, "Face the Nation"; "Meet the Press"; "This Week"; "Fox News Sunday"; "60 Minutes."

Jeff Ricchetti, the brother of longtime Biden advisor and White House counselor Steve Ricchetti, started lobbying the White House in the first quarter.

The short answer for many security experts and federal officials is that it can’t — at least not without some significant changes. Ad“The SolarWinds hack was a victory for our foreign adversaries, and a failure for DHS,” said Sen. The FAA initially told the AP in mid-February that it had not been affected by the SolarWinds hack, only to issue a second statement a few days later that it was continuing to investigate. Federal officials said that amount is only a down payment on much bigger planned spending to improve threat detection. The hosting services of Amazon Web Services and GoDaddy were used by the SolarWinds hackers to evade detection, officials said recently.

President Joe Biden arrives to speak about efforts to combat COVID-19, in the State Dining Room of the White House, Tuesday, March 2, 2021, in Washington. Under Wednesday’s agreement, the Senate bill would instead halt the payments completely for individuals making $80,000 and couples earning $160,000, said a Democratic official, who described the agreement only on condition of anonymity. AdThat means some people who received the last round of $600 relief checks approved in December wouldn't get anything this time. We need to get this done.”Liberals were already angry after Senate Democrats jettisoned the House bill’s minimum wage increase to $15 by 2025. The House version of the relief checks would cost $422 billion, making them the package’s single most expensive item.

“He said we need to pass this bill and pass it soon. The Senate bill was expected to largely mirror the House-approved package, with the most glaring divergence the Senate's dropping of language boosting the federal minimum wage to $15 hourly. “We want to get the biggest, strongest bill that can pass, and that’s what we’re going to do," Schumer said. Progressives, though, were still smarting over the virtual certainty that the Senate bill will lack the minimum wage boost, up from $7.25 hourly locked in since 2009. The funding was removed after some Republican lawmakers had criticized it as an example of a wasteful spending item that should not be part of the COVID relief bill.

He can send the White House into a tailspin with a single five-minute interview or three-sentence statement. With a 50-50 split in the Senate leaving little room for error on tough votes, other moderate Democrats like Sens. He received a call from the White House shortly after his complaint to try to smooth things over. AdThe White House shares those political concerns. Their significance to the final vote on the COVID-19 bill means some moderates are already getting extra attention from the White House.

Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, at the announcement of the $900 billion Covid-19 relief bill on Capitol Hill on Dec. 1, 2020. Taxpayers can file for a six-month extension up to the filing deadline date. The complexities this year stem from the relief efforts undertaken by Congress to help individuals and businesses affected by the pandemic. However, plenty of unresolved issues remain for business owners, with the solutions highly dependent on each business' unique circumstances. "If they haven't applied for loan forgiveness yet, they may want to wait and extend the credit," she added.

Two Senate committees have summoned top security officials to testify, the beginning of a comprehensive look at what went wrong. In her letter to Democratic colleagues, Pelosi said the House will also put forth supplemental spending to boost security at the Capitol. The hearing will begin a broad examination of the security failures that led to the breach. The security breakdown on Jan. 6, as the House and Senate met for a joint session to count electoral votes, was severe. With the diminished security presence, the rioters not only breached the Capitol but entered the Senate chamber minutes after senators had fled.

In this image from video, House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., speaks about the motion to call witnesses during the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. Coming amid the searing COVID-19 crisis, the Biden White House is trying to rush pandemic relief through Congress. Most of them ultimately voted to acquit, doubting whether Trump was fully responsible or if impeachment is the appropriate response. Within a week Biden was inaugurated, Trump was gone and Pelosi sent the article of impeachment to the Senate days later, launching the proceedings. At the same time, this year's trial carried similar warnings from the prosecutors that Trump must be held accountable because he has shown repeatedly he has no bounds.

FILE - In this Feb. 5, 2021, file photo President Joe Biden speaks about the economy in the State Dinning Room of the White House in Washington. One featured a public show of trying to reach across the political aisle, with bipartisan rhetoric and a White House invitation for Republican senators. But it's more likely that the White House will need to choose between the two extremes. “President Biden’s got some pretty big tests in front of him when it comes to domestic policy. AdThe process of securing the $787 billion package — aid broadly credited for helping boost an economy in free fall — left a bad taste for the Obama-Biden White House.

Sixteen senators from both major parties and three senior White House aides met virtually on Sunday afternoon to discuss Mr. Biden's American Rescue Plan. The amount of direct aid to send to individuals was a key sticking point in the negotiations of the relief package passed at the end of 2020. Some senators are asking for more information on how aid could be distributed to cash-strapped municipalities and states. Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, who was also part of Sunday's meeting, said "more data would be helpful." Congress passed a $900 billion relief package in December, which several senators mentioned when discussing Sunday's call.

At least a dozen senators met for an hour and 15 minutes in a virtual call with White House National Economic Council director Brian Deese and other senior White House officials. Many hope to approve a relief package before former President Donald Trump's trial, which is set to begin in two weeks, overtakes Washington’s attention. Senators also wanted more data on how the White House reached the $1.9 trillion figure. “It was about how can we work together to help the people of this country.”White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients and White House legislative affairs director Louisa Terrell also joined the call. “We’re going to continue to push because we can’t wait,” said White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

“We cannot leave anything to chance,” Pelosi said in a letter to colleagues, emphasizing the importance of winning House seats for Democrats — not just to expand their majority but to prepare for the possibility that the House must settle the presidential race. But if the Electoral College is deadlocked or unable to reach a majority outcome, the question goes to the House as a “contingent election." Each state’s congressional delegation, consisting of the newly elected House lawmakers, casts one vote to determine the presidential outcome, according to the House history website. But as of now, Pelosi explained, Republicans have a “razor thin” margin — 26 of the state delegations, compared with 22 for Democrats. “We must achieve that majority of delegations or keep the Republicans from doing so,” Pelosi wrote.

The goal, part of the Russian playbook for decades, was to sow chaos by posting content on both sides of the racial divide. Indeed, no single group of Americans was targeted by IRA information operatives more than African-Americans, concluded a report from the Senate intelligence committee. They fear the Trump administration's decision to limit what it tells Congress and by extension the American people about election threats will allow the propaganda to spread. The intelligence statement did not offer specifics about what tactics Russia is using, but the past provides important clues. What people need to be looking for is stuff that is seemingly trying to get a rise out of them, Jankowicz said.

In the past, delivering all-member briefings in-person, he said, has resulted in leaks for political purposes within moments. A falsehood, yet again another lie by the president, responded Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. We will compel the intelligence community to give Congress the information that we need, Schiff said. Ratcliffe insisted that China is the graver threat to election security than Russia. Trump on Saturday said Ratcliffe got tired of intelligence about election security leaking from Congress.

WASHINGTON Donald Trump isnt just changing the presidency during his first term in office. Republicans shrug it off as Trump being Trump, leaving Democrats almost alone to object. But typically presidents only go so far, knowing Congress is eyeing their every move, ready and willing to intervene. Trump rejects that model outright, treating the Congress as support staff to his presidency and relying on sheer force of personality to shape the government to his will. Congress is evolving, said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., once a Trump rival for the White House.

WASHINGTON Donald Trump isnt just changing the presidency during his first term in office. Republicans shrug it off as Trump being Trump, leaving Democrats almost alone to object. But typically presidents only go so far, knowing Congress is eyeing their every move, ready and willing to intervene. Trump rejects that model outright, treating the Congress as support staff to his presidency and relying on sheer force of personality to shape the government to his will. Congress is evolving, said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., once a Trump rival for the White House.

Thomson's nomination as CIA inspector general comes as Trump is attacking the inspector general and whistleblower system. Trump has fired or replaced inspectors general across the federal government in recent months, including the former watchdogs for the intelligence community and State Department. "If I was fired for doing my job in a lawful way, in an appropriate way, then I would be fired,'' Thomson said. The White House Counsel's office interviewed him before his nomination, but he did not speak personally with Trump, Thomson said. "I never perceived any kind of loyalty test at all with regard to the president,'' Thomson said.