US Congress members meet Taiwan leader amid China anger
Taiwan US China In this photo released by the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, from left, U.S. Democratic House member Alan Lowenthal from California, Democratic House members John Garamendi, Donald Yu-Tien Hsu, Director-General, dept. The delegation of American lawmakers are visiting Taiwan just 12 days after a visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that angered China. (Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP) (Uncredited)TAIPEI, Taiwan — (AP) — Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen met Monday with a delegation of U.S. Congress members in a further sign of support among American lawmakers for the self-governing island that China claims as its own territory. China says it wants to use peaceful means to bring Taiwan under its control, but its recent saber rattling has emphasized its military threat. Reducing tensions in the Taiwan Strait and investments in Taiwan's crucial semiconductor industry are expected to be key topics of discussion.
wftv.comRepublican congressional candidate suggests that gun stores sell 'fun-sized Snickers' bars for the price of assault rifles to circumvent a potential firearms tax
Errol Webber suggested that a 1,000% tax on AR-15s could be averted by selling a Snickers bar for the same price as the weapon.
news.yahoo.comSen. Susan Collins floats GOP support for a debt limit hike in exchange for Democrats abandoning Biden's $3.5 trillion social spending plan
Democrats dismissed Collin's idea as a non-starter. The debt limit standoff intensified with Biden saying its up to McConnell whether the US defaults.
news.yahoo.comCapitol Police investigating ‘active bomb threat’ near Library of Congress
WASHINGTON — An “active bomb threat” involving a suspicious vehicle parked Thursday morning near the Library of Congress prompted the evacuation of nearby buildings in the U.S. Capitol, according to police and evacuated officials. >> Read more trending newsU.S. Capitol Police said they were responding to a suspicious vehicle around 9:45 a.m. The agency later confirmed that the investigation involved “an active bomb threat.”NOW: The USCP is responding to a suspicious vehicle near the Library of Congress. pic.twitter.com/LMBYBTJn4t — U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) August 19, 2021MEDIA ALERT: This is an active bomb threat investigation. In a notice posted on social media by Fritschner, police warned of a suspicious vehicle and ordered people to relocate to the Longworth House Office Building.
wftv.comCongressman Don Beyer calls on House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to resign
Congressman Don Beyer calls on House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to resign In the wake of the attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Trump, Congressman Don Beyer, a Democrat from Virginia, is calling on Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to resign. McCarthy has said Mr. Trump bears some responsibility, but he opposed impeachment. Beyer joins CBSN's "Red and Blue" anchor Elaine Quijano to discuss.
cbsnews.comDems nominate Pelosi as speaker again to lead into Biden era
Against that backdrop, many House Democrats have for years impatiently insisted it's time for fresh leadership. To become speaker again, Pelosi will need more votes than House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who’s likely to garner nearly unanimous GOP support. Though she's likely to succeed, it won’t be simple because when Pelosi was elected speaker in January 2019, 15 Democrats opposed her. Pelosi came to Congress in 1987 and has led House Democrats, both as the minority and majority party, ever since 2003. Pelosi has won wide acclaim among Democrats as a leading Trump foe in battles over impeachment, immigration and health care.
Biden pushes forward on transition despite Trump's blocking
President-elect Joe Biden and Jill Biden, attend a service at the Philadelphia Korean War Memorial at Penn's Landing on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020, in Philadelphia. – President-elect Joe Biden quietly pushed forward with the business of preparing to become America's next commander in chief on Wednesday, ignoring President Donald Trump's unprecedented push to block his Democratic rival's transition. Biden continues to shrug off Trump's refusal to accept the election outcome, even as officials in both parties warn that the Republican president’s actions could be dangerous. The Republican president's allies on Capitol Hill, led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have encouraged the president's accusations. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, among six world leaders overall, congratulated Biden on his election.
Kushner says Black people must 'want to be successful'
WASHINGTON – Presidential adviser Jared Kushner said Monday that President Donald Trump wants to help Black people in America, but they have to “want to be successful" for his policies to work. She said they were trying to distract from Trump's “undeniable record of accomplishment” for Black people. Smith, who is Black, tweeted a photo of himself with Kushner and Vice President Mike Pence. Smith said Kushner has been “a huge advocate" for the issues that affect Black America, and named criminal justice reform, opportunity zones, trade and jobs. Trump, who has been trying to appeal to the Black community, has been promoting his attempts to set up economic opportunity zones, provide steady funding for historically Black colleges and universities, and institute criminal justice reforms.
Congressman seeks to end park's designation as Lee memorial
But Democratic Rep. Don Beyer, whose district is home to Arlington House, said it's time that Lee's name be stripped. Beyer's plans for legislation comes as descendants of a family enslaved at Arlington House have been lobbying for a name change. Surrounding the mansion is Arlington National Cemetery, which draws nearly 4 million visitors a year. Craig Syphax of Arlington is one of the descendants of Arlington House slaves who requested Beyer take action. He said learning his family history in his adult years helped give him a new outlook on life.
Trump committed to July 4 celebration despite lawmaker alarm
As President Trump has said, there will be an Independence Day celebration this year and it will have a different look than 2019 to ensure the health and safety of those attending, Deere said. Last year's July Fourth event featured tanks, a military flyover and a Trump speech at the Lincoln Memorial. Under recommendations by the mayors Reopen DC task force, large gatherings are prohibited during the first phase of reopening. In Phase Three, gatherings would cap at 250 people, with physical distancing. Large gatherings, like the Independence Day event, would not occur until the District enters Phase Four, "when a vaccine or other cure has been widely administered, or the disease has effectively disappeared.
Coronavirus outbreak requires paid sick leave, food aid for families: House Democrats
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House Democrats on Tuesday said any federal economic assistance during the coronavirus outbreak must help people most directly impacted by the disease, not the wealthy, and that any package would not be ready this week. Potential aid should include paid sick leave, enhanced unemployment insurance, food security and affordable testing and treatment, House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Katherine Clark told reporters at a news conference. The American people are the ones who will need the relief if Congress acts, not the millionaires, not the billionaires, not the multi-national corporations, said U.S. Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the caucus chairman. We need to put families first.Jeffries added that more details would come out in coming days. U.S. Representative Don Beyer, a Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee and joint economic panel, said their legislative package was still being crafted and that no vote was expected this week.
feeds.reuters.comIn suburban Virginia, divisions over impeachment on display
Most of us did not run for office to impeach the president, Beyer, an early and outspoken advocate of the inquiry, told the mostly pro-impeachment crowd. Were trying to fulfill our responsibility as best as we can.While the majority in the heavily Democratic district seemed to support impeachment, the questions were more evenly divided. I dont think President Trump has been given the same respect, Kevin Stull of Alexandria, an engineer with the Department of Defense, told Beyer. Impeachment supporters decried Trumps actions and wondered why Republicans were so united in support of the president. Carla Schneier, a healthcare worker from Alexandria, said she was a believer in the Constitution and the president is trampling on it.Five days of public hearings in the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry concluded on Thursday.
feeds.reuters.comDemocrats target wealth again, this time with a plan to tax income over $2 million
That would hike the top household tax rate from 37% to 47%, while the capital gains rate would rise from 20% to 30%. On Thursday, Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia, both Democrats, released a plan for a new surtax on income over $2 million. Warren first set the bar for her wealth tax at $50 million in assets. Her rival, Sanders followed up with a plan to tax wealth over $32 million. Klobuchar said a wealth tax is "not the only idea" for tackling income inequality.
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