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Sen. Katie Britt will stride onto the national stage to deliver GOP's State of the Union response
Read full article: Sen. Katie Britt will stride onto the national stage to deliver GOP's State of the Union responseAfter only a year in the Senate, Katie Britt of Alabama is wielding her influence and experience as a former congressional staffer and mother to carve out a unique role in the Republican party.
Jan. 6 panel urges ethics review for McCarthy, GOP lawmakers
Read full article: Jan. 6 panel urges ethics review for McCarthy, GOP lawmakersThe House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack has referred Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy and three other GOP lawmakers to undergo an ethics investigation for their refusal to comply with congressional subpoenas.
Rejected by courts, retirees take last shot to save pensions
Read full article: Rejected by courts, retirees take last shot to save pensionsWhen General Motors went through the biggest industrial bankruptcy proceedings in history, 20,000 retirees from GM's Delphi Corp. subsidiary saw their retirement savings slashed.
Ousters, upsets halfway through 2022 primary election season
Read full article: Ousters, upsets halfway through 2022 primary election seasonMore than halfway through a tumultuous primary season, voters have rendered verdicts in a number of contests, many of which featured candidates arguing they best represented a continuation of policies favored by former President Donald Trump.
GOP unity? Some aim for reconciliation after tough primaries
Read full article: GOP unity? Some aim for reconciliation after tough primariesTwo days after losing a bitter primary to a rival she once deemed a “sellout” for occasionally working with Democrats, Katie Arrington appeared at a “unity rally” to urge South Carolina Republicans to come together and back Rep. Nancy Mace in the fall general election.
Britt wins tumultuous Alabama Senate race scrambled by Trump
Read full article: Britt wins tumultuous Alabama Senate race scrambled by TrumpKatie Britt has won the Republican nomination for Senate in Alabama, defeating six-term Congressman Mo Brooks in a primary runoff after former President Donald Trump endorsed and then un-endorsed him.
What we know about Trump's actions as insurrection unfolded
Read full article: What we know about Trump's actions as insurrection unfoldedMembers of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection are holding their first prime-time hearing to share what they have uncovered about then-President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Jan. 6 panel's 1,000 witnesses: From Trump aides to rioters
Read full article: Jan. 6 panel's 1,000 witnesses: From Trump aides to riotersThe House Jan. 6 panel has interviewed more than 1,000 people who were directly or indirectly involved in the U.S. Capitol insurrection as it's probed the violent attack and former President Donald Trump’s unprecedented efforts to overturn his election defeat.
Trump rebuked with stinging losses in Georgia GOP contests
Read full article: Trump rebuked with stinging losses in Georgia GOP contestsGov. Brian Kemp of Georgia has easily dispatched Donald Trump’s hand-picked challenger in a Republican primary that demonstrated the limits of the former president and his conspiracy-fueled politics in a critical swing state.
Tough GOP race for Shelby seat in Alabama closes with flurry
Read full article: Tough GOP race for Shelby seat in Alabama closes with flurryRepublican Senate hopefuls in Alabama are making last-minute pitches to primary voters in the tight race for the GOP nomination for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Richard Shelby.
2022 midterms: What to watch in Georgia, Texas, elsewhere
Read full article: 2022 midterms: What to watch in Georgia, Texas, elsewhereGeorgia takes center stage in Tuesday’s primary elections as Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger try to fight back challengers endorsed by Donald Trump.
Jan. 6 panel asks GOP lawmaker to testify about Capitol tour
Read full article: Jan. 6 panel asks GOP lawmaker to testify about Capitol tourThe congressional committee investigating the U.S. Capitol insurrection sent a letter to another House Republican in an effort to learn more about a tour he led of the building the day before the deadly attack.
House subpoenas its own, sets new norm after Jan. 6 attack
Read full article: House subpoenas its own, sets new norm after Jan. 6 attackThe Jan. 6 committee’s remarkable decision to subpoena GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy and four other sitting members of Congress over the insurrection at the Capitol is as unprecedented as the deadly riot itself.
House subpoenas its own, grave new norm after Jan. 6 attack
Read full article: House subpoenas its own, grave new norm after Jan. 6 attackThe Jan. 6 committee’s stunning decision to subpoena GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy and four other sitting members of Congress over the insurrection at the Capitol is as unprecedented as the deadly riot itself.
Jan. 6 panel subpoenas McCarthy, four other GOP lawmakers
Read full article: Jan. 6 panel subpoenas McCarthy, four other GOP lawmakersHouse investigators say they have issued subpoenas to House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy and four other GOP lawmakers as part of their probe into the violent Jan. 6 insurrection.
GOP works to get out the vote after calling elections rigged
Read full article: GOP works to get out the vote after calling elections riggedRepublicans who embraced discredited conspiracy theories about Donald Trump's 2020 defeat and preached skepticism about elections now need their supporters to trust the system enough to vote for them.
Jan. 6 panel wants answers from GOP's Brooks, Biggs, Jackson
Read full article: Jan. 6 panel wants answers from GOP's Brooks, Biggs, JacksonThe congressional committee investigating the U.S. Capitol insurrection has asked three more House Republicans to voluntarily testify about their involvement in the effort to overturn Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss.
Evidence mounts of GOP involvement in Trump election schemes
Read full article: Evidence mounts of GOP involvement in Trump election schemesText messages and testimony released by the House Jan. 6 panel shows the deep involvement of some House Republicans in President Donald Trump’s desperate attempt to stay in power.
House 1/6 panel wants to hear from McCarthy after new audio
Read full article: House 1/6 panel wants to hear from McCarthy after new audioThe House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol is redoubling its efforts to have GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy appear for an interview.
North Carolina Senate race tests Trump's endorsement power
Read full article: North Carolina Senate race tests Trump's endorsement powerWhen Ted Budd won a surprise endorsement from former President Donald Trump last year, he was a little-known congressman running for a Senate seat in North Carolina against some of the state’s most recognizable Republicans, including a former governor.
CNN: Trump Jr. text shows ideas to overturn 2020 election
Read full article: CNN: Trump Jr. text shows ideas to overturn 2020 electionDonald Trump Jr. texted White House chief of staff Mark Meadows two days after the 2020 presidential election with strategies for overturning the result if Trump’s father lost.
Trump rescinds Brooks endorsement in Senate race in Alabama
Read full article: Trump rescinds Brooks endorsement in Senate race in AlabamaFormer President Donald Trump has rescinded his endorsement of U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks in Alabama’s Republican primary for Senate, dealing a major blow to the congressman’s campaign.
Judge rejects effort by Trump to toss Jan. 6 lawsuits
Read full article: Judge rejects effort by Trump to toss Jan. 6 lawsuitsA federal judge has rejected efforts by former President Donald Trump to toss out lawsuits filed by lawmakers and two Capitol Police officers that claim his actions led to the riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
High court's Alabama ruling sparks alarm over voting rights
Read full article: High court's Alabama ruling sparks alarm over voting rightsThe Supreme Court’s decision to halt efforts to create a second mostly Black congressional district in Alabama for the 2022 election has sparked fresh warnings that the court is eroding the Voting Rights Act and reviving the need for Congress to intervene.
Trump attorneys cite immunity, want Jan. 6 lawsuits tossed
Read full article: Trump attorneys cite immunity, want Jan. 6 lawsuits tossedAttorneys for former President Donald Trump and his associates argue that incendiary statements by Trump and others last Jan. 6 prior to the Capitol riot were protected speech and in line with their official duties.
Former Trump ambassador to run against Alabama governor
Read full article: Former Trump ambassador to run against Alabama governorEx-President Donald Trump’s former ambassador to Slovenia has become the third Republican candidate to announce a challenge to Republican Gov. Kay Ivey in next year’s gubernatorial primary.
EXPLAINER: Why Congress is looking closely at Jan. 6 rally
Read full article: EXPLAINER: Why Congress is looking closely at Jan. 6 rallyThe House panel investigating the Jan_ 6 Capitol insurrection has focused some of its early work on the planning behind a massive rally at which President Donald Trump falsely claimed to have won reelection and told his supporters to “fight like hell.”.
House asks companies to save Jan. 6 phone, computer records
Read full article: House asks companies to save Jan. 6 phone, computer recordsThe House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol is asking social media and telecommunications companies to preserve phone or computer records for hundreds of people.
President Biden signs bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday
Read full article: President Biden signs bill making Juneteenth a federal holidayPresident Joe Biden has signed legislation Thursday establishing a new federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery, saying he believes it will go down as one of the greatest honors he has as president.
Trump endorses Mo Brooks among Alabama GOP Senate contenders
Read full article: Trump endorses Mo Brooks among Alabama GOP Senate contendersFormer President Donald Trump has endorsed Rep. Mo Brooks in Alabama’s 2022 Senate race, siding with the conservative firebrand who whipped up the crowd before the Capitol riot in January.
GOP firebrand US Rep. Mo Brooks enters Alabama Senate race
Read full article: GOP firebrand US Rep. Mo Brooks enters Alabama Senate raceThe north Alabama Republican announced his entry into the race at an event with former Trump adviser Stephen Miller. And as President Trump can vouch, I don't cut and run. “Nobody has had President Trump’s back more over the last four years than Mo Brooks. Your vote for Mo Brooks will allow him to carry on the America First agenda," Miller said as he gave his support to Brooks. Some carried signs reading “Traitor Mo has got to go” and that “Mo Brooks words incited violence."
House impeachment manager sues Trump, allies over riot
Read full article: House impeachment manager sues Trump, allies over riotIn this image from video, House impeachment manager Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., speaks during the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. Swalwell's attorney Philip Andonian praised Thompson’s lawsuit, filed under a Reconstruction-era law called the Ku Klux Klan Act, and said they were behind it 100%, but saw the need for this one, too. “We see ourselves as having a different angle to this, holding Trump accountable for the incitement, the disinformation,” he said. But the lawsuit, like the one by Thompson, was brought against Trump in his personal, not official, capacity. “Unable to accept defeat, Donald Trump waged an all out war on a peaceful transition of power,” Swalwell said in a statement.
Conservative gathering in Orlando to feature Trump’s false fraud claims
Read full article: Conservative gathering in Orlando to feature Trump’s false fraud claimsTrump himself is headlining the three-day session in a Sunday speech that will be his first public appearance since leaving the White House on Jan. 20. Trump has been keeping a relatively low profile since he moved from the White House to Palm Beach a month ago. “I think the broader point will be: Here's where the Republican Party and conservative movement and the America First movement goes from here," said senior Trump adviser Jason Miller. Here we’ll see the president address the fact that the only divide in the Republican Party is between the elites and the conservative grassroots in the party." “In opposition, when you don’t have the White House, there are many more voices that lead the party,” Cotton said in an interview.
Conservative gathering to feature Trump's false fraud claims
Read full article: Conservative gathering to feature Trump's false fraud claimsTrump himself is headlining the three-day session in a Sunday speech that will be his first public appearance since leaving the White House on Jan. 20. Trump has been keeping a relatively low profile since he moved from the White House to Palm Beach a month ago. “I think the broader point will be: Here's where the Republican Party and conservative movement and the America First movement goes from here," said senior Trump adviser Jason Miller. Here we’ll see the president address the fact that the only divide in the Republican Party is between the elites and the conservative grassroots in the party." “In opposition, when you don’t have the White House, there are many more voices that lead the party,” Cotton said in an interview.
Alabama US Sen. Shelby announces he won't seek a 7th term
Read full article: Alabama US Sen. Shelby announces he won't seek a 7th termFILE-In this Jan. 29, 2005, file photo, Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., speaks during the panel "A Reality Check on the US Economy" at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Shelby is the fourth Senate Republican to announce his retirement, following Sens. “Few people have had a more consequential impact on our state than Senator Richard Shelby,” said Alabama Gov. Leahy said Alabama was losing a “strong champion.”“A fifth-generation Alabamian, Senator Shelby is a true statesmen, and a man of his word. Brooks said he will either run for reelection to his own seat or the Senate seat in 2022.
AP sources: Alabama senator has indicated he won't run again
Read full article: AP sources: Alabama senator has indicated he won't run again“I would say that is his greatest accomplishment, to get money allocated to the state for many different projects,” former Alabama Republican Party Chairman Bill Armistead said. Still, the GOP primary could serve as a microcosm of the larger national tug of war over the direction of the Republican Party. While Shelby has amassed a conservative voting record, the measured Republican senator has not embraced the bombastic populist style of Trump and Trump-like candidates. I don’t think there is anyone who has meant more to the state of Alabama in that position in my lifetime,” former Gov. ___This story has been edited to correct that Bill Armistead is the former chairman of the Alabama Republican Party.
Capitol assault a more sinister attack than first appeared
Read full article: Capitol assault a more sinister attack than first appearedTrump supporters try to break through a police barrier, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington. Minutes later, Pence was taken from the Senate chamber to a secret location and police announced the lockdown of the Capitol. Even before the mob reached sealed doors of the House chamber, Capitol Police pulled Pelosi away from the podium, she told “60 Minutes.”“I said, ‘No, I want to be here,’”she said. Back in the House chamber, a woman in the balcony was seen and heard screaming. When they breached the abandoned Senate chamber, they milled around, rummaged through papers, sat at desks and took videos and pictures.
The unfolding of 'home-grown fascism' in Capitol assault
Read full article: The unfolding of 'home-grown fascism' in Capitol assaultMinutes later, Pence was taken from the Senate chamber to a secret location and police announced the lockdown of the Capitol. Even before the mob reached sealed doors of the House chamber, Capitol Police pulled Pelosi away from the podium, she told “60 Minutes.”“I said, ‘No, I want to be here,’”she said. Back in the House chamber, a woman in the balcony was seen and heard screaming. When they breached the abandoned Senate chamber, they milled around, rummaged through papers, sat at desks and took videos and pictures. These domestic terrorists were in the People’s House, desecrating the People’s House, destroying the People’s House.”___Associated Press writers Dustin Weaver in Washington and Michael Casey in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.
Lawmakers who voted against Biden are denounced back home
Read full article: Lawmakers who voted against Biden are denounced back homeProtesters, newspaper editorial boards and local-level Democrats have urged the lawmakers to step down or for their colleagues to kick them out. The House and Senate can remove members with a two-thirds vote or censure or reprimand with a majority. In St. Louis on Saturday, several hundred people protested against Sen. Josh Hawley, the first-term Missouri Republican who led efforts in the Senate to overturn Biden's election. Johnson initially supported Trump's baseless claims of election fraud, but after the riot, he voted in favor of Biden's win. Perry condemned the Capitol violence.
EXPLAINER: How Congress will count Electoral College votes
Read full article: EXPLAINER: How Congress will count Electoral College votes(Samuel Corum/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – Wednesday's congressional joint session to count electoral votes could drag late into the night as some Republicans plan to challenge Democrat Joe Biden's victory in at least six states. Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. If they do not both agree, the original electoral votes are counted with no changes.
EXPLAINER: How Congress will count Electoral College votes
Read full article: EXPLAINER: How Congress will count Electoral College votesUnder federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. The appointed "tellers" from the House and Senate, members of both parties, then read each certificate out loud and record and count the votes. If they do not both agree, the original electoral votes are counted with no changes.
Congress opens new session as virus, Biden's win dominate
Read full article: Congress opens new session as virus, Biden's win dominateHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi administers the oath to members of the 117th Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021. The House and Senate were required to convene Sunday, by law, and imposed strict COVID-19 protocols. But by day's end, House lawmakers were hugging and congratulating one another after taking the oath of office in the crowded chamber, an alarming scene during the pandemic. “To say the new Congress convenes at a challenging time would be an understatement,” McConnell said as the chamber opened. House Republicans boosted their ranks in the November election, electing a handful of women and minorities, more than ever.
GOP senator rebukes 'dangerous ploy' to fight Biden victory
Read full article: GOP senator rebukes 'dangerous ploy' to fight Biden victory“I will not be participating in a project to overturn the election,” Sasse wrote. When Congress convenes to certify the Electoral College results, any lawmaker can object to a state’s votes on any grounds. If they disagree, the original electoral votes are counted. Trump and his allies have filed roughly 50 lawsuits challenging election results, and nearly all has been dismissed or dropped. The group of House Republicans has said it plans to challenge the election results from Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Nevada.
Trump, House lawmakers plot futile effort to block Biden win
Read full article: Trump, House lawmakers plot futile effort to block Biden winBut members can use the event to object to a state’s votes. Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., said he organized Monday's session with about a dozen House Republicans who are willing to challenge the results. “President Trump is very supportive of our effort,” Brooks said in an interview late Monday. Trump and his allies have filed roughly 50 lawsuits challenging election results, and nearly all have been dismissed or dropped. McConnell has told Senate Republicans that a dispute over the results in January would yield a “terrible vote” for Republicans.
McConnell warns GOP off Electoral College brawl in Congress
Read full article: McConnell warns GOP off Electoral College brawl in CongressThen he pivoted, privately warning Republican senators away from disputing the Electoral College tally when Congress convenes in a joint session Jan. 6 to confirm the results. “I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden,” McConnell said as he opened the Senate. One House Republican, Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama, is planning to challenge the Electoral College results when Congress convenes for the joint session. John Thune of South Dakota and Roy Blunt of Missouri, warned the senators off any Electoral College challenge, according to one of the people familiar with Tuesday's call. The GOP leaders further warned senators that forcing their colleagues into a vote on Electoral College challenges would prove difficult, especially for those facing their own reelections in 2022.
McConnell warns GOP off Electoral College brawl in Congress
Read full article: McConnell warns GOP off Electoral College brawl in CongressThen he pivoted, privately warning Republican senators away from disputing the Electoral College tally when Congress convenes in a joint session Jan. 6 to confirm the results. “I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden,” McConnell said as he opened the Senate. Some GOP lawmakers have vowed to carry the fight to Jan. 6 when Congress votes to accept or reject the Electoral College results. One House Republican, Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama, is planning to challenge the Electoral College results when Congress convenes for the joint session. The GOP leaders further warned senators that forcing their colleagues into a vote on Electoral College challenges would prove difficult, especially for those facing their own reelections in 2022.
In a first, leading Republicans call Biden president-elect
Read full article: In a first, leading Republicans call Biden president-electHe said Monday’s Electoral College vote “was significant.”Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn said barring further legal challenges it appears Biden will be president. Others have said Trump's legal battles should continue toward resolution by inauguration day, Jan. 20. "Once the Electoral College has voted, most people are going to recognize Joe Biden as the president-elect." "Although I supported President Trump, the Electoral College vote today makes clear that Joe Biden is now President-Elect,” said Sen. Many Republicans are unwilling to declare Biden the winner for the same reasons they avoided standing up to Trump during his presidency.
President-elect? GOP may wait for January to say Biden won
Read full article: President-elect? GOP may wait for January to say Biden wonNext week’s Dec. 14 Electoral College deadline may produce just a few more congratulatory GOP calls to Biden. Increasingly, GOP lawmakers say the Jan. 6 vote in Congress to accept the Electoral College outcome may be when the presidential winner becomes official. He introduced a House resolution Tuesday that encourages neither Trump nor Biden to concede until all the investigations are completed. They're relying on Trump voters to power the Georgia runoff elections Jan. 5 that will determine control of the Senate. Until then, his group is trying to push Georgia's Trump voters to the polls, even as the president disputes Biden's win of the state.
Tuesday's safe harbor deadline is boost for Biden
Read full article: Tuesday's safe harbor deadline is boost for BidenThe safe harbor deadline is six days earlier. The attention paid to the normally obscure safe harbor provision is a function of Trump's unrelenting efforts to challenge the legitimacy of the election. Judge Stephen Simanek, appointed to hear the case, has acknowledged that the case would push the state outside the electoral vote safe harbor. The safe harbor provision played a prominent role in the Bush v. Gore case after the 2000 presidential election. The Supreme Court shut down Florida’s state-court-ordered recount because the safe harbor deadline was approaching.