New sanctions on Russia’s energy sector could temporarily raise gas prices and shift oil export patterns, according to experts who analyzed the global impact of penalties previously placed against the country’s fossil fuels. 

President Joe Biden is reportedly considering imposing new sanctions on Russian energy before he leaves office, the Washington Post reported, citing four people familiar with the matter. Sources suggested that such a move could give President-elect Donald Trump more leverage in potential negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

If Biden proceeds with the sanction, analysis of U.S. sanctions against Russia at the beginning of the conflict with Ukraine indicate energy sanctions can result in higher gas prices globally.

The price of natural gas began to rise amid tensions in Russia in 2022 but reached a record high in the U.S. after the country invaded and sparked a yearslong war with its neighboring country, Ukraine. 

PUTIN SAYS RUSSIA READY TO COMPROMISE WITH TRUMP ON UKRAINE WAR

“Western sanctions on the Russian energy sector have reduced Russian revenues, but have also created costs for the sanctioning nations,” the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis wrote in a review of the impact of energy sanctions on Russia.

Biden and Western countries imposed sanctions on Russian energy after the country invaded Ukraine, resulting in rising diesel prices worldwide because there “simply weren’t enough refineries to meet diesel demand, especially after the U.S. and other countries stopped purchasing energy exports from Russia,” according to an analysis from the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED).

US SLAPS SANCTIONS ON COMPANIES TIED TO NORD STREAM 2 IN BID TO SQUEEZE RUSSIA

According to FRED, the Producer Price Index (PPI) for diesel in June 2022 was approximately 109% higher than in June 2021. However, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that prices have decreased considerably since.

The American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a public policy think tank, says that sanctions can have varying effects, such as a “significant shift in oil export patterns, rerouting trade flows in an economically inefficient manner and forcing sanctioned countries such as Iran, Russia, and Venezuela to sell crude at below-market prices.”

While the move could increase oil costs, one advocate of the idea suggested that the election being over could be a reason for Biden to move forward with the penalty.

“The Biden administration has been worried about increasing gas prices and worsening inflation. That was the main constraint on their Russia sanctions policy, the domestic ramifications,” said Edward Fishman, senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, the Washington Post reported. “But the election is over, and inflation is under control. The reasons to be this cautious on sanctions don’t apply anymore.”

The report comes just days after the U.S. issued fresh sanctions against several Russian-linked entities and individuals involved in the building of Nord Stream 2, the massive undersea gas pipeline linking Russia to Germany.

Fox News’ Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report. 

2024-12-26 20:26:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fpolitics%2Fwhat-could-happen-gas-prices-biden-issues-new-sanctions-again-russian-energy-sector?w=600&h=450, New sanctions on Russia’s energy sector could temporarily raise gas prices and shift oil export patterns, according to experts who analyzed the global impact of penalties previously placed against the country’s fossil fuels.  President Joe Biden is reportedly considering imposing new sanctions on Russian energy before he leaves office, the Washington Post reported, citing four,

New sanctions on Russia’s energy sector could temporarily raise gas prices and shift oil export patterns, according to experts who analyzed the global impact of penalties previously placed against the country’s fossil fuels. 

President Joe Biden is reportedly considering imposing new sanctions on Russian energy before he leaves office, the Washington Post reported, citing four people familiar with the matter. Sources suggested that such a move could give President-elect Donald Trump more leverage in potential negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

If Biden proceeds with the sanction, analysis of U.S. sanctions against Russia at the beginning of the conflict with Ukraine indicate energy sanctions can result in higher gas prices globally.

The price of natural gas began to rise amid tensions in Russia in 2022 but reached a record high in the U.S. after the country invaded and sparked a yearslong war with its neighboring country, Ukraine. 

PUTIN SAYS RUSSIA READY TO COMPROMISE WITH TRUMP ON UKRAINE WAR

“Western sanctions on the Russian energy sector have reduced Russian revenues, but have also created costs for the sanctioning nations,” the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis wrote in a review of the impact of energy sanctions on Russia.

Biden and Western countries imposed sanctions on Russian energy after the country invaded Ukraine, resulting in rising diesel prices worldwide because there “simply weren’t enough refineries to meet diesel demand, especially after the U.S. and other countries stopped purchasing energy exports from Russia,” according to an analysis from the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED).

US SLAPS SANCTIONS ON COMPANIES TIED TO NORD STREAM 2 IN BID TO SQUEEZE RUSSIA

According to FRED, the Producer Price Index (PPI) for diesel in June 2022 was approximately 109% higher than in June 2021. However, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that prices have decreased considerably since.

The American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a public policy think tank, says that sanctions can have varying effects, such as a “significant shift in oil export patterns, rerouting trade flows in an economically inefficient manner and forcing sanctioned countries such as Iran, Russia, and Venezuela to sell crude at below-market prices.”

While the move could increase oil costs, one advocate of the idea suggested that the election being over could be a reason for Biden to move forward with the penalty.

“The Biden administration has been worried about increasing gas prices and worsening inflation. That was the main constraint on their Russia sanctions policy, the domestic ramifications,” said Edward Fishman, senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, the Washington Post reported. “But the election is over, and inflation is under control. The reasons to be this cautious on sanctions don’t apply anymore.”

The report comes just days after the U.S. issued fresh sanctions against several Russian-linked entities and individuals involved in the building of Nord Stream 2, the massive undersea gas pipeline linking Russia to Germany.

Fox News’ Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report. 

, New sanctions on Russia’s energy sector could temporarily raise gas prices and shift oil export patterns, according to experts who analyzed the global impact of penalties previously placed against the country’s fossil fuels.  President Joe Biden is reportedly considering imposing new sanctions on Russian energy before he leaves office, the Washington Post reported, citing four people familiar with the matter. Sources suggested that such a move could give President-elect Donald Trump more leverage in potential negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. If Biden proceeds with the sanction, analysis of U.S. sanctions against Russia at the beginning of the conflict with Ukraine indicate energy sanctions can result in higher gas prices globally. The price of natural gas began to rise amid tensions in Russia in 2022 but reached a record high in the U.S. after the country invaded and sparked a yearslong war with its neighboring country, Ukraine.  PUTIN SAYS RUSSIA READY TO COMPROMISE WITH TRUMP ON UKRAINE WAR “Western sanctions on the Russian energy sector have reduced Russian revenues, but have also created costs for the sanctioning nations,” the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis wrote in a review of the impact of energy sanctions on Russia. Biden and Western countries imposed sanctions on Russian energy after the country invaded Ukraine, resulting in rising diesel prices worldwide because there “simply weren’t enough refineries to meet diesel demand, especially after the U.S. and other countries stopped purchasing energy exports from Russia,” according to an analysis from the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED). US SLAPS SANCTIONS ON COMPANIES TIED TO NORD STREAM 2 IN BID TO SQUEEZE RUSSIA According to FRED, the Producer Price Index (PPI) for diesel in June 2022 was approximately 109% higher than in June 2021. However, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that prices have decreased considerably since. The American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a public policy think tank, says that sanctions can have varying effects, such as a “significant shift in oil export patterns, rerouting trade flows in an economically inefficient manner and forcing sanctioned countries such as Iran, Russia, and Venezuela to sell crude at below-market prices.” While the move could increase oil costs, one advocate of the idea suggested that the election being over could be a reason for Biden to move forward with the penalty. “The Biden administration has been worried about increasing gas prices and worsening inflation. That was the main constraint on their Russia sanctions policy, the domestic ramifications,” said Edward Fishman, senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, the Washington Post reported. “But the election is over, and inflation is under control. The reasons to be this cautious on sanctions don’t apply anymore.” The report comes just days after the U.S. issued fresh sanctions against several Russian-linked entities and individuals involved in the building of Nord Stream 2, the massive undersea gas pipeline linking Russia to Germany. Fox News’ Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report. , , , https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/12/931/523/bidenjoe2.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, Latest Political News on Fox News, Read all about the political news happening with Fox News. Learn about political parties, political campaigns, and international politics today., https://global.fncstatic.com/static/orion/styles/img/fox-news/logos/fox-news-desktop.png, https://moxie.foxnews.com/google-publisher/politics.xml, ,

ICE officials in Washington, D.C., deported a former high-ranking Somalian military officer who they say carried out torture, terror and other human rights abuses on civilians.

The officer, 71-year-old Yusuf Abdi Ali – also known as “Tukeh” – was removed from the U.S. by ICE officials on Dec. 20. He was a lieutenant colonel in the Somali National Army and commander of the Fifth Brigade in northwest Somalia during the dictatorship of Siad Barre from 1987 to 1989.

As a high-ranking officer in the Somali National Army, Ali allegedly oversaw terror activities against the Isaaq clan in northwestern Somalia. He is believed to have carried out an array of human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, torture and arbitrary detention.

ICE DEPORTATIONS CATCH UP TO TRUMP-ERA NUMBERS IN FY 2024 AS BIDEN ADMIN COMES TO A CLOSE

According to a Dec. 23 statement by ICE, the Somali National Army committed numerous human rights violations against civilians in those years, including the execution of suspected political opponents, the burning of entire towns, the unlawful use of landmines and the destruction of water reservoirs to target civilian populations.

In February 2024, a Department of Justice immigration judge issued a 65-page decision determining that Ali personally engaged in torture while in leadership in the Somali National Army. According to the decision, Ali ordered soldiers under his command to detain, torture and assist in extrajudicial killings. The judge ordered him removed to Somalia.

The U.S.-based law firm the Center for Justice & Accountability, which has represented one of Ali’s alleged victims, Farhan Warfaa, calls him “one of the most ruthless commanders” of the Barre Somalian dictatorship. Warfaa was abducted as a teenager by soldiers under Ali’s command, held for months, repeatedly beaten and eventually shot and left for dead.

ICE NABS ILLEGAL MIGRANT ACCUSED OF HEINOUS CRIME AND RELEASED BY MASSACHUSETTS SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Warfaa ended up surviving, and in 2019 a federal civil court in Alexandria, Virginia, found Ali liable for his torture.  

Ali was living as a permanent resident in Springfield, Virginia, until Homeland Security Investigations arrested him in November 2022.

“The United States will not be a safe haven for those who commit human rights violations, and we will persist in our efforts to pursue justice for the victims of these crimes,” said Russell Hott, acting executive associate director for Washington, D.C., ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations.

Hott said that “though justice was delayed in this case, it ultimately prevailed.”

2024-12-26 20:20:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fpolitics%2Fice-deports-former-high-ranking-somalian-military-official-accused-torture-terror?w=600&h=450, ICE officials in Washington, D.C., deported a former high-ranking Somalian military officer who they say carried out torture, terror and other human rights abuses on civilians. The officer, 71-year-old Yusuf Abdi Ali – also known as “Tukeh” – was removed from the U.S. by ICE officials on Dec. 20. He was a lieutenant colonel in,

ICE officials in Washington, D.C., deported a former high-ranking Somalian military officer who they say carried out torture, terror and other human rights abuses on civilians.

The officer, 71-year-old Yusuf Abdi Ali – also known as “Tukeh” – was removed from the U.S. by ICE officials on Dec. 20. He was a lieutenant colonel in the Somali National Army and commander of the Fifth Brigade in northwest Somalia during the dictatorship of Siad Barre from 1987 to 1989.

As a high-ranking officer in the Somali National Army, Ali allegedly oversaw terror activities against the Isaaq clan in northwestern Somalia. He is believed to have carried out an array of human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, torture and arbitrary detention.

ICE DEPORTATIONS CATCH UP TO TRUMP-ERA NUMBERS IN FY 2024 AS BIDEN ADMIN COMES TO A CLOSE

According to a Dec. 23 statement by ICE, the Somali National Army committed numerous human rights violations against civilians in those years, including the execution of suspected political opponents, the burning of entire towns, the unlawful use of landmines and the destruction of water reservoirs to target civilian populations.

In February 2024, a Department of Justice immigration judge issued a 65-page decision determining that Ali personally engaged in torture while in leadership in the Somali National Army. According to the decision, Ali ordered soldiers under his command to detain, torture and assist in extrajudicial killings. The judge ordered him removed to Somalia.

The U.S.-based law firm the Center for Justice & Accountability, which has represented one of Ali’s alleged victims, Farhan Warfaa, calls him “one of the most ruthless commanders” of the Barre Somalian dictatorship. Warfaa was abducted as a teenager by soldiers under Ali’s command, held for months, repeatedly beaten and eventually shot and left for dead.

ICE NABS ILLEGAL MIGRANT ACCUSED OF HEINOUS CRIME AND RELEASED BY MASSACHUSETTS SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Warfaa ended up surviving, and in 2019 a federal civil court in Alexandria, Virginia, found Ali liable for his torture.  

Ali was living as a permanent resident in Springfield, Virginia, until Homeland Security Investigations arrested him in November 2022.

“The United States will not be a safe haven for those who commit human rights violations, and we will persist in our efforts to pursue justice for the victims of these crimes,” said Russell Hott, acting executive associate director for Washington, D.C., ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations.

Hott said that “though justice was delayed in this case, it ultimately prevailed.”

, ICE officials in Washington, D.C., deported a former high-ranking Somalian military officer who they say carried out torture, terror and other human rights abuses on civilians. The officer, 71-year-old Yusuf Abdi Ali – also known as “Tukeh” – was removed from the U.S. by ICE officials on Dec. 20. He was a lieutenant colonel in the Somali National Army and commander of the Fifth Brigade in northwest Somalia during the dictatorship of Siad Barre from 1987 to 1989. As a high-ranking officer in the Somali National Army, Ali allegedly oversaw terror activities against the Isaaq clan in northwestern Somalia. He is believed to have carried out an array of human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, torture and arbitrary detention. ICE DEPORTATIONS CATCH UP TO TRUMP-ERA NUMBERS IN FY 2024 AS BIDEN ADMIN COMES TO A CLOSE According to a Dec. 23 statement by ICE, the Somali National Army committed numerous human rights violations against civilians in those years, including the execution of suspected political opponents, the burning of entire towns, the unlawful use of landmines and the destruction of water reservoirs to target civilian populations. In February 2024, a Department of Justice immigration judge issued a 65-page decision determining that Ali personally engaged in torture while in leadership in the Somali National Army. According to the decision, Ali ordered soldiers under his command to detain, torture and assist in extrajudicial killings. The judge ordered him removed to Somalia. The U.S.-based law firm the Center for Justice & Accountability, which has represented one of Ali’s alleged victims, Farhan Warfaa, calls him “one of the most ruthless commanders” of the Barre Somalian dictatorship. Warfaa was abducted as a teenager by soldiers under Ali’s command, held for months, repeatedly beaten and eventually shot and left for dead. ICE NABS ILLEGAL MIGRANT ACCUSED OF HEINOUS CRIME AND RELEASED BY MASSACHUSETTS SHERIFF’S OFFICE Warfaa ended up surviving, and in 2019 a federal civil court in Alexandria, Virginia, found Ali liable for his torture.   Ali was living as a permanent resident in Springfield, Virginia, until Homeland Security Investigations arrested him in November 2022. “The United States will not be a safe haven for those who commit human rights violations, and we will persist in our efforts to pursue justice for the victims of these crimes,” said Russell Hott, acting executive associate director for Washington, D.C., ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. Hott said that “though justice was delayed in this case, it ultimately prevailed.”, , , https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2020/10/931/523/ICE-Agent-ICE.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, Latest Political News on Fox News, Read all about the political news happening with Fox News. Learn about political parties, political campaigns, and international politics today., https://global.fncstatic.com/static/orion/styles/img/fox-news/logos/fox-news-desktop.png, https://moxie.foxnews.com/google-publisher/politics.xml, ,

Tom Homan, President-elect Trump’s “border czar,” floated the idea of putting the children of illegal immigrants in halfway homes as part of the incoming administration’s mass deportation plan. 

“As far as U.S. children — children, that’s going to be a difficult situation, because we’re not going to detain your U.S. citizen children, which means, you know, they’re going to be put in a halfway house,” Homan told NewsNation on Thursday, The Hill reported

.CALIFORNIA GOV. NEWSOM’S TEAM CONSIDERING WAYS TO HELP ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AHEAD OF SECOND TRUMP ADMIN: REPORT

“They can — or they can stay at home and wait for the officers to get the travel arrangements and come back to get the family,” he added.

As part of his plan to address the border crisis, Trump has said he plans to deport large numbers of illegal immigrants.

One of the administration’s priorities will be to find the hundreds of thousands of migrant children unaccounted for in the United States.  

MIGRANT CRIME WAVE DURING BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN UNDER SCRUTINY AMID SERIES OF ASSAULTS, MURDERS: A TIMELINE

“We’re going to ask the American people to take notice: see something, say something and contact us,” Holman told Kellyanne Conway on “Hannity.” “If one phone call out of a thousand saves a child from sex trafficking or forced labor, then that’s one life saved.”

Homan acknowledged it would be a “daunting task,” but “we’re going to give it everything we’ve got.”

During his interview with NewsNation, Homan said giving birth to children born in the U.S. won’t spare illegal immigrants from being deported. 

“Having a U.S. citizen child does not make you immune to our laws, and that’s not the message we want to send to the whole world, that you can have a child and you’re immune to the laws of this country,” Homan said. 

In addition to mass deportations, Trump has threatened to go after birthright citizenship, which automatically grants American citizenship to those born in the country. 

2024-12-26 19:34:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fpolitics%2Fborder-czar-tom-homan-says-children-illegal-immigrants-could-put-halfway-homes?w=600&h=450, Tom Homan, President-elect Trump’s “border czar,” floated the idea of putting the children of illegal immigrants in halfway homes as part of the incoming administration’s mass deportation plan.  “As far as U.S. children — children, that’s going to be a difficult situation, because we’re not going to detain your U.S. citizen children, which means, you,

Tom Homan, President-elect Trump’s “border czar,” floated the idea of putting the children of illegal immigrants in halfway homes as part of the incoming administration’s mass deportation plan. 

“As far as U.S. children — children, that’s going to be a difficult situation, because we’re not going to detain your U.S. citizen children, which means, you know, they’re going to be put in a halfway house,” Homan told NewsNation on Thursday, The Hill reported

.CALIFORNIA GOV. NEWSOM’S TEAM CONSIDERING WAYS TO HELP ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AHEAD OF SECOND TRUMP ADMIN: REPORT

“They can — or they can stay at home and wait for the officers to get the travel arrangements and come back to get the family,” he added.

As part of his plan to address the border crisis, Trump has said he plans to deport large numbers of illegal immigrants.

One of the administration’s priorities will be to find the hundreds of thousands of migrant children unaccounted for in the United States.  

MIGRANT CRIME WAVE DURING BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN UNDER SCRUTINY AMID SERIES OF ASSAULTS, MURDERS: A TIMELINE

“We’re going to ask the American people to take notice: see something, say something and contact us,” Holman told Kellyanne Conway on “Hannity.” “If one phone call out of a thousand saves a child from sex trafficking or forced labor, then that’s one life saved.”

Homan acknowledged it would be a “daunting task,” but “we’re going to give it everything we’ve got.”

During his interview with NewsNation, Homan said giving birth to children born in the U.S. won’t spare illegal immigrants from being deported. 

“Having a U.S. citizen child does not make you immune to our laws, and that’s not the message we want to send to the whole world, that you can have a child and you’re immune to the laws of this country,” Homan said. 

In addition to mass deportations, Trump has threatened to go after birthright citizenship, which automatically grants American citizenship to those born in the country. 

, Tom Homan, President-elect Trump’s “border czar,” floated the idea of putting the children of illegal immigrants in halfway homes as part of the incoming administration’s mass deportation plan.  “As far as U.S. children — children, that’s going to be a difficult situation, because we’re not going to detain your U.S. citizen children, which means, you know, they’re going to be put in a halfway house,” Homan told NewsNation on Thursday, The Hill reported . CALIFORNIA GOV. NEWSOM’S TEAM CONSIDERING WAYS TO HELP ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AHEAD OF SECOND TRUMP ADMIN: REPORT “They can — or they can stay at home and wait for the officers to get the travel arrangements and come back to get the family,” he added. As part of his plan to address the border crisis, Trump has said he plans to deport large numbers of illegal immigrants. One of the administration’s priorities will be to find the hundreds of thousands of migrant children unaccounted for in the United States.   MIGRANT CRIME WAVE DURING BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN UNDER SCRUTINY AMID SERIES OF ASSAULTS, MURDERS: A TIMELINE “We’re going to ask the American people to take notice: see something, say something and contact us,” Holman told Kellyanne Conway on “Hannity.” “If one phone call out of a thousand saves a child from sex trafficking or forced labor, then that’s one life saved.” Homan acknowledged it would be a “daunting task,” but “we’re going to give it everything we’ve got.” During his interview with NewsNation, Homan said giving birth to children born in the U.S. won’t spare illegal immigrants from being deported.  “Having a U.S. citizen child does not make you immune to our laws, and that’s not the message we want to send to the whole world, that you can have a child and you’re immune to the laws of this country,” Homan said.  In addition to mass deportations, Trump has threatened to go after birthright citizenship, which automatically grants American citizenship to those born in the country. , , , https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/12/931/523/tom-homan.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, Latest Political News on Fox News, Read all about the political news happening with Fox News. Learn about political parties, political campaigns, and international politics today., https://global.fncstatic.com/static/orion/styles/img/fox-news/logos/fox-news-desktop.png, https://moxie.foxnews.com/google-publisher/politics.xml, ,

Congressional Democrats are pushing for federal policies mandating that gyms and fitness centers in the U.S. be accessible for Americans with disabilities. 

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., introduced a bill “to promote the provision of exercise machines and equipment, and exercise and fitness classes and instruction, that are accessible to individuals with disabilities” earlier this week, the Congressional Record shows.

It appears to be a companion bill to the “Exercise and Fitness For All Act” introduced in the upper chamber by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., earlier this year.

JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’

The legislation would direct the U.S. Access Board, a federal agency regulating accessibility for people with disabilities, to create new rules for fitness facilities across the country.

It would mandate “that exercise or fitness instruction offered by the exercise or fitness service provider are accessible to individuals with disabilities,” and that at least one employee trained in working with people with disabilities be on the clock during all operating hours.

If implemented, it would be a significant step forward for accessibility advocates in the U.S., and a significant change for potentially hundreds of U.S. businesses.

DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER

Duckworth told Forbes in July of this year that part of her inspiration for the bill came from her own struggles to find adequate gym equipment. Duckworth, a retired lieutenant colonel, lost both of her legs when a rocket-propelled grenade hit the helicopter she was co-piloting in Iraq in 2004.

She and DeSaulnier were both part of a prior push in the 117th Congress to introduce the bill, alongside late Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska.

“[F]ar too many Americans are still excluded from basic access to exercise equipment and fitness classes due to outdated equipment and services, inaccessible to individuals with disabilities,” DeSaulnier said in a statement at the time. 

“It is unacceptable that these barriers still exist that make it more difficult for individuals with disabilities to get the exercise they need to live healthy lives.”

His re-introduction of the bill on Tuesday appears to be largely symbolic, considering there are no more legislative days in the 118th Congress’ calendar.

Fox News Digital reached out to DeSaulnier’s office for further comment.

2024-12-26 18:41:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fpolitics%2Fnew-bill-would-mandate-gyms-carry-equipment-americans-disabilities?w=600&h=450, Congressional Democrats are pushing for federal policies mandating that gyms and fitness centers in the U.S. be accessible for Americans with disabilities.  Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., introduced a bill “to promote the provision of exercise machines and equipment, and exercise and fitness classes and instruction, that are accessible to individuals with disabilities” earlier this week,

Congressional Democrats are pushing for federal policies mandating that gyms and fitness centers in the U.S. be accessible for Americans with disabilities. 

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., introduced a bill “to promote the provision of exercise machines and equipment, and exercise and fitness classes and instruction, that are accessible to individuals with disabilities” earlier this week, the Congressional Record shows.

It appears to be a companion bill to the “Exercise and Fitness For All Act” introduced in the upper chamber by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., earlier this year.

JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’

The legislation would direct the U.S. Access Board, a federal agency regulating accessibility for people with disabilities, to create new rules for fitness facilities across the country.

It would mandate “that exercise or fitness instruction offered by the exercise or fitness service provider are accessible to individuals with disabilities,” and that at least one employee trained in working with people with disabilities be on the clock during all operating hours.

If implemented, it would be a significant step forward for accessibility advocates in the U.S., and a significant change for potentially hundreds of U.S. businesses.

DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER

Duckworth told Forbes in July of this year that part of her inspiration for the bill came from her own struggles to find adequate gym equipment. Duckworth, a retired lieutenant colonel, lost both of her legs when a rocket-propelled grenade hit the helicopter she was co-piloting in Iraq in 2004.

She and DeSaulnier were both part of a prior push in the 117th Congress to introduce the bill, alongside late Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska.

“[F]ar too many Americans are still excluded from basic access to exercise equipment and fitness classes due to outdated equipment and services, inaccessible to individuals with disabilities,” DeSaulnier said in a statement at the time. 

“It is unacceptable that these barriers still exist that make it more difficult for individuals with disabilities to get the exercise they need to live healthy lives.”

His re-introduction of the bill on Tuesday appears to be largely symbolic, considering there are no more legislative days in the 118th Congress’ calendar.

Fox News Digital reached out to DeSaulnier’s office for further comment.

, Congressional Democrats are pushing for federal policies mandating that gyms and fitness centers in the U.S. be accessible for Americans with disabilities.  Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., introduced a bill “to promote the provision of exercise machines and equipment, and exercise and fitness classes and instruction, that are accessible to individuals with disabilities” earlier this week, the Congressional Record shows. It appears to be a companion bill to the “Exercise and Fitness For All Act” introduced in the upper chamber by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., earlier this year. JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’ The legislation would direct the U.S. Access Board, a federal agency regulating accessibility for people with disabilities, to create new rules for fitness facilities across the country. It would mandate “that exercise or fitness instruction offered by the exercise or fitness service provider are accessible to individuals with disabilities,” and that at least one employee trained in working with people with disabilities be on the clock during all operating hours. If implemented, it would be a significant step forward for accessibility advocates in the U.S., and a significant change for potentially hundreds of U.S. businesses. DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER Duckworth told Forbes in July of this year that part of her inspiration for the bill came from her own struggles to find adequate gym equipment. Duckworth, a retired lieutenant colonel, lost both of her legs when a rocket-propelled grenade hit the helicopter she was co-piloting in Iraq in 2004. She and DeSaulnier were both part of a prior push in the 117th Congress to introduce the bill, alongside late Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska. “[F]ar too many Americans are still excluded from basic access to exercise equipment and fitness classes due to outdated equipment and services, inaccessible to individuals with disabilities,” DeSaulnier said in a statement at the time.  “It is unacceptable that these barriers still exist that make it more difficult for individuals with disabilities to get the exercise they need to live healthy lives.” His re-introduction of the bill on Tuesday appears to be largely symbolic, considering there are no more legislative days in the 118th Congress’ calendar. Fox News Digital reached out to DeSaulnier’s office for further comment., , , https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/10/931/523/woman-gym-duffle-bag.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, Latest Political News on Fox News, Read all about the political news happening with Fox News. Learn about political parties, political campaigns, and international politics today., https://global.fncstatic.com/static/orion/styles/img/fox-news/logos/fox-news-desktop.png, https://moxie.foxnews.com/google-publisher/politics.xml, ,

Former presidential hopeful Marianne Williamson announced a bid to become the next Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair.

In a letter addressed to DNC members posted to her Transform with Marianne Williamson site, she pledged that as chair she would seek to “reinvent the party.” 

She also warned that President-elect Trump’s political accomplishments should not be underestimated.

“President Trump has ushered in an age of political theatre – a collective adrenaline rush that has enabled him to not only move masses of people into his camp but also masses of people away from ours. It does not serve us to underestimate the historic nature of what he has achieved,” Williamson said.

DEMOCRATS IN DISARRAY: MORE CANDIDATES JUMP INTO WIDE-OPEN RACE FOR DNC CHAIR

“In fact, it’s important that we recognize the psychological and emotional dimensions of Trump’s appeal. We need to understand it to create the energy to counter it. MAGA is a distinctly 21st century political movement, and it will not be defeated by a 20th century tool kit. Data analysis, fundraising, field organizing, and beefed-up technology – while all are important – will not be enough to prepare the way for Democratic victory in 2024 and beyond,” she asserted.

“We will create a surge of patriotic fervor, and a connectedness of the American heart to the great historical legacy of this country. Our ultimate success will be creating in people’s minds a sense that in order to further that legacy, your smartest move is to vote for Democrats,” she contended.

DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR FRONTRUNNER ACKNOWLEDGES ‘WE’RE GETTING OUR BUTTS KICKED RIGHT NOW’

Williamson, an author who says she has “worked as a spiritual/political activist” over the course of her career, pursued the Democratic presidential nomination during the last two presidential election cycles but failed to gain traction in both cases.

In early 2020 she dropped out before the first nominating contest, the Iowa caucus, took place. In 2024, she suspended her campaign in February but unsuspended it later that same month.

OUTGOING DNC CHAIR DEFENDS PARTY, SAYS 2024 COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE FOR DEMOCRATS

Other figures have also announced bids for the DNC chair role, including former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, who recently served as Social Security Administration commissioner.

2024-12-26 18:08:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fpolitics%2Fformer-presidential-hopeful-marianne-williamson-announces-bid-dnc-chair-looks-reinvent-party?w=600&h=450, Former presidential hopeful Marianne Williamson announced a bid to become the next Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair. In a letter addressed to DNC members posted to her Transform with Marianne Williamson site, she pledged that as chair she would seek to “reinvent the party.”  She also warned that President-elect Trump’s political accomplishments should not be,

Former presidential hopeful Marianne Williamson announced a bid to become the next Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair.

In a letter addressed to DNC members posted to her Transform with Marianne Williamson site, she pledged that as chair she would seek to “reinvent the party.” 

She also warned that President-elect Trump’s political accomplishments should not be underestimated.

“President Trump has ushered in an age of political theatre – a collective adrenaline rush that has enabled him to not only move masses of people into his camp but also masses of people away from ours. It does not serve us to underestimate the historic nature of what he has achieved,” Williamson said.

DEMOCRATS IN DISARRAY: MORE CANDIDATES JUMP INTO WIDE-OPEN RACE FOR DNC CHAIR

“In fact, it’s important that we recognize the psychological and emotional dimensions of Trump’s appeal. We need to understand it to create the energy to counter it. MAGA is a distinctly 21st century political movement, and it will not be defeated by a 20th century tool kit. Data analysis, fundraising, field organizing, and beefed-up technology – while all are important – will not be enough to prepare the way for Democratic victory in 2024 and beyond,” she asserted.

“We will create a surge of patriotic fervor, and a connectedness of the American heart to the great historical legacy of this country. Our ultimate success will be creating in people’s minds a sense that in order to further that legacy, your smartest move is to vote for Democrats,” she contended.

DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR FRONTRUNNER ACKNOWLEDGES ‘WE’RE GETTING OUR BUTTS KICKED RIGHT NOW’

Williamson, an author who says she has “worked as a spiritual/political activist” over the course of her career, pursued the Democratic presidential nomination during the last two presidential election cycles but failed to gain traction in both cases.

In early 2020 she dropped out before the first nominating contest, the Iowa caucus, took place. In 2024, she suspended her campaign in February but unsuspended it later that same month.

OUTGOING DNC CHAIR DEFENDS PARTY, SAYS 2024 COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE FOR DEMOCRATS

Other figures have also announced bids for the DNC chair role, including former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, who recently served as Social Security Administration commissioner.

, Former presidential hopeful Marianne Williamson announced a bid to become the next Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair. In a letter addressed to DNC members posted to her Transform with Marianne Williamson site, she pledged that as chair she would seek to “reinvent the party.”  She also warned that President-elect Trump’s political accomplishments should not be underestimated. “President Trump has ushered in an age of political theatre – a collective adrenaline rush that has enabled him to not only move masses of people into his camp but also masses of people away from ours. It does not serve us to underestimate the historic nature of what he has achieved,” Williamson said. DEMOCRATS IN DISARRAY: MORE CANDIDATES JUMP INTO WIDE-OPEN RACE FOR DNC CHAIR “In fact, it’s important that we recognize the psychological and emotional dimensions of Trump’s appeal. We need to understand it to create the energy to counter it. MAGA is a distinctly 21st century political movement, and it will not be defeated by a 20th century tool kit. Data analysis, fundraising, field organizing, and beefed-up technology – while all are important – will not be enough to prepare the way for Democratic victory in 2024 and beyond,” she asserted. “We will create a surge of patriotic fervor, and a connectedness of the American heart to the great historical legacy of this country. Our ultimate success will be creating in people’s minds a sense that in order to further that legacy, your smartest move is to vote for Democrats,” she contended. DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR FRONTRUNNER ACKNOWLEDGES ‘WE’RE GETTING OUR BUTTS KICKED RIGHT NOW’ Williamson, an author who says she has “worked as a spiritual/political activist” over the course of her career, pursued the Democratic presidential nomination during the last two presidential election cycles but failed to gain traction in both cases. In early 2020 she dropped out before the first nominating contest, the Iowa caucus, took place. In 2024, she suspended her campaign in February but unsuspended it later that same month. OUTGOING DNC CHAIR DEFENDS PARTY, SAYS 2024 COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE FOR DEMOCRATS Other figures have also announced bids for the DNC chair role, including former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, who recently served as Social Security Administration commissioner., , , https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/12/931/523/marianne-williamson-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, Latest Political News on Fox News, Read all about the political news happening with Fox News. Learn about political parties, political campaigns, and international politics today., https://global.fncstatic.com/static/orion/styles/img/fox-news/logos/fox-news-desktop.png, https://moxie.foxnews.com/google-publisher/politics.xml, ,

The problem has been percolating for a while. 

It’s been subterranean. Lurking underneath the surface. Not necessarily perceptible.

Except to those who follow Congress closely.

But the issue has gurgled to the top since the House stumbled badly trying to avert a government shutdown last week.

DOZENS OF HOUSE LAWMAKERS RALLY AROUND FUNDING AFGHAN VISA PROGRAMS AS TRUMP VOWS MAJOR SPENDING CUTS

To wit: 

Congress spasmed between a staggering, 1,500-page spending bill. Then defeated a narrow, 116-page bill – which President-elect Trump endorsed. Things got worse when the House only commandeered a scant 174 yeas for the Trump-supported bill and 38 Republicans voted nay. Circumstances grew even more dire when the House actually voted to avert a holiday government shutdown – but passed the bill with more Democrats (196) than Republicans (170). Thirty-four GOPers voted nay.

It was long likely that House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., might face a problem winning the speaker’s gavel immediately when the new Congress convenes at noon ET on Jan. 3. Congressional experts knew that Johnson could be in trouble once the contours of the reed-thin House majority came into focus weeks after the November election. This could blossom into a full-blown crisis for Johnson – and House Republicans –when the speaker’s vote commences a little after 1 p.m. ET next Friday. 

Johnson emerges bruised from last week’s government funding donnybrook. Anywhere from four to 10 Republicans could oppose Johnson in the speaker’s race. 

DONALD TRUMP SAYS MIKE JOHNSON WILL ‘EASILY REMAIN SPEAKER’ IF HE ACTS ‘DECISIVELY AND TOUGH’ ON SPENDING BILL

Here’s the math:

The House clocks in at 434 members with one vacancy. That’s thanks to former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. He resigned his position for this Congress a few weeks ago. Even though Gaetz won re-election in November, his resignation letter – read on the floor of the House – signaled he did not plan to serve in the new Congress, which begins in January.

This is the breakdown when the Congress starts: 219 Republicans to 215 Democrats.

Trump’s pick for national security adviser, Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., remains in the House for now. So does Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. Trump tapped her to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. That’s pending Senate confirmation – perhaps in late January or early February. Once Waltz and Stefanik resign, the GOP majority dwindles to 217-214.

But the speaker’s election on Jan. 3 poses a special challenge. Here’s the bar for Johnson – or anyone else: The speaker of the House must win an outright majority of all members casting ballots for someone by name. In other words, the person with the most votes does not win. That’s what happened repeatedly to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., when he routinely outpolled House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., for speaker to begin this Congress in January 2023. But it took days for McCarthy to cross the proper threshold.

More on that in a moment. 

So let’s crunch the math for Mike Johnson. If there are 219 Republicans and four voted for someone besides him – and all Democrats cast ballots for Jeffries, the tally is 215-214. But there’s no speaker. No one attained an outright majority of all members casting ballots for someone by name. The magic number is 218 if all 434 members vote. 

By rule, this paralyzes the House. The House absolutely, unequivocally, cannot do anything until it elects a speaker. Period. 

The House can’t swear in members. Technically, they’re still representatives-elect. Only after the House chooses its speaker does he or she in turn swear in the membership. 

The House certainly can’t pass legislation. It can’t form committees. It’s frozen in a parliamentary paralysis until it elects a speaker.

Now, I hope you’re sitting down for the next part.

This also means that the House cannot certify the results of the Electoral College, making Trump the 47th president of the United States on Jan. 6.

The failure to elect a speaker compels the House to vote over and over…

And over… and… over…

Until it finally taps someone. 

McCarthy’s election incinerated 15 ballots over five days two years ago.

The House settled into a congressional cryogenic freeze for three weeks after members ousted McCarthy in October 2023. It burned through two speaker candidates off the floor – House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn. – and one candidate on the floor: Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. 

So you see the problem.

Consider for a moment that prior to last year, the House never went to a second ballot to select a speaker since Speaker Frederick Gillett, R-Mass., in 1923. 

It took 63 ballots before the House finally settled on Speaker Howell Cobb, D-Ga., in 1849.

But that’s nothing. The longest speaker’s election consumed two months before the House elected Speaker Nathaniel Banks, R-Mass., in 1856 – on the 133rd ballot.

So anything which elongates this into a collision with Jan. 6 – the statutory day to certify the election results and now one of the most ignominious days in American history – is dangerous.

JOHNSON ALLIES URGE TRUMP TO INTERVENE AS MESSY SPEAKER BATTLE THREATENS TO DELAY 2024 CERTIFICATION

To be clear: there is no dispute that Trump won the election. There is no anticipation of a repeat of a riot at the Capitol like four years ago. But a failure to certify the Electoral College on the day it’s supposed to be completed – especially after the 2021 experience – is playing with fire. Such a scenario would again reveal another, never-before-considered vulnerability in the fragile American political system.

On Jan. 6, the House and Senate are supposed to meet in a joint session of Congress to tabulate and certify the electoral votes. Any disputes over a state’s slate of electoral votes compels the House and Senate to then debate and vote separately on those results. The election is not final until the joint session concludes and the vice president – in this case Kamala Harris – in her capacity as president of the Senate, announces a victor.

Congress is not required to certify the Electoral College on the calendar day of Jan. 6. There is actually some leeway to wrap things up. In 2021, the Electoral College wasn’t certified until around 3:52 a.m. on Jan. 7. It only becomes a major problem if this drags on through noon on Jan. 20. That’s when the Constitution prescribes that the president-elect take the oath of office. 

What happens if the Electoral College isn’t sorted out by Jan. 20? Well, President Biden is done. So he’s gone. The same with Harris. Next in the presidential line of succession is the speaker of the House. Well, there’s no speaker. So who becomes president? 

Well, there is at that moment a president pro tempore of the Senate, the most senior member of the majority party. He or she is fourth in line to the presidency. At this moment, the president pro tempore is Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. But Republicans claim control of the chamber in early January. And unlike the House, if it’s stymied over a speaker, the Senate is functioning. That means 91-year-old Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, becomes Senate president pro tempore. Grassley has served in the Senate since 1981. 

If the House is still frittering away time, trying to elect a speaker on Jan. 20, Grassley likely becomes “acting president.”

I write “likely” because this gets into some serious, extra-constitutional turf. These are unprecedented scenarios. Strange lands never visited in the American political experience. 

And it all hinges on Mike Johnson – or frankly, someone else – wrapping up the speaker’s vote with dispatch on Jan. 3. Any interregnum like the past two speaker elections begins to establish challenging historical precedents. 

But frankly, it’s unclear if the House can avoid such contretemps. 

It’s about the math. And once again, balancing that parliamentary equation is tenuous at best.

2024-12-26 17:46:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fpolitics%2Fhitchhikers-guide-failing-elect-house-speaker-quickly?w=600&h=450, The problem has been percolating for a while.  It’s been subterranean. Lurking underneath the surface. Not necessarily perceptible. Except to those who follow Congress closely. But the issue has gurgled to the top since the House stumbled badly trying to avert a government shutdown last week. DOZENS OF HOUSE LAWMAKERS RALLY AROUND FUNDING AFGHAN VISA,

The problem has been percolating for a while. 

It’s been subterranean. Lurking underneath the surface. Not necessarily perceptible.

Except to those who follow Congress closely.

But the issue has gurgled to the top since the House stumbled badly trying to avert a government shutdown last week.

DOZENS OF HOUSE LAWMAKERS RALLY AROUND FUNDING AFGHAN VISA PROGRAMS AS TRUMP VOWS MAJOR SPENDING CUTS

To wit: 

Congress spasmed between a staggering, 1,500-page spending bill. Then defeated a narrow, 116-page bill – which President-elect Trump endorsed. Things got worse when the House only commandeered a scant 174 yeas for the Trump-supported bill and 38 Republicans voted nay. Circumstances grew even more dire when the House actually voted to avert a holiday government shutdown – but passed the bill with more Democrats (196) than Republicans (170). Thirty-four GOPers voted nay.

It was long likely that House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., might face a problem winning the speaker’s gavel immediately when the new Congress convenes at noon ET on Jan. 3. Congressional experts knew that Johnson could be in trouble once the contours of the reed-thin House majority came into focus weeks after the November election. This could blossom into a full-blown crisis for Johnson – and House Republicans –when the speaker’s vote commences a little after 1 p.m. ET next Friday. 

Johnson emerges bruised from last week’s government funding donnybrook. Anywhere from four to 10 Republicans could oppose Johnson in the speaker’s race. 

DONALD TRUMP SAYS MIKE JOHNSON WILL ‘EASILY REMAIN SPEAKER’ IF HE ACTS ‘DECISIVELY AND TOUGH’ ON SPENDING BILL

Here’s the math:

The House clocks in at 434 members with one vacancy. That’s thanks to former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. He resigned his position for this Congress a few weeks ago. Even though Gaetz won re-election in November, his resignation letter – read on the floor of the House – signaled he did not plan to serve in the new Congress, which begins in January.

This is the breakdown when the Congress starts: 219 Republicans to 215 Democrats.

Trump’s pick for national security adviser, Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., remains in the House for now. So does Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. Trump tapped her to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. That’s pending Senate confirmation – perhaps in late January or early February. Once Waltz and Stefanik resign, the GOP majority dwindles to 217-214.

But the speaker’s election on Jan. 3 poses a special challenge. Here’s the bar for Johnson – or anyone else: The speaker of the House must win an outright majority of all members casting ballots for someone by name. In other words, the person with the most votes does not win. That’s what happened repeatedly to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., when he routinely outpolled House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., for speaker to begin this Congress in January 2023. But it took days for McCarthy to cross the proper threshold.

More on that in a moment. 

So let’s crunch the math for Mike Johnson. If there are 219 Republicans and four voted for someone besides him – and all Democrats cast ballots for Jeffries, the tally is 215-214. But there’s no speaker. No one attained an outright majority of all members casting ballots for someone by name. The magic number is 218 if all 434 members vote. 

By rule, this paralyzes the House. The House absolutely, unequivocally, cannot do anything until it elects a speaker. Period. 

The House can’t swear in members. Technically, they’re still representatives-elect. Only after the House chooses its speaker does he or she in turn swear in the membership. 

The House certainly can’t pass legislation. It can’t form committees. It’s frozen in a parliamentary paralysis until it elects a speaker.

Now, I hope you’re sitting down for the next part.

This also means that the House cannot certify the results of the Electoral College, making Trump the 47th president of the United States on Jan. 6.

The failure to elect a speaker compels the House to vote over and over…

And over… and… over…

Until it finally taps someone. 

McCarthy’s election incinerated 15 ballots over five days two years ago.

The House settled into a congressional cryogenic freeze for three weeks after members ousted McCarthy in October 2023. It burned through two speaker candidates off the floor – House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn. – and one candidate on the floor: Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. 

So you see the problem.

Consider for a moment that prior to last year, the House never went to a second ballot to select a speaker since Speaker Frederick Gillett, R-Mass., in 1923. 

It took 63 ballots before the House finally settled on Speaker Howell Cobb, D-Ga., in 1849.

But that’s nothing. The longest speaker’s election consumed two months before the House elected Speaker Nathaniel Banks, R-Mass., in 1856 – on the 133rd ballot.

So anything which elongates this into a collision with Jan. 6 – the statutory day to certify the election results and now one of the most ignominious days in American history – is dangerous.

JOHNSON ALLIES URGE TRUMP TO INTERVENE AS MESSY SPEAKER BATTLE THREATENS TO DELAY 2024 CERTIFICATION

To be clear: there is no dispute that Trump won the election. There is no anticipation of a repeat of a riot at the Capitol like four years ago. But a failure to certify the Electoral College on the day it’s supposed to be completed – especially after the 2021 experience – is playing with fire. Such a scenario would again reveal another, never-before-considered vulnerability in the fragile American political system.

On Jan. 6, the House and Senate are supposed to meet in a joint session of Congress to tabulate and certify the electoral votes. Any disputes over a state’s slate of electoral votes compels the House and Senate to then debate and vote separately on those results. The election is not final until the joint session concludes and the vice president – in this case Kamala Harris – in her capacity as president of the Senate, announces a victor.

Congress is not required to certify the Electoral College on the calendar day of Jan. 6. There is actually some leeway to wrap things up. In 2021, the Electoral College wasn’t certified until around 3:52 a.m. on Jan. 7. It only becomes a major problem if this drags on through noon on Jan. 20. That’s when the Constitution prescribes that the president-elect take the oath of office. 

What happens if the Electoral College isn’t sorted out by Jan. 20? Well, President Biden is done. So he’s gone. The same with Harris. Next in the presidential line of succession is the speaker of the House. Well, there’s no speaker. So who becomes president? 

Well, there is at that moment a president pro tempore of the Senate, the most senior member of the majority party. He or she is fourth in line to the presidency. At this moment, the president pro tempore is Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. But Republicans claim control of the chamber in early January. And unlike the House, if it’s stymied over a speaker, the Senate is functioning. That means 91-year-old Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, becomes Senate president pro tempore. Grassley has served in the Senate since 1981. 

If the House is still frittering away time, trying to elect a speaker on Jan. 20, Grassley likely becomes “acting president.”

I write “likely” because this gets into some serious, extra-constitutional turf. These are unprecedented scenarios. Strange lands never visited in the American political experience. 

And it all hinges on Mike Johnson – or frankly, someone else – wrapping up the speaker’s vote with dispatch on Jan. 3. Any interregnum like the past two speaker elections begins to establish challenging historical precedents. 

But frankly, it’s unclear if the House can avoid such contretemps. 

It’s about the math. And once again, balancing that parliamentary equation is tenuous at best.

, The problem has been percolating for a while.  It’s been subterranean. Lurking underneath the surface. Not necessarily perceptible. Except to those who follow Congress closely. But the issue has gurgled to the top since the House stumbled badly trying to avert a government shutdown last week. DOZENS OF HOUSE LAWMAKERS RALLY AROUND FUNDING AFGHAN VISA PROGRAMS AS TRUMP VOWS MAJOR SPENDING CUTS To wit:  Congress spasmed between a staggering, 1,500-page spending bill. Then defeated a narrow, 116-page bill – which President-elect Trump endorsed. Things got worse when the House only commandeered a scant 174 yeas for the Trump-supported bill and 38 Republicans voted nay. Circumstances grew even more dire when the House actually voted to avert a holiday government shutdown – but passed the bill with more Democrats (196) than Republicans (170). Thirty-four GOPers voted nay. It was long likely that House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., might face a problem winning the speaker’s gavel immediately when the new Congress convenes at noon ET on Jan. 3. Congressional experts knew that Johnson could be in trouble once the contours of the reed-thin House majority came into focus weeks after the November election. This could blossom into a full-blown crisis for Johnson – and House Republicans –when the speaker’s vote commences a little after 1 p.m. ET next Friday.  Johnson emerges bruised from last week’s government funding donnybrook. Anywhere from four to 10 Republicans could oppose Johnson in the speaker’s race.  DONALD TRUMP SAYS MIKE JOHNSON WILL ‘EASILY REMAIN SPEAKER’ IF HE ACTS ‘DECISIVELY AND TOUGH’ ON SPENDING BILL Here’s the math: The House clocks in at 434 members with one vacancy. That’s thanks to former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. He resigned his position for this Congress a few weeks ago. Even though Gaetz won re-election in November, his resignation letter – read on the floor of the House – signaled he did not plan to serve in the new Congress, which begins in January. This is the breakdown when the Congress starts: 219 Republicans to 215 Democrats. Trump’s pick for national security adviser, Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., remains in the House for now. So does Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. Trump tapped her to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. That’s pending Senate confirmation – perhaps in late January or early February. Once Waltz and Stefanik resign, the GOP majority dwindles to 217-214. But the speaker’s election on Jan. 3 poses a special challenge. Here’s the bar for Johnson – or anyone else: The speaker of the House must win an outright majority of all members casting ballots for someone by name. In other words, the person with the most votes does not win. That’s what happened repeatedly to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., when he routinely outpolled House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., for speaker to begin this Congress in January 2023. But it took days for McCarthy to cross the proper threshold. More on that in a moment.  So let’s crunch the math for Mike Johnson. If there are 219 Republicans and four voted for someone besides him – and all Democrats cast ballots for Jeffries, the tally is 215-214. But there’s no speaker. No one attained an outright majority of all members casting ballots for someone by name. The magic number is 218 if all 434 members vote.  By rule, this paralyzes the House. The House absolutely, unequivocally, cannot do anything until it elects a speaker. Period.  The House can’t swear in members. Technically, they’re still representatives-elect. Only after the House chooses its speaker does he or she in turn swear in the membership.  The House certainly can’t pass legislation. It can’t form committees. It’s frozen in a parliamentary paralysis until it elects a speaker. Now, I hope you’re sitting down for the next part. This also means that the House cannot certify the results of the Electoral College, making Trump the 47th president of the United States on Jan. 6. The failure to elect a speaker compels the House to vote over and over… And over… and… over… Until it finally taps someone.  McCarthy’s election incinerated 15 ballots over five days two years ago. The House settled into a congressional cryogenic freeze for three weeks after members ousted McCarthy in October 2023. It burned through two speaker candidates off the floor – House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn. – and one candidate on the floor: Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.  So you see the problem. Consider for a moment that prior to last year, the House never went to a second ballot to select a speaker since Speaker Frederick Gillett, R-Mass., in 1923.  It took 63 ballots before the House finally settled on Speaker Howell Cobb, D-Ga., in 1849. But that’s nothing. The longest speaker’s election consumed two months before the House elected Speaker Nathaniel Banks, R-Mass., in 1856 – on the 133rd ballot. So anything which elongates this into a collision with Jan. 6 – the statutory day to certify the election results and now one of the most ignominious days in American history – is dangerous. JOHNSON ALLIES URGE TRUMP TO INTERVENE AS MESSY SPEAKER BATTLE THREATENS TO DELAY 2024 CERTIFICATION To be clear: there is no dispute that Trump won the election. There is no anticipation of a repeat of a riot at the Capitol like four years ago. But a failure to certify the Electoral College on the day it’s supposed to be completed – especially after the 2021 experience – is playing with fire. Such a scenario would again reveal another, never-before-considered vulnerability in the fragile American political system. On Jan. 6, the House and Senate are supposed to meet in a joint session of Congress to tabulate and certify the electoral votes. Any disputes over a state’s slate of electoral votes compels the House and Senate to then debate and vote separately on those results. The election is not final until the joint session concludes and the vice president – in this case Kamala Harris – in her capacity as president of the Senate, announces a victor. Congress is not required to certify the Electoral College on the calendar day of Jan. 6. There is actually some leeway to wrap things up. In 2021, the Electoral College wasn’t certified until around 3:52 a.m. on Jan. 7. It only becomes a major problem if this drags on through noon on Jan. 20. That’s when the Constitution prescribes that the president-elect take the oath of office.  What happens if the Electoral College isn’t sorted out by Jan. 20? Well, President Biden is done. So he’s gone. The same with Harris. Next in the presidential line of succession is the speaker of the House. Well, there’s no speaker. So who becomes president?  Well, there is at that moment a president pro tempore of the Senate, the most senior member of the majority party. He or she is fourth in line to the presidency. At this moment, the president pro tempore is Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. But Republicans claim control of the chamber in early January. And unlike the House, if it’s stymied over a speaker, the Senate is functioning. That means 91-year-old Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, becomes Senate president pro tempore. Grassley has served in the Senate since 1981.  If the House is still frittering away time, trying to elect a speaker on Jan. 20, Grassley likely becomes “acting president.” I write “likely” because this gets into some serious, extra-constitutional turf. These are unprecedented scenarios. Strange lands never visited in the American political experience.  And it all hinges on Mike Johnson – or frankly, someone else – wrapping up the speaker’s vote with dispatch on Jan. 3. Any interregnum like the past two speaker elections begins to establish challenging historical precedents.  But frankly, it’s unclear if the House can avoid such contretemps.  It’s about the math. And once again, balancing that parliamentary equation is tenuous at best., , , https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/12/931/523/johnson_capitolbuilding.png?ve=1&tl=1, Latest Political News on Fox News, Read all about the political news happening with Fox News. Learn about political parties, political campaigns, and international politics today., https://global.fncstatic.com/static/orion/styles/img/fox-news/logos/fox-news-desktop.png, https://moxie.foxnews.com/google-publisher/politics.xml, ,

A Texas man is being charged with attempting to smuggle over 100 illegal immigrants into the U.S. in a locked tractor trailer.

Juan Manuel Aguirre, 49, is facing a three-count indictment of conspiracy to transport an undocumented alien within the United States and the transportation of an undocumented alien within the United States for financial gain, according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas on Monday.

Aguirre, a resident of the South Texas city of Laredo, was observed by law enforcement loading a large group of migrants into a white trailer in a warehouse parking lot on Dec. 2. After it departed, authorities conducted a traffic stop on the white truck hauling the trailer and allegedly found 101 undocumented immigrants, including 12 unaccompanied children, crammed in.

CALIFORNIA GOV. NEWSOM’S TEAM CONSIDERING WAYS TO HELP ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AHEAD OF SECOND TRUMP ADMIN: REPORT

The Justice Department statement said two of the migrants reported having difficulty breathing and feared for their lives due to the conditions in the trailer.

Aguirre is facing 10 years in prison for each of the three counts and fines of up to $250,000.

The number of individuals sentenced for alien smuggling offenses in the U.S. has steadily risen under the Biden administration, reaching 4,731 in fiscal year 2023, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

MIGRANT CRIME WAVE DURING BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN UNDER SCRUTINY AMID SERIES OF ASSAULTS, MURDERS: A TIMELINE

The top five districts for human smuggling are all along the southern border. With Texas accounting for over 60% of the U.S. border with Mexico, the top two districts for human smuggling were both in Texas.

There were 64,124 alien smuggling offense cases reported in 2023. About 10% of alien smuggling cases involve unaccompanied minors.

In October, local news source KGNS reported a concerning rise in human smuggling incidents in Laredo, resulting in high-risk vehicle pursuits and other dangerous situations.

THESE ARE TRUMP’S THREE PRIORITIES FOR BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN | FOX NEWS VIDEO

Earlier this month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott launched a new billboard ad campaign in Mexico and Central America to warn potential illegal migrants of the dangers of attempting to cross into the U.S. illegally.

“We’re here to expose the truth to immigrants who are thinking about coming here, the truth about the traffickers who assault so many of the women and children along the way,” the governor said. “The message is: Do not risk a dangerous trip just to be arrested and deported.”

2024-12-26 17:06:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fpolitics%2Ftexas-man-indicted-smuggling-dozens-illegal-immigrants-locked-tractor-trailer?w=600&h=450, A Texas man is being charged with attempting to smuggle over 100 illegal immigrants into the U.S. in a locked tractor trailer. Juan Manuel Aguirre, 49, is facing a three-count indictment of conspiracy to transport an undocumented alien within the United States and the transportation of an undocumented alien within the United States for financial,

A Texas man is being charged with attempting to smuggle over 100 illegal immigrants into the U.S. in a locked tractor trailer.

Juan Manuel Aguirre, 49, is facing a three-count indictment of conspiracy to transport an undocumented alien within the United States and the transportation of an undocumented alien within the United States for financial gain, according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas on Monday.

Aguirre, a resident of the South Texas city of Laredo, was observed by law enforcement loading a large group of migrants into a white trailer in a warehouse parking lot on Dec. 2. After it departed, authorities conducted a traffic stop on the white truck hauling the trailer and allegedly found 101 undocumented immigrants, including 12 unaccompanied children, crammed in.

CALIFORNIA GOV. NEWSOM’S TEAM CONSIDERING WAYS TO HELP ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AHEAD OF SECOND TRUMP ADMIN: REPORT

The Justice Department statement said two of the migrants reported having difficulty breathing and feared for their lives due to the conditions in the trailer.

Aguirre is facing 10 years in prison for each of the three counts and fines of up to $250,000.

The number of individuals sentenced for alien smuggling offenses in the U.S. has steadily risen under the Biden administration, reaching 4,731 in fiscal year 2023, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

MIGRANT CRIME WAVE DURING BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN UNDER SCRUTINY AMID SERIES OF ASSAULTS, MURDERS: A TIMELINE

The top five districts for human smuggling are all along the southern border. With Texas accounting for over 60% of the U.S. border with Mexico, the top two districts for human smuggling were both in Texas.

There were 64,124 alien smuggling offense cases reported in 2023. About 10% of alien smuggling cases involve unaccompanied minors.

In October, local news source KGNS reported a concerning rise in human smuggling incidents in Laredo, resulting in high-risk vehicle pursuits and other dangerous situations.

THESE ARE TRUMP’S THREE PRIORITIES FOR BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN | FOX NEWS VIDEO

Earlier this month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott launched a new billboard ad campaign in Mexico and Central America to warn potential illegal migrants of the dangers of attempting to cross into the U.S. illegally.

“We’re here to expose the truth to immigrants who are thinking about coming here, the truth about the traffickers who assault so many of the women and children along the way,” the governor said. “The message is: Do not risk a dangerous trip just to be arrested and deported.”

, A Texas man is being charged with attempting to smuggle over 100 illegal immigrants into the U.S. in a locked tractor trailer. Juan Manuel Aguirre, 49, is facing a three-count indictment of conspiracy to transport an undocumented alien within the United States and the transportation of an undocumented alien within the United States for financial gain, according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas on Monday. Aguirre, a resident of the South Texas city of Laredo, was observed by law enforcement loading a large group of migrants into a white trailer in a warehouse parking lot on Dec. 2. After it departed, authorities conducted a traffic stop on the white truck hauling the trailer and allegedly found 101 undocumented immigrants, including 12 unaccompanied children, crammed in. CALIFORNIA GOV. NEWSOM’S TEAM CONSIDERING WAYS TO HELP ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AHEAD OF SECOND TRUMP ADMIN: REPORT The Justice Department statement said two of the migrants reported having difficulty breathing and feared for their lives due to the conditions in the trailer. Aguirre is facing 10 years in prison for each of the three counts and fines of up to $250,000. The number of individuals sentenced for alien smuggling offenses in the U.S. has steadily risen under the Biden administration, reaching 4,731 in fiscal year 2023, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Sentencing Commission. MIGRANT CRIME WAVE DURING BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN UNDER SCRUTINY AMID SERIES OF ASSAULTS, MURDERS: A TIMELINE The top five districts for human smuggling are all along the southern border. With Texas accounting for over 60% of the U.S. border with Mexico, the top two districts for human smuggling were both in Texas. There were 64,124 alien smuggling offense cases reported in 2023. About 10% of alien smuggling cases involve unaccompanied minors. In October, local news source KGNS reported a concerning rise in human smuggling incidents in Laredo, resulting in high-risk vehicle pursuits and other dangerous situations. THESE ARE TRUMP’S THREE PRIORITIES FOR BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN | FOX NEWS VIDEO Earlier this month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott launched a new billboard ad campaign in Mexico and Central America to warn potential illegal migrants of the dangers of attempting to cross into the U.S. illegally. “We’re here to expose the truth to immigrants who are thinking about coming here, the truth about the traffickers who assault so many of the women and children along the way,” the governor said. “The message is: Do not risk a dangerous trip just to be arrested and deported.”, , , https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/01/931/523/borderbridge.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, Latest Political News on Fox News, Read all about the political news happening with Fox News. Learn about political parties, political campaigns, and international politics today., https://global.fncstatic.com/static/orion/styles/img/fox-news/logos/fox-news-desktop.png, https://moxie.foxnews.com/google-publisher/politics.xml, ,

The State Department’s foreign disinformation center, accused by conservatives of censoring U.S. citizens, shut its doors due to lack of funding this week. 

Elon Musk had deemed the Global Engagement Center (GEC), established in 2016, the “worst offender in U.S. government censorship & media manipulation,” and its funding was stripped as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the Pentagon’s yearly policy bill. 

“The Global Engagement Center will terminate by operation of law [by the end of the day] on December 23, 2024,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement. “The Department of State has consulted with Congress regarding next steps.”

Lawmakers had originally included funding for the GEC in its continuing resolution (CR), or bill to fund the government beyond a Friday deadline. But conservatives balked at that iteration of the funding bill, and it was rewritten without money for the GEC and other funding riders.

The agency had a budget of around $61 million and 120 people on staff. 

At a time when adversaries like Iran and Russia sow disinformation throughout the world, Republicans saw little value in the agency’s work, arguing that much of its disinformation analysis is already offered by the private sector. 

The GEC, according to reporter Matt Taibbi, “funded a secret list of subcontractors and helped pioneer an insidious — and idiotic — new form of blacklisting” during the pandemic. 

Taibbi wrote last year when exposing the Twitter Files that the GEC “flagged accounts as ‘Russian personas and proxies’ based on criteria like, ‘Describing the Coronavirus as an engineered bioweapon,’ blaming ‘research conducted at the Wuhan institute,’ and ‘attributing the appearance of the virus to the CIA.’” 

“State also flagged accounts that retweeted news that Twitter banned the popular U.S. website ZeroHedge, claiming that it ‘led to another flurry of disinformation narratives.'” ZeroHedge had made reports speculating that the virus had a lab origin.

The GEC is part of the State Department but also partners with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Special Operations Command and the Department of Homeland Security. The GEC also funds the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab).

SPENDING BILL TO FUND STATE DEPARTMENT AGENCY ACCUSED OF CENSORING, BLACKLISTING AMERICANS

DFRLab Director Graham Brookie previously denied the claim that they use tax money to track Americans, saying its GEC grants have “an exclusively international focus.”

A 2024 report from the Republican-led House Small Business Committee criticized the GEC for awarding grants to organizations whose work includes tracking domestic as well as foreign misinformation and rating the credibility of U.S.-based publishers, according to the Washington Post. 

The lawsuit was brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, The Daily Wire and The Federalist, who sued the State Department, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other government officials earlier this month for “engaging in a conspiracy to censor, deplatform and demonetize American media outlets disfavored by the federal government.”

The lawsuit stated that the GEC was used as a tool for the defendants to carry out its censorship. 

​​”Congress authorized the creation of the Global Engagement Center expressly to counter foreign propaganda and misinformation,” the Texas Attorney General’s Office said in a press release. “Instead, the agency weaponized this authority to violate the First Amendment and suppress Americans’ constitutionally-protected speech. 

STATE DEPARTMENT FUNDS ‘DISINFORMATION’ INDEX TARGETING NON-LIBERAL AND CONSERVATIVE NEWS OUTLETS: REPORT

The complaint describes the State Department’s project as “one of the most egregious government operations to censor the American press in the history of the nation.’”

The lawsuit argued that The Daily Wire, The Federalist and other conservative news organizations were branded “unreliable” or “risky” by the agency, “starving them of advertising revenue and reducing the circulation of their reporting and speech — all as a direct result of [the State Department’s] unlawful censorship scheme.”

Meanwhile, America First Legal, headed up by Stephen Miller, President-elect Trump’s pick for deputy chief of staff for policy, revealed that the GEC had used taxpayer dollars to create a video game called “Cat Park” to “Inoculate Youth Against Disinformation” abroad. 

The game “inoculates players … by showing how sensational headlines, memes, and manipulated media can be used to advance conspiracy theories and incite real-world violence,” according to a memo obtained by America First Legal. 

Mike Benz, executive director at the Foundation for Freedom Online, said the game was “anti-populist” and pushed certain political beliefs instead of protecting Americans from foreign disinformation, according to the Tennessee Star.

2024-12-26 15:55:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fpolitics%2Fstate-departments-global-engagement-center-accused-censoring-americans-shuts-its-doors?w=600&h=450, The State Department’s foreign disinformation center, accused by conservatives of censoring U.S. citizens, shut its doors due to lack of funding this week.  Elon Musk had deemed the Global Engagement Center (GEC), established in 2016, the “worst offender in U.S. government censorship & media manipulation,” and its funding was stripped as part of the National Defense,

The State Department’s foreign disinformation center, accused by conservatives of censoring U.S. citizens, shut its doors due to lack of funding this week. 

Elon Musk had deemed the Global Engagement Center (GEC), established in 2016, the “worst offender in U.S. government censorship & media manipulation,” and its funding was stripped as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the Pentagon’s yearly policy bill. 

“The Global Engagement Center will terminate by operation of law [by the end of the day] on December 23, 2024,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement. “The Department of State has consulted with Congress regarding next steps.”

Lawmakers had originally included funding for the GEC in its continuing resolution (CR), or bill to fund the government beyond a Friday deadline. But conservatives balked at that iteration of the funding bill, and it was rewritten without money for the GEC and other funding riders.

The agency had a budget of around $61 million and 120 people on staff. 

At a time when adversaries like Iran and Russia sow disinformation throughout the world, Republicans saw little value in the agency’s work, arguing that much of its disinformation analysis is already offered by the private sector. 

The GEC, according to reporter Matt Taibbi, “funded a secret list of subcontractors and helped pioneer an insidious — and idiotic — new form of blacklisting” during the pandemic. 

Taibbi wrote last year when exposing the Twitter Files that the GEC “flagged accounts as ‘Russian personas and proxies’ based on criteria like, ‘Describing the Coronavirus as an engineered bioweapon,’ blaming ‘research conducted at the Wuhan institute,’ and ‘attributing the appearance of the virus to the CIA.’” 

“State also flagged accounts that retweeted news that Twitter banned the popular U.S. website ZeroHedge, claiming that it ‘led to another flurry of disinformation narratives.'” ZeroHedge had made reports speculating that the virus had a lab origin.

The GEC is part of the State Department but also partners with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Special Operations Command and the Department of Homeland Security. The GEC also funds the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab).

SPENDING BILL TO FUND STATE DEPARTMENT AGENCY ACCUSED OF CENSORING, BLACKLISTING AMERICANS

DFRLab Director Graham Brookie previously denied the claim that they use tax money to track Americans, saying its GEC grants have “an exclusively international focus.”

A 2024 report from the Republican-led House Small Business Committee criticized the GEC for awarding grants to organizations whose work includes tracking domestic as well as foreign misinformation and rating the credibility of U.S.-based publishers, according to the Washington Post. 

The lawsuit was brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, The Daily Wire and The Federalist, who sued the State Department, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other government officials earlier this month for “engaging in a conspiracy to censor, deplatform and demonetize American media outlets disfavored by the federal government.”

The lawsuit stated that the GEC was used as a tool for the defendants to carry out its censorship. 

​​”Congress authorized the creation of the Global Engagement Center expressly to counter foreign propaganda and misinformation,” the Texas Attorney General’s Office said in a press release. “Instead, the agency weaponized this authority to violate the First Amendment and suppress Americans’ constitutionally-protected speech. 

STATE DEPARTMENT FUNDS ‘DISINFORMATION’ INDEX TARGETING NON-LIBERAL AND CONSERVATIVE NEWS OUTLETS: REPORT

The complaint describes the State Department’s project as “one of the most egregious government operations to censor the American press in the history of the nation.’”

The lawsuit argued that The Daily Wire, The Federalist and other conservative news organizations were branded “unreliable” or “risky” by the agency, “starving them of advertising revenue and reducing the circulation of their reporting and speech — all as a direct result of [the State Department’s] unlawful censorship scheme.”

Meanwhile, America First Legal, headed up by Stephen Miller, President-elect Trump’s pick for deputy chief of staff for policy, revealed that the GEC had used taxpayer dollars to create a video game called “Cat Park” to “Inoculate Youth Against Disinformation” abroad. 

The game “inoculates players … by showing how sensational headlines, memes, and manipulated media can be used to advance conspiracy theories and incite real-world violence,” according to a memo obtained by America First Legal. 

Mike Benz, executive director at the Foundation for Freedom Online, said the game was “anti-populist” and pushed certain political beliefs instead of protecting Americans from foreign disinformation, according to the Tennessee Star.

, The State Department’s foreign disinformation center, accused by conservatives of censoring U.S. citizens, shut its doors due to lack of funding this week.  Elon Musk had deemed the Global Engagement Center (GEC), established in 2016, the “worst offender in U.S. government censorship & media manipulation,” and its funding was stripped as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the Pentagon’s yearly policy bill.  “The Global Engagement Center will terminate by operation of law [by the end of the day] on December 23, 2024,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement. “The Department of State has consulted with Congress regarding next steps.” Lawmakers had originally included funding for the GEC in its continuing resolution (CR), or bill to fund the government beyond a Friday deadline. But conservatives balked at that iteration of the funding bill, and it was rewritten without money for the GEC and other funding riders. The agency had a budget of around $61 million and 120 people on staff.  At a time when adversaries like Iran and Russia sow disinformation throughout the world, Republicans saw little value in the agency’s work, arguing that much of its disinformation analysis is already offered by the private sector.  The GEC, according to reporter Matt Taibbi, “funded a secret list of subcontractors and helped pioneer an insidious — and idiotic — new form of blacklisting” during the pandemic.  Taibbi wrote last year when exposing the  Twitter Files that the GEC “flagged accounts as ‘Russian personas and proxies’ based on criteria like, ‘Describing the Coronavirus as an engineered bioweapon,’ blaming ‘research conducted at the Wuhan institute,’ and ‘attributing the appearance of the virus to the CIA.’”  “State also flagged accounts that retweeted news that Twitter banned the popular U.S. website ZeroHedge, claiming that it ‘led to another flurry of disinformation narratives.'” ZeroHedge had made reports speculating that the virus had a lab origin. The GEC is part of the State Department but also partners with the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Special Operations Command and the Department of Homeland Security. The GEC also funds the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab). SPENDING BILL TO FUND STATE DEPARTMENT AGENCY ACCUSED OF CENSORING, BLACKLISTING AMERICANS DFRLab Director Graham Brookie previously denied the claim that they use tax money to track Americans, saying its GEC grants have “an exclusively international focus.” A 2024 report from the Republican-led House Small Business Committee criticized the GEC for awarding grants to organizations whose work includes tracking domestic as well as foreign misinformation and rating the credibility of U.S.-based publishers, according to the Washington Post.  The lawsuit was brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, The Daily Wire and The Federalist, who sued the State Department, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other government officials earlier this month for “engaging in a conspiracy to censor, deplatform and demonetize American media outlets disfavored by the federal government.” The lawsuit stated that the GEC was used as a tool for the defendants to carry out its censorship.  ​​”Congress authorized the creation of the Global Engagement Center expressly to counter foreign propaganda and misinformation,” the Texas Attorney General’s Office said in a press release. “Instead, the agency weaponized this authority to violate the  First Amendment and suppress Americans’ constitutionally-protected speech.  STATE DEPARTMENT FUNDS ‘DISINFORMATION’ INDEX TARGETING NON-LIBERAL AND CONSERVATIVE NEWS OUTLETS: REPORT The complaint describes the State Department’s project as “one of the most egregious government operations to censor the American press in the history of the nation.’” The lawsuit argued that The Daily Wire, The Federalist and other conservative news organizations were branded “unreliable” or “risky” by the agency, “starving them of advertising revenue and reducing the circulation of their reporting and speech — all as a direct result of [the State Department’s] unlawful censorship scheme.” Meanwhile, America First Legal, headed up by Stephen Miller, President-elect Trump’s pick for deputy chief of staff for policy, revealed that the GEC had used taxpayer dollars to create a video game called “Cat Park” to “Inoculate Youth Against Disinformation” abroad.  The game “inoculates players … by showing how sensational headlines, memes, and manipulated media can be used to advance conspiracy theories and incite real-world violence,” according to a memo obtained by America First Legal.  Mike Benz, executive director at the Foundation for Freedom Online, said the game was “anti-populist” and pushed certain political beliefs instead of protecting Americans from foreign disinformation, according to the Tennessee Star., , , https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/12/931/523/global-engagement-center-has-been-accused-of-censoring-conservatives.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, Latest Political News on Fox News, Read all about the political news happening with Fox News. Learn about political parties, political campaigns, and international politics today., https://global.fncstatic.com/static/orion/styles/img/fox-news/logos/fox-news-desktop.png, https://moxie.foxnews.com/google-publisher/politics.xml, ,

A trio of House Democrats in the progressive “Squad” is demanding an end to the U.S.-led investigation into a key ally’s anti-Israel arms embargo.

Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Summer Lee, D-Pa., wrote to the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), an independent agency that oversees maritime trade affecting the U.S., regarding Spain’s “decision to deny port entry to ships carrying weapons bound for the Israeli government and its ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza.”

“This investigation is a reckless insult to our allies in Spain, which has only sought to enforce in good faith its sovereign national policies and uphold international law, including its treaty obligations to prevent genocide,” the hardline-left lawmakers wrote.

“It is bad enough that the United States is violating these same obligations and its own domestic laws by sending these weapons. We urge you to immediately suspend this obstruction of justice and withdraw this misguided investigation.”

NETANYAHU WARNS HOUTHIS AMID CALLS FOR ISRAEL TO WIPE OUT TERROR LEADERSHIP AS IT DID WITH NASRALLAH, SINWAR

Spain, a longstanding U.S. ally and fellow member of NATO, said it would stop selling weapons to Israel when its war with Hamas broke out in October 2023.

Since then, the Spanish government has been accused in three separate instances of refusing ships from docking in its ports over allegations those ships were carrying weapons meant for Israel.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told state TV channel RTVE of one of the incidents in May, according to the Associated Press. “The Middle East needs peace. That is why this first denial of authorization will start a policy for any boat carrying arms to Israel that wants to dock at a Spanish port.”

The FMC opened its probe earlier this month after receiving information that “indicates Spain has refused entry to certain vessels on at least three separate occasions this year,” a press release read. “The two most recent instances involved U.S.-flagged vessels.”

The agency will now “investigate whether regulations or practices of foreign governments result in conditions unfavorable to shipping in the foreign trade of the United States.”

But the House Democrats wrote: “Spain’s decisions to bar the Maersk Denver and the Maersk Seletar from stopping in transit at its port in Algeciras in early November, as well as its decision to deny port of call to the Marianne Danica at the port of Cartegena in May of this year, are legitimate actions taken by a sovereign state to ensure that it is in compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law.”

Tlaib, Bush and Lee have been three of Congress’ loudest critics of the Israeli government since it launched its invasion in Gaza.

The campaign was launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 surprise attack in southern Israel. Terrorists crossed the border and killed more than 1,200 Israelis who were in their homes, attending a music festival, and other areas.

The responding operation to eradicate Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 45,000 people, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

HOUSE DEMOCRAT BLASTS IRELAND, SPAIN, NORWAY RECOGNITION OF PALESTINIAN STATE AS ‘GIFT TO HAMAS’

The trio of House Democrats has frequently accused the Biden administration of improperly acquiescing to Israel, the U.S.’s closest ally in the Middle East.

They also argued the U.S. has no standing to investigate Spain’s decision, claiming “these actions do nothing to threaten the reliable international ocean transportation supply system that the FMC is tasked with safeguarding.”

“No agency of the United States should be in the business of punishing or sanctioning our allies for enforcing the international law that our government has refused to uphold,” they wrote.

Spain, along with Ireland and Norway, made the decision to formally recognize Palestinian statehood earlier this year.

Fox News Digital reached out to the FMC for comment.

2024-12-26 15:02:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fpolitics%2Fsquad-dems-demand-end-us-investigation-anti-israel-weapons-embargo?w=600&h=450, A trio of House Democrats in the progressive “Squad” is demanding an end to the U.S.-led investigation into a key ally’s anti-Israel arms embargo. Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Summer Lee, D-Pa., wrote to the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), an independent agency that oversees maritime trade affecting the U.S., regarding Spain’s “decision,

A trio of House Democrats in the progressive “Squad” is demanding an end to the U.S.-led investigation into a key ally’s anti-Israel arms embargo.

Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Summer Lee, D-Pa., wrote to the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), an independent agency that oversees maritime trade affecting the U.S., regarding Spain’s “decision to deny port entry to ships carrying weapons bound for the Israeli government and its ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza.”

“This investigation is a reckless insult to our allies in Spain, which has only sought to enforce in good faith its sovereign national policies and uphold international law, including its treaty obligations to prevent genocide,” the hardline-left lawmakers wrote.

“It is bad enough that the United States is violating these same obligations and its own domestic laws by sending these weapons. We urge you to immediately suspend this obstruction of justice and withdraw this misguided investigation.”

NETANYAHU WARNS HOUTHIS AMID CALLS FOR ISRAEL TO WIPE OUT TERROR LEADERSHIP AS IT DID WITH NASRALLAH, SINWAR

Spain, a longstanding U.S. ally and fellow member of NATO, said it would stop selling weapons to Israel when its war with Hamas broke out in October 2023.

Since then, the Spanish government has been accused in three separate instances of refusing ships from docking in its ports over allegations those ships were carrying weapons meant for Israel.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told state TV channel RTVE of one of the incidents in May, according to the Associated Press. “The Middle East needs peace. That is why this first denial of authorization will start a policy for any boat carrying arms to Israel that wants to dock at a Spanish port.”

The FMC opened its probe earlier this month after receiving information that “indicates Spain has refused entry to certain vessels on at least three separate occasions this year,” a press release read. “The two most recent instances involved U.S.-flagged vessels.”

The agency will now “investigate whether regulations or practices of foreign governments result in conditions unfavorable to shipping in the foreign trade of the United States.”

But the House Democrats wrote: “Spain’s decisions to bar the Maersk Denver and the Maersk Seletar from stopping in transit at its port in Algeciras in early November, as well as its decision to deny port of call to the Marianne Danica at the port of Cartegena in May of this year, are legitimate actions taken by a sovereign state to ensure that it is in compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law.”

Tlaib, Bush and Lee have been three of Congress’ loudest critics of the Israeli government since it launched its invasion in Gaza.

The campaign was launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 surprise attack in southern Israel. Terrorists crossed the border and killed more than 1,200 Israelis who were in their homes, attending a music festival, and other areas.

The responding operation to eradicate Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 45,000 people, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

HOUSE DEMOCRAT BLASTS IRELAND, SPAIN, NORWAY RECOGNITION OF PALESTINIAN STATE AS ‘GIFT TO HAMAS’

The trio of House Democrats has frequently accused the Biden administration of improperly acquiescing to Israel, the U.S.’s closest ally in the Middle East.

They also argued the U.S. has no standing to investigate Spain’s decision, claiming “these actions do nothing to threaten the reliable international ocean transportation supply system that the FMC is tasked with safeguarding.”

“No agency of the United States should be in the business of punishing or sanctioning our allies for enforcing the international law that our government has refused to uphold,” they wrote.

Spain, along with Ireland and Norway, made the decision to formally recognize Palestinian statehood earlier this year.

Fox News Digital reached out to the FMC for comment.

, A trio of House Democrats in the progressive “Squad” is demanding an end to the U.S.-led investigation into a key ally’s anti-Israel arms embargo. Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Summer Lee, D-Pa., wrote to the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), an independent agency that oversees maritime trade affecting the U.S., regarding Spain’s “decision to deny port entry to ships carrying weapons bound for the Israeli government and its ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza.” “This investigation is a reckless insult to our allies in Spain, which has only sought to enforce in good faith its sovereign national policies and uphold international law, including its treaty obligations to prevent genocide,” the hardline-left lawmakers wrote. “It is bad enough that the United States is violating these same obligations and its own domestic laws by sending these weapons. We urge you to immediately suspend this obstruction of justice and withdraw this misguided investigation.” NETANYAHU WARNS HOUTHIS AMID CALLS FOR ISRAEL TO WIPE OUT TERROR LEADERSHIP AS IT DID WITH NASRALLAH, SINWAR Spain, a longstanding U.S. ally and fellow member of NATO, said it would stop selling weapons to Israel when its war with Hamas broke out in October 2023. Since then, the Spanish government has been accused in three separate instances of refusing ships from docking in its ports over allegations those ships were carrying weapons meant for Israel. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told state TV channel RTVE of one of the incidents in May, according to the Associated Press. “The Middle East needs peace. That is why this first denial of authorization will start a policy for any boat carrying arms to Israel that wants to dock at a Spanish port.” The FMC opened its probe earlier this month after receiving information that “indicates Spain has refused entry to certain vessels on at least three separate occasions this year,” a press release read. “The two most recent instances involved U.S.-flagged vessels.” The agency will now “investigate whether regulations or practices of foreign governments result in conditions unfavorable to shipping in the foreign trade of the United States.” But the House Democrats wrote: “Spain’s decisions to bar the Maersk Denver and the Maersk Seletar from stopping in transit at its port in Algeciras in early November, as well as its decision to deny port of call to the Marianne Danica at the port of Cartegena in May of this year, are legitimate actions taken by a sovereign state to ensure that it is in compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law.” Tlaib, Bush and Lee have been three of Congress’ loudest critics of the Israeli government since it launched its invasion in Gaza. The campaign was launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 surprise attack in southern Israel. Terrorists crossed the border and killed more than 1,200 Israelis who were in their homes, attending a music festival, and other areas. The responding operation to eradicate Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 45,000 people, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. HOUSE DEMOCRAT BLASTS IRELAND, SPAIN, NORWAY RECOGNITION OF PALESTINIAN STATE AS ‘GIFT TO HAMAS’ The trio of House Democrats has frequently accused the Biden administration of improperly acquiescing to Israel, the U.S.’s closest ally in the Middle East. They also argued the U.S. has no standing to investigate Spain’s decision, claiming “these actions do nothing to threaten the reliable international ocean transportation supply system that the FMC is tasked with safeguarding.” “No agency of the United States should be in the business of punishing or sanctioning our allies for enforcing the international law that our government has refused to uphold,” they wrote. Spain, along with Ireland and Norway, made the decision to formally recognize Palestinian statehood earlier this year. Fox News Digital reached out to the FMC for comment., , , https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/05/931/523/Tlaib-Bush.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, Latest Political News on Fox News, Read all about the political news happening with Fox News. Learn about political parties, political campaigns, and international politics today., https://global.fncstatic.com/static/orion/styles/img/fox-news/logos/fox-news-desktop.png, https://moxie.foxnews.com/google-publisher/politics.xml, ,

Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) was viewed as a shoo-in for the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s 2025 gubernatorial race.

But with her party in disarray following a GOP sweep in the 2024 general election, Spanberger’s candidacy is facing more questions.

While Spanberger has faced little competition from within her own party so far, fellow Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) is considering throwing himself into the race. He said a few weeks ago that he hadn’t “ruled it out.”

“Usually people running statewide take about a three-month leave and I’m not ready to do that, but we’ll see. I haven’t ruled it out,” Scott said in an interview with Punchbowl News, which also reported that Democrats think Scott may be able to attract voters of color better than Spanberger, which may be critical against likely GOP nominee Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) is ineligible to run.

Earle-Sears wants to attract the same diverse coalition that President-elect Donald Trump did in the 2024 election, and she appears to plan to do so while painting the centrist Spanberger as a radical leftist.

“Congresswoman Spanberger desperately wants Virginians to believe she’s a bipartisan, moderate Democrat, but her voting record proves otherwise,” David Abrams, a senior adviser to Earle-Sears, told the Washington Post. “She was complicit in enacting the Biden Administration’s destructive agenda that left people paying more and getting less, communities suffering from a wave of violent crime, and families ripped apart by an epidemic of fentanyl overdoses — all that, and more, will be tough to answer for on the campaign trail.”

Nevertheless, Spanberger has solid support from Democrats in the state’s Democratic primary.

“I can’t speak for the country but in Virginia, I think we are yearning for her,” Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) told the outlet. “She’s always been about finding middle ground and getting things done.”

“There are gonna be more progressive people that would rather have an AOC-type person here,” he added, “but I don’t think that’s where Virginia is.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

As things stand, it’s likely going to be Spanberger against Earle-Sears in the 2025 race. A September poll showed the two are tied in their pursuit of the governor’s mansion.

However, any challenges to Spanberger from further to her left are sure to showcase the Democratic Party’s differences in coming to terms with how they lost in November and how they plan to move forward.

2024-12-27 03:24:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2F3270742%2Fvirginia-governor-race-highlight-growing-democratic-party-divide%2F?w=600&h=450, Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) was viewed as a shoo-in for the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s 2025 gubernatorial race. But with her party in disarray following a GOP sweep in the 2024 general election, Spanberger’s candidacy is facing more questions. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) speaks during a news conference on national security legislation on Capitol Hill,

Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) was viewed as a shoo-in for the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s 2025 gubernatorial race.

But with her party in disarray following a GOP sweep in the 2024 general election, Spanberger’s candidacy is facing more questions.

While Spanberger has faced little competition from within her own party so far, fellow Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) is considering throwing himself into the race. He said a few weeks ago that he hadn’t “ruled it out.”

“Usually people running statewide take about a three-month leave and I’m not ready to do that, but we’ll see. I haven’t ruled it out,” Scott said in an interview with Punchbowl News, which also reported that Democrats think Scott may be able to attract voters of color better than Spanberger, which may be critical against likely GOP nominee Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) is ineligible to run.

Earle-Sears wants to attract the same diverse coalition that President-elect Donald Trump did in the 2024 election, and she appears to plan to do so while painting the centrist Spanberger as a radical leftist.

“Congresswoman Spanberger desperately wants Virginians to believe she’s a bipartisan, moderate Democrat, but her voting record proves otherwise,” David Abrams, a senior adviser to Earle-Sears, told the Washington Post. “She was complicit in enacting the Biden Administration’s destructive agenda that left people paying more and getting less, communities suffering from a wave of violent crime, and families ripped apart by an epidemic of fentanyl overdoses — all that, and more, will be tough to answer for on the campaign trail.”

Nevertheless, Spanberger has solid support from Democrats in the state’s Democratic primary.

“I can’t speak for the country but in Virginia, I think we are yearning for her,” Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) told the outlet. “She’s always been about finding middle ground and getting things done.”

“There are gonna be more progressive people that would rather have an AOC-type person here,” he added, “but I don’t think that’s where Virginia is.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

As things stand, it’s likely going to be Spanberger against Earle-Sears in the 2025 race. A September poll showed the two are tied in their pursuit of the governor’s mansion.

However, any challenges to Spanberger from further to her left are sure to showcase the Democratic Party’s differences in coming to terms with how they lost in November and how they plan to move forward.

, Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) was viewed as a shoo-in for the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s 2025 gubernatorial race. But with her party in disarray following a GOP sweep in the 2024 general election, Spanberger’s candidacy is facing more questions. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) speaks during a news conference on national security legislation on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) While Spanberger has faced little competition from within her own party so far, fellow Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) is considering throwing himself into the race. He said a few weeks ago that he hadn’t “ruled it out.” “Usually people running statewide take about a three-month leave and I’m not ready to do that, but we’ll see. I haven’t ruled it out,” Scott said in an interview with Punchbowl News, which also reported that Democrats think Scott may be able to attract voters of color better than Spanberger, which may be critical against likely GOP nominee Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) is ineligible to run. Earle-Sears wants to attract the same diverse coalition that President-elect Donald Trump did in the 2024 election, and she appears to plan to do so while painting the centrist Spanberger as a radical leftist. “Congresswoman Spanberger desperately wants Virginians to believe she’s a bipartisan, moderate Democrat, but her voting record proves otherwise,” David Abrams, a senior adviser to Earle-Sears, told the Washington Post. “She was complicit in enacting the Biden Administration’s destructive agenda that left people paying more and getting less, communities suffering from a wave of violent crime, and families ripped apart by an epidemic of fentanyl overdoses — all that, and more, will be tough to answer for on the campaign trail.” Nevertheless, Spanberger has solid support from Democrats in the state’s Democratic primary. “I can’t speak for the country but in Virginia, I think we are yearning for her,” Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) told the outlet. “She’s always been about finding middle ground and getting things done.” “There are gonna be more progressive people that would rather have an AOC-type person here,” he added, “but I don’t think that’s where Virginia is.” CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER As things stand, it’s likely going to be Spanberger against Earle-Sears in the 2025 race. A September poll showed the two are tied in their pursuit of the governor’s mansion. However, any challenges to Spanberger from further to her left are sure to showcase the Democratic Party’s differences in coming to terms with how they lost in November and how they plan to move forward., , , https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/spanberger-capitol.webp, Washington Examiner, Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-favicon-32×32.png, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/feed/, Ross O'Keefe,