Tag: Washington D.C.

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Warrants Served to Texas Dems, but Holdout on Voter Reform Bill Continues

Officers of the Texas House of Representatives delivered civil arrest warrants for more than 50 absent Democrats on Wednesday as frustrated Republicans ratcheted up efforts to end a standoff over a sweeping elections bill that stretched into its 31st day.

But after sergeants-at-arms finished making the rounds inside the Texas Capitol — dropping off copies of the warrants at Democrats’ offices, and politely asking staff to tell their bosses to please return — there were few signs the stalemate that began when Democrats fled to Washington, D.C., in July in . . .

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Pentagon to Require COVID Vaccine for All Troops by Sept. 15

The Pentagon will require members of the U.S. military to get the COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 15, according to a memo obtained by The Associated Press. That deadline could be pushed up if the vaccine receives final FDA approval or infection rates continue to rise.

“I will seek the president’s approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon” licensure by the Food and Drug Administration “whichever comes first,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says in the memo to troops, warning them to prepare for the requirement. “I will not hesitate to act sooner or . . .

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Senate slog to pass infrastructure bill goes on over weekend

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators will resume a weekend session toward passage of a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package after running into opposition from a few Republicans who want to drag out final votes on one of President Joe Biden’s top priorities.

The measure would provide what Biden has called a “historic investment” in public works programs, from roads and bridges to broadband internet access, drinking water and more. In a rare stroke of bipartisanship, Republicans . . .

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Senate Overcomes Filibuster on $1T Infrastructure, Ending Debate

Senators have voted to overcome the filibuster to end the debate 67-27 on the $1 trillion infrastructure bill with a vote on amendments to come and potentially to pass the bill Saturday and send it to the House.

“We can get this done the easy way or the hard way,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said as the Senate opened. He said he would keep senators in session until they finished the bill and sent it to the House.

Vice President Kamala Harris was expected to be on Capitol Hill for afternoon meetings on the . . .

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Jan. 6 Panel Adds GOP Trump-Critic Ex-Rep. Riggleman as Adviser

A House committee investigating the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol has hired former Rep. Denver Riggleman, R-Va., as a senior staff member, bringing on the one-term Virginia lawmaker as GOP leaders have criticized the panel as too partisan.

The committee’s chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., announced Riggleman’s hiring Friday evening, saying Riggleman has a “deep background in national security and intelligence matters.” Riggleman served in military intelligence and worked at the National Security Agency before he was . . .

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Carey, Backed by Trump, Wins Primary for House Seat in Ohio

Mike Carey, a coal lobbyist backed by former President Donald Trump, beat a bevy of Republicans in central Ohio, while Cuyahoga County Council member Shontel Brown pulled out a victory for the Democratic establishment in Cleveland, in a pair of primary elections for open House seats Tuesday.

The special elections were both viewed as a measure of voters’ influences, though low turnout and huge candidate fields complicated interpreting the results too broadly. In both races, party leaders showed they still held sway.

Carey’s race reinforced Trump’s status as GOP kingmaker. Brown’s win over progressive Nina Turner handed another blow to a . . .

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