GOP: “The chairwoman of the Republican National Committee said Tuesday that the party wouldn’t return donations from Steve Wynn, its former finance chairman who faces allegations of sexual misconduct dating back decades, unless an investigation by his company’s outside directors finds wrongdoing. In an interview with Fox News, Ronna Romney McDaniel called the allegations against […]
Category: GOP
1/30/2018
2016 ELECTION/GOP/HOUSE OF REPS/INTELLIGENCE/PAUL RYAN: “House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) defended Tuesday [1-30-18] the GOP decision to make public a classified Republican-authored memo that alleges surveillance abuses against an associate of President Donald Trump dating to the 2016 campaign… The GOP-led House Intelligence Committee voted Monday night to release the memo, which was drawn […]
1/29/2018
FBI/GOP/HOUSE OF REPS/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/RUSSIA: “Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee, apparently disregarding Justice Department warnings that their actions would be ‘extraordinarily reckless,’ voted Monday [1-29-18] evening to release a contentious secret memorandum said to accuse the department and the F.B.I. of misusing their authority to obtain a secret surveillance order on a former Trump campaign […]
1/29/2018
2016 ELECTION/GOP/INTELLIGENCE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A congressional panel voted on Monday [1-29-18] to make public a classified Republican-authored memo that alleges surveillance abuses against an associate of President Donald Trump dating back to the 2016 campaign. The GOP-led House Intelligence Committee invoked an obscure rule in its effort to release the memo that was drawn from […]
1/28/2018
2016 ELECTION/GOP/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT: “A secret, highly contentious Republican memo reveals that Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein approved an application to extend surveillance of a former Trump campaign associate shortly after taking office last spring, according to three people familiar with it. The renewal shows that the Justice Department under President Trump saw reason to […]
1/28/2018
GOP: “Republicans on Sunday [1-28-18] worked to distance themselves from Steve Wynn in the wake of a Wall Street Journal report of former employees describing a decadeslong pattern of sexual misconduct by the casino mogul and GOP financial bigwig. The allegations against one of Las Vegas’s most powerful figures reverberated in the political world over […]
1/28/2018
GOP: “Republicans on Sunday [1-28-18] worked to distance themselves from Steve Wynn in the wake of a Wall Street Journal report of former employees describing a decadeslong pattern of sexual misconduct by the casino mogul and GOP financial bigwig. The allegations against one of Las Vegas’s most powerful figures reverberated in the political world over […]
1/28/2018
GOP/MIKE PENCE: “Vice President Mike Pence, looking to buttress his party ahead of what is shaping up to be a difficult midterm election season, will headline a high-dollar fundraising dinner Monday [1-29-18] that is expected to net about $500,000 for his leadership PAC, according to an administration official. The Great America Committee event, to be […]
1/28/2018
GOP: “The billionaire Koch brothers’ political organization spent more than $200 million in the past decade on what official Tim Phillips calls ‘without question our biggest policy defeat,’ the quest to kill the Affordable Care Act. Now, the network of donors is turning its attention to the more urgent matter of protecting Republican majorities in […]
1/28/2018
GOP/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Republican lawmakers warned President Donald Trump Sunday [1-28-18] against firing special counsel Robert Mueller, in the wake of reports last week that the president considered dismissing him in June… GOP leaders have remained supportive of Mr. Mueller, who is leading an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Mr. Trump […]
1/28/2018
GOP/LEGAL/MARCO RUBIO: “Sen. Marco Rubio said late Saturday [1-27-18] night that he had fired his chief of staff after learning a day earlier of allegations of improper conduct. The Florida Republican said he first learned Friday of allegations that his chief of staff, Clint H. Reed, had ‘violated office policies regarding proper relations between a […]
1/28/2018
CUBA/FOREIGN POLICY/GOP: “U.S. supporters of improved relations with Cuba joined the top leadership of the Caribbean country on Sunday [1-28-18] to inaugurate a replica of a New York statue of its independence hero Jose Marti. Just a few years ago, the hundreds gathered for the event overseen by Cuban President Raul Castro would have been […]
1/25/2018
BUDGET/DEMS/GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES: “Every Democratic senator from a Republican-leaning state voted Monday [1-22-18] to reopen the government, from the liberal Sherrod Brown of Ohio to the conservative Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Every one, that is, except Jon Tester. Republicans are determined to make him pay. The plainspoken Montanan was on a glide path to a […]
1/24/2018
AMBASSADOR/GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES: “Gov. Sam Brownback of Kansas was narrowly confirmed to an ambassadorship on Wednesday [1-24-18] after a six-month wait that left Kansans increasingly confused about who was in charge of their state. The Senate split 49-49 along party lines on the nomination of Mr. Brownback, a Republican who has grown unpopular in Kansas, to […]
1/24/2018
GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES: “The chair of the Republican National Committee said Wednesday [1-24-18] it’s too early to determine whether the GOP will continue to support Rep. Patrick Meehan, who is the subject of an ethics investigation after he reportedly used taxpayer funds to settle a sexual harassment claim. ‘Right now, we’re going to let the investigations […]
1/23/2018
BUDGET/DEMS/GOP/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Nobody knows for sure that the Republicans & Democrats will be able to reach a deal on DACA by February 8, but everyone will be trying….with a big additional focus put on Military Strength and Border Security. The Dems have just learned that a Shutdown is not the answer!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, […]
1/23/2018
CYBERWAR/GOP/INTELLIGENCE/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA: “Senior U.S. congressional Democrats urged social media companies on Tuesday [1-23-18] to investigate reported actions by automated Russia-linked accounts, in connection with a Republican memorandum that was said to be critical of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe of President Donald Trump’s ties with Russia. Senator Dianne Feinstein, a senior member of the Senate […]
1/22/2018
ETHICS/GOP/HOUSE OF REPS/POLITICAL FIGURES: “Less than three days after he was removed from the U.S. House of Representatives Ethics Committee, Republican lawmaker Patrick Meehan asked the panel to investigate allegations he engaged in sexual harassment and misused official resources. The committee on Monday [1-22-18] said it had become aware of public allegations about the misconduct […]
1/22/2018
BUDGET/DEMS/GOP/POLITICS: “In a dramatic turnaround, Senate Democrats voted to re-open the government on Monday [1-22-18] after receiving a commitment from Republicans to hold a vote on immigration legislation — paving the way to end the three-day shutdown. The Senate voted 81-18 to move forward on a bill to fund the government through Feb. 8 after […]
1/21/2018
FBI/GOP/HILLARY CLINTON/LEGAL/POLITICAL FIGURES: “The FBI is missing five months of text messages between two senior officials who Republicans on Capitol Hill have accused of political bias, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) revealed in a letter to the bureau made public on Sunday [1-21-18]. Republicans have been scrutinizing the text messages between senior counterintelligence agent Peter Strzok […]
1/21/2018
BUDGET/DEMS/GOP/MILITARY: “Republicans on Sunday [1-21-18] escalated their accusations that Democrats are abandoning the military, banking that the plight of unpaid troops on the front lines will be one of the GOP’s most potent political weapons in the standoff over the government shutdown. The GOP coalesced around that message in statements by congressional leaders, tweets from […]
1/20/2018
GOP/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “For those asking, the Republicans only have 51 votes in the Senate, and they need 60. That is why we need to win more Republicans in 2018 Election! We can then be even tougher on Crime (and Border), and even better to our Military & Veterans!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Jan. 20, 2018 […]
1/18/2018
GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump blew up Republican strategies to keep the government open past Friday [1-12-18] when on Thursday morning he said a long-term extension of the popular Children’s Health Insurance Program should not be part of a stopgap spending bill pending before the House. With a possible government shutdown looming this weekend, the […]
1/18/2018
BUDGET/DEMS/GOP: “A growing number of Democrats and Republicans on Thursday [1-18-18] resisted an emerging short-term spending bill that would avoid a partial government shutdown this weekend, prompting GOP leaders to pressure recalcitrant lawmakers to avoid a spectacle while Democrats worked to hammer out their own strategy in the standoff. The House is expected to vote […]
1/18/2018
GOP/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “After a critical loss for Republicans in Alabama last month, President Donald Trump is wading back into congressional politics on Thursday [1-18-18] when he travels to western Pennsylvania to signal his backing for the party’s candidate in a special election. Trump said on Twitter on Thursday he was making the trip ‘in […]
1/18/2018
DEMS/GOP/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump, cabinet officials and other Washington Republicans are scrambling to fend off a Democratic upset in a congressional special election, this one in a southwestern Pennsylvania district that Mr. Trump carried by 20 percentage points in 2016. The Democrats, in contrast, have yet to invest significant resources in the race, […]
1/17/2018
BUDGET/GOP/HOUSE OF REPS: “House Republicans are short of the votes they need to avoid a government shutdown, but Speaker Paul Ryan and GOP leaders remain confident they will pass a stopgap funding measure when it comes to the floor on Thursday [1-18-18]. President Donald Trump is personally leaning on GOP lawmakers to fall into line, […]
1/17/2018
GOP/NOMINATIONS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A GOP senator with concerns about President Donald Trump’s trade policy said Wednesday [1-17-18] he would block two of the president’s nominees, saying the Trump administration hasn’t been responsive to his concerns on the issue. Sen. Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican, said at a Senate Finance Committee hearing Wednesday that […]
1/17/2018
DEMS/GOP/POLITICS: “Democrats on Tuesday [1-16-18] won a special election for a Wisconsin state senate seat in a district that President Donald Trump carried by 17 percentage points in the 2016 election, a victory that GOP leaders cautioned is another warning about potential losses in this year’s congressional midterms. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican seeking […]
1/17/2018
BUDGET/DEMS/GOP: “A deal on immigration as part of a new stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown appeared less likely on Wednesday [1-17-18] after a Democratic senator said the White House is making unacceptable demands on immigration measures. The White House dispatched chief of staff John Kelly to meet with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus […]
1/17/2018
BORDER/DEMS/GOP/IMMIGRATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump has already started framing a potential government shutdown as the singular fault of Democrats demanding liberal immigration policies at the expense of border security. But Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill, as well as veterans of past budget battles and campaigns, say that argument isn’t likely to fly — […]
1/16/2018
BANKING/DEMS/DODD-FRANK/GOP/TAXES: “The most significant attempt to loosen rules imposed in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis is underway in Congress as the Senate looks to pass legislation within the next month that would roll back restrictions on swaths of the finance industry. Buoyed by their success in rewriting the tax code, the Trump administration […]
1/16/2018
GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES: “Republican former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who had been considered a potential high-profile candidate in a key race, says he will not run for the Senate this year in Minnesota. Speaking on Fox Business News, Pawlenty said: ‘I am very interested in public service and service for the common good, there are a lot […]
1/15/2018
DREAMERS/GOP/HOUSE OF REPS/IMMIGRATION/PAUL RYAN: “For weeks, House Speaker Paul Ryan has said any deal to shield 700,000 young undocumented people from deportation must be bipartisan. His GOP conference, however, has another idea entirely. House Republicans are pressing Ryan for a vote on a partisan immigration bill that has little chance of passing the Senate. They […]
1/14/2018
DREAMERS/GOP/IMMIGRATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Two Republican senators called into question whether President Donald Trump used the term ‘shithole countries’ in a meeting with lawmakers on immigration last week, as critics of the president didn’t back down and continued to suggest his words were racist… The comments showed no signs of quelling a political storm over Mr. […]
1/12/2018
GOP/IRS/STEVE MNUCHIN/TREASURY: “Republican lawmakers have said they intend to pass a technical corrections bill, but any new law is likely to need 60 votes in the Senate, a difficult hurdle. Lawmakers have already started to re-examine one change that would give some farmers and cooperatives a significant tax advantage over their competitors. Mr. Mnuchin also […]
1/12/2018
GOP/POLITICS: “Republican U.S. Representative Martha McSally of Arizona said on Friday [1-12-18] she would run for the Senate seat being vacated by Jeff Flake, joining a contentious primary contest. Republican leaders had been pushing for McSally, a former Air Force combat pilot seen as a more moderate candidate, to enter a primary race that already […]
1/12/2018
GOP/STEVE MNUCHIN/TREASURY: “Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin loves being at the center of the White House action, a place he found himself again on Thursday [1-11-18], in the briefing room talking about the latest round of corporate pay hikes and bonuses. The latest West Wing appearance was right in Mnuchin’s sweet spot, on the implementation and […]
1/10/2018
GOP/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/LEGAL/POLITICAL FIGURES: “The decision by Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein to make public 300 pages of testimony related to a controversial dossier drew a rebuke from the Judiciary Committee’s Republican chairman but was welcomed by other GOP colleagues. Glenn Simpson, the founder of Fusion GPS, was questioned in August 2017 by Judiciary Committee investigators about […]
1/10/2018
GOP/SUPREME COURT: “State Republicans vowed Wednesday [1-10-18] to appeal a federal-court ruling that North Carolina’s congressional districts were improperly drawn to maximize the GOP’s partisan advantage. Leaders of the state House of Representatives and Senate said they planned to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the decision, issued late Tuesday, rather than require legislators […]
1/10/2018
DEMS/GOP/POLITICS: “On Wednesday [1-10-18], California Rep. Darrell Issa announced his retirement from Congres, the latest senior Republican to walk away from Washington amid mounting fears that a Democratic wave — fueled by President Donald Trump’s terrible approval ratings — is headed toward Washington this fall. Issa’s retirement comes hot on the heels of his California […]
1/9/2018
BUDGET/DEFENSE/GOP/MILITARY: “The brewing budget deal on Capitol Hill could get much larger thanks to a late Republican push for a bigger boost in defense spending. As the spotlight has been on immigration negotiations, lawmakers and aides have been working behind the scenes to hammer out a two-year deal that would not only prevent the budget […]
1/9/2018
GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES: “Thank you @GOPLeader Kevin McCarthy! Couldn’t agree w/you more. TOGETHER, we are #MAGA?? https://t.co/QaxtqpyXTR” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Jan. 9, 2018 10:48pm […]
1/9/2018
GOP/POLITICS/VOTING: “A panel of federal judges struck down North Carolina’s congressional map on Tuesday [1-9-18], condemning it as unconstitutional because Republicans had drawn the map seeking a political advantage. The ruling was the first time that a federal court had blocked a congressional map because of a partisan gerrymander, and it instantly endangered Republican seats […]
1/9/2018
DEMS/GOP/IMMIGRATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Thanks to all of the Republican and Democratic lawmakers for today’s very productive meeting on immigration reform. There was strong agreement to negotiate a bill that deals with border security, chain migration, lottery and DACA. https://t.co/SdqAQ3aL3z https://t.co/8DYHZHspAy” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Jan. 9, 2018 05:51pm […]
1/9/2018
2016 ELECTION/FBI/GOP/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Broadening their political counterattack in defense of the White House, President Donald Trump’s allies in Congress are placing new scrutiny on contacts between top Justice Department officials and reporters covering the Trump-Russia investigation. In recent weeks, GOP congressional investigators have publicly and privately questioned senior Justice Department and FBI leaders […]
1/8/2018
GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES: “Rep. Ed Royce will not seek reelection this year, the California Republican announced Monday. Royce, the powerful chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, becomes the latest committee chairman to forego a reelection bid in what is shaping up to be a challenging midterm election for the GOP… In total, seven GOP committee […]
1/5/2018
GOP/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT: “Two Republican senators have asked the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation into whether the author of a controversial research document on President Donald Trump lied to investigators. Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said they have seen evidence that former British spy Christopher Steele made false […]
1/4/2018
GOP/STEVE BANNON/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Enthusiasm for Stephen K. Bannon’s plans for a fiery Republican revolution had already been fading among some of the donors and candidates he was relying on to upend the party’s establishment. But Mr. Bannon’s provocative remarks about President Trump and his family, reported in a new book now scheduled to be […]
1/4/2018
GOP/IMMIGRATION: “Thank you to the great Republican Senators who showed up to our mtg on immigration reform. We must BUILD THE WALL, stop illegal immigration, end chain migration & cancel the visa lottery. The current system is unsafe & unfair to the great people of our country – time for change!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Jan. […]
1/4/2018
BORDER/DREAMERS/GOP/IMMIGRATION/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Key Republican senators will meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday [1-4-18] as negotiations continue to reach a compromise on border security issues and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Trump is set to host the more conservative members of his party negotiating with Democrats in […]
1/4/2018
GOP/JEFF SESSIONS/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/RUSSIA: “Republican Reps. Mark Meadows and Jim Jordan said Thursday [1-4-18] that Attorney General Jeff Sessions should step aside ‘now,’ citing the Justice Department’s handling of the investigation into President Donald Trump’s campaign ties to Russian operatives and intelligence leaks to media as key concerns with his performance. In a joint opinion piece […]
1/4/2018
GOP/TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Emboldened by his victory in the passage of the biggest U.S. tax overhaul in decades, President Donald Trump now wants to rein in social welfare programs even though some Republicans are wary of tackling the volatile issue in a congressional election year. A White House-led drive to downsize government aid programs such […]
1/2/2018
BUDGET/DEMS/GOP: “The Senate returns on Wednesday [1-3-18] with its Republican majority down to one seat and buoyed Democrats issuing a full list of demands — such as funding children’s health care and protecting young undocumented immigrants — just weeks before another possible government shutdown. Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate will meet […]
1/2/2018
GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES: “Senator Orrin G. Hatch of Utah, the longest-serving Senate Republican, plans to announce on Tuesday [1-2-18] he will retire at the end of the year, rebuffing the pleas of President Trump to seek an eighth term and paving the way for Mitt Romney to run for the seat. Mr. Hatch intends to announce […]
1/2/2018
GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Sen. Orrin G. Hatch’s announcement Tuesday [1-2-18] that he would retire rather than seek an eighth term representing Utah opened the door to a return to public office by Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee and a sometimes harsh critic of President Trump. The contentiousness between the president and Romney […]
1/2/2018
GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES: “Former GOP congresswoman and presidential candidate Michele Bachmann said Tuesday [1-2-18] she is considering running for Democratic former Sen. Al Franken’s Minnesota seat. Bachmann, who was a member of Congress representing Minnesota until 2015, told ‘The Jim Bakker Show’ that she’s mulling over whether she should run. Franken announced he would leave the […]
1/2/2018
DEMS/GOP/POLITICS: “Democrat Doug Jones will be sworn in Wednesday as Alabama’s newest senator, bolstering his party’s moderate wing and raising the prospect of growing philosophical divides among Senate Democrats. After Mr. Jones is seated, Republicans will control 51 seats compared with 49 for Democrats. With that narrow majority, Republicans can lose no more than one […]
1/2/2018
EDUCATION/GOP/TAXES: “Republican lawmakers are looking for a way to exempt a small, tuition-free college in Kentucky from a provision in their new tax law that imposes a levy on university endowments, prompting charges of favoritism from Democrats. Republicans say Berea College deserves the exemption because the small liberal-arts Christian college is unusual, even unique: It […]
1/1/2018
CALIFORNIA/GOP/HOUSE OF REPS: “California is the nation’s most populous state, home to 53 seats in the House of Representatives, reservoir of 55 Electoral College votes—and a growing political problem for Republicans as the 2018 midterm election year dawns. GOP fortunes have been declining for the last two decades in California, a trend that may be […]
12/30/2017
GOP/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A growing campaign by President Trump’s most ardent supporters to discredit the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, and the law enforcement agencies assisting his investigation is opening new fissures in the Republican Party, with some lawmakers questioning the damage being done to federal law enforcement and to a political party […]
12/26/2017
DEMS/GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Affordable Care Act was conceived as a mix of publicly funded health care and privately purchased insurance, but Republican attacks, culminating this month in the death of a mandate that most Americans have insurance, are shifting the balance, giving the government a larger role than Democrats ever anticipated. And while President […]
12/26/2017
DEMS/GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TAXES: “Based on the fact that the very unfair and unpopular Individual Mandate has been terminated as part of our Tax Cut Bill, which essentially Repeals (over time) ObamaCare, the Democrats & Republicans will eventually come together and develop a great new HealthCare plan!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Dec. 26, 2017 06:58am […]
12/23/2017
FBI/GOP/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The F.B.I.’s embattled deputy director, Andrew G. McCabe, an unlikely lightning rod who has been attacked repeatedly by President Trump and congressional Republicans, is expected to retire after he becomes eligible for his pension early next year, according to people familiar with his decision. While Mr. McCabe’s plans to leave aren’t unexpected, […]
12/23/2017
GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES: “Remember, the Republicans are 5-0 in Congressional races this year. In Senate, I said Roy M would lose in Alabama and supported Big Luther Strange – and Roy lost. Virginia candidate was not a ‘Trumper,’ and he lost. Good Republican candidates will win BIG!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Dec. 23, 2017 05:57pm […]
12/21/2017
GOP/TAXES: “The sweeping tax overhaul approved by Congress this week hands Republicans a long-sought achievement they believe will bolster their defenses in next year’s midterm campaign, but party officials concede the measure can only mitigate their losses in what is shaping up to be a punishing election year. While the tax legislation is broadly unpopular […]
12/21/2017
GOP/HOUSE OF REPS: “House Republican leaders, after scrambling for support to keep the government open Thursday [12-21-17] morning, have scheduled a vote late in the afternoon in a sign they are confident they will be able to pass a stopgap spending bill. While Republican aides acknowledge the vote will be tight, they have grown more […]
12/21/2017
BUDGET/DEMS/GOP/HOLIDAYS/HOUSE OF REPS/TAXES: “House Democrats want a SHUTDOWN for the holidays in order to distract from the very popular, just passed, Tax Cuts. House Republicans, don’t let this happen. Pass the C.R. TODAY and keep our Government OPEN!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Dec. 21, 2017 09:52am […]
12/21/2017
GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES: “Sen. Thad Cochran, chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee, hasn’t presided over a hearing since early September. The Mississippi Republican has not given a speech on the Senate floor all year, and he’s introduced only two bills during that time, both of them minor. To the extent that Cochran weighs in on any […]
12/20/2017
GOP/TAXES: “Republicans’ tax overhaul will completely change the way employers figure out how to withhold income taxes from millions of Americans’ paychecks, potentially disrupting payroll departments as they figure out how to switch to the new system with little guidance and just days to spare. As of Jan. 1, the Republican plan dumps the entire […]
12/20/2017
GOP/TAXES: “I would like to congratulate @SenateMajLdr on having done a fantastic job both strategically & politically on the passing in the Senate of the MASSIVE TAX CUT & Reform Bill. I could have not asked for a better or more talented partner. Our team will go onto many more VICTORIES!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Dec. […]
12/20/2017
GOP/TAXES: “Congress stands on the verge of passing a $1.5 trillion tax cut and the largest structural overhaul of the tax system since 1986. The Senate passed the tax-overhaul bill, 51-48, around 12:45 a.m. Wednesday after it sailed through the House on a 227-203 vote on Tuesday. A last-minute glitch because of Senate rules forced […]
12/20/2017
GOP/HOUSE OF REPS/TAXES: “The House, forced to vote a second time on the $1.5 trillion tax bill, moved swiftly to pass the final version on Wednesday [12-20-17], clearing the way for President Trump to sign into law the most sweeping tax overhaul in decades. House lawmakers approved the tax bill 224 to 201 on Wednesday, […]
12/20/2017
DREAMERS/GOP/IMMIGRATION/POLITICAL FIGURES: “Republican U.S. Senator Jeff Flake on Wednesday [12-20-17] said that a bipartisan immigration bill addressing the so-called Dreamers, young adults who were brought to the United States as children, would be debated on the Senate floor in January… Flake said in an emailed statement that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has promised to bring […]
12/20/2017
GOP/IRS/TAXES/TREASURY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The most sweeping tax code overhaul in a generation will soon head to President Donald Trump’s desk — and Republicans are enjoying a victory dance. Now comes the real-world turmoil. America’s new tax system will go into effect in just 12 days, and payroll companies are bracing for confusion as they figure […]
12/20/2017
BUSINESS/GOP/TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP BUSINESS: “Wealthy business owners, such as President Donald Trump, stand to gain from a provision in the Republican tax bill that creates a valuable deduction for owners of pass-through businesses, Democrats and some tax experts say. The provision creates a 20-percent business income deduction, with some limits, for sole proprietors and owners […]
12/19/2017
GOP/TAXES: “Republicans took a critical step toward notching their first significant legislative victory since assuming full political control, as the House and Senate voted along party lines on Tuesday [12-19-17] and into early Wednesday to pass the most sweeping rewrite of the tax code in decades. The $1.5 trillion tax bill, which is expected to […]
12/19/2017
BUDGET/GOP/HOUSE OF REPS/NATIONAL DEBT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “House Republicans were expected to delay a Wednesday [12-20-17] vote on a stopgap spending bill, according to GOP aides, as a fight intensified over how to prevent a shutdown of the government before its funding expires at week’s end. Both Republicans and Democrats were divided over their strategy and […]
12/19/2017
ECONOMY/GOP/TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The U.S. economy is about to become the proving ground for GOP tax-cutting theories. President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are betting their tax overhaul will jolt the economy after a long but slow expansion. A sharp cut in the corporate-tax rate is meant to spur business investment and hiring. A rewrite […]
12/19/2017
GOP/TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Congratulations to Paul Ryan, Kevin McCarthy, Kevin Brady, Steve Scalise, Cathy McMorris Rodgers and all great House Republicans who voted in favor of cutting your taxes!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Dec. 19, 2017 03:18pm […]
12/19/2017
GOP/TAXES: “Middle-income households will get $61 billion in tax cuts in 2019 under the Republican tax plan poised for passage this week, according to an analysis released late Monday [12-18-17] by Congress’s Joint Committee on Taxation. That amounts to 23% of the tax cuts that go directly to individuals. By 2027, however, these households would […]
12/19/2017
GOP/TAXES: “The Republican-controlled U.S. Congress will begin voting on Tuesday on the biggest overhaul of the U.S. tax system in more than 30 years, with little standing in the way of the party’s first major legislative triumph under President Donald Trump. The House of Representatives, which introduced initial tax legislation barely six weeks ago on […]
12/18/2017
BUDGET/CRISIS/GOP: “House Republicans on Monday [12-18-17] night unveiled legislation that would authorize $81 billion in disaster aid for victims of recent storms, a move that quickly drew backlash from conservatives about its impact on the federal deficit. House Republicans from Texas and Florida praised the aid package, nearly double the $44 billion the White House […]
12/18/2017
EDUCATION/GOP: “The Republican bid to overhaul higher education is likely to heat up competition in the fastest-growing segment of the college market: adults over the age of 24. When Congress passed the Higher Education Act in 1965, about one in four students were adults. Today, nearly 40% of college students are 25 or older. The […]
12/18/2017
GOP/MEDIA: “Remember, Republicans are 5-0 in Congressional Races this year. The media refuses to mention this. I said Gillespie and Moore would lose (for very different reasons), and they did. I also predicted ‘I’ would win. Republicans will do well in 2018, very well! @foxandfriends” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Dec. 18, 2017 06:23am […]
12/17/2017
GOP/TAXES: “Republicans are on the cusp this week of passing a historic overhaul of the U.S. tax system but might also be ushering in a new period of instability in the tax code, because the plan is advancing without bipartisan support and with expiration dates that guarantee it will be revisited for years. A $1.5 […]
12/17/2017
GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES/TAXES: “Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.), who has been battling an aggressive form of brain cancer, has returned to Arizona for physical therapy and will be back in the Senate in January, missing a tax vote scheduled for this week. Mr. McCain’s office announced his new plans late Sunday [12-17-17], saying the senator would […]
12/15/2017
GOP/TAXES: “Sens. Marco Rubio and Bob Corker plan to support the GOP tax plan, bolstering Republicans’ hopes for passage of a tax bill next week as they prepare to release final details of a plan later Friday [12-15-17]. Mr. Rubio of Florida agreed to vote for the overhaul after Republicans agreed to a more generous […]
12/15/2017
GOP/STEVE BANNON/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Both President Donald Trump and his former chief political strategist Steve Bannon are urging Roy Moore to concede, as the defiant Republican Senate candidate refuses to admit defeat to Democrat Doug Jones. Moore lost Alabama’s Tuesday [12-12-17] special Senate election by more than 20,000 votes… Bannon, the former White House chief strategist, […]
12/15/2017
GOP/TAXES: “Republican negotiators in the U.S. Congress on Friday [12-15-17] expanded a child tax credit that is part of sweeping tax legislation in order to shore up support for passage, but it was still unclear whether the move was enough to satisfy two balking senators. Republican Representative Kristi Noem said on Friday that the refundable […]
12/15/2017
DEMS/GOP/POLITICS/TAXES: “A controversial provision that would have permitted nonprofit groups to enter politics and could have led so-called ‘dark money’ contributions to become tax deductible has been dropped from the GOP tax bill, according to a leading Senate Democrat. Sen. Ron Wyden gave credit to his fellow Democrats for striking the Republican proposal to roll […]
12/15/2017
BUDGET/DEMS/GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “Everyone in Congress claims to be a champion of children’s health. But funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program ran out Sept. 30. And some lawmakers worry it might not be replenished until early next year. It’s a mess that can happen only in Washington: Even a bipartisan program that covers 9 million poor […]
12/14/2017
GOP/TAXES: “House and Senate Republicans faced a new round of uncertainty on Thursday [12-14-17] about the fate of their $1.5 trillion tax bill with the possible defection of a Republican senator, Marco Rubio of Florida, amid continuing questions about how the bill will be paid for and how much of the benefits will flow to […]
12/14/2017
GOP/TAXES: “Several Republican senators expressed last-minute doubts about the tax-overhaul plan in Congress, possibly an attempt to strengthen their negotiating positions before a compromise plan set to be released on Friday [12-15-17] and final votes planned for early next week. The presence of the wavering senators, plus concerns about the health of two others, underscored […]
12/14/2017
ETHICS/GOP/TEXAS: “Rep. Blake Farenthold, who has faced allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior from former staff members, will not seek reelection, according to a source familiar with the situation. The Texas Republican’s office did not respond to a request for comment Thursday [12-14-17], but the news comes after the House Ethics Committee opened an […]
12/14/2017
GOP/TAXES: “Republican Tax Cuts are looking very good. All are working hard. In the meantime, the Stock Market hit another record high!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Dec. 14, 2017 07:59am […]
12/14/2017
GOP/PAUL RYAN/TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Since mid-2016, U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan has carried around a ‘postcard’ that he has said shows how easy it will be for Americans to file their taxes once Republicans are finished their tax overhaul. And as recently as Thursday President Donald Trump touted Americans being able to ‘file their taxes […]
12/13/2017
ETHICS/GOP/LEGAL: “A Kentucky lawmaker died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound on Wednesday [12-13-17] evening after facing allegations that he molested a 17-year-old girl in 2012. Dan Johnson, a Republican state representative, shot himself on the Greenwell Ford Road bridge in Mt. Washington, Kentucky, according to the Bullitt County coroner. The apparent suicide came after […]
12/13/2017
GOP/TAXES: “The highest-earning Americans will get a lower tax rate and corporations will pay slightly more than in previous plans under a deal House and Senate Republicans reached on the party’s competing tax-overhaul bills. Full details of what is likely to be a $1.4 trillion tax cut over a decade will be released this week. […]
12/13/2017
GOP/MIKE PENCE/POLITICS: “The upset defeat of Republican Roy Moore in Alabama’s special Senate election sparked finger-pointing Wednesday [12-13-17] between the GOP establishment, who opposed Mr. Moore, and Donald Trump’s insurgent allies led by Steve Bannon, who backed him. The bickering set off by the victory of Democrat Doug Jones heightened anxieties about GOP prospects in […]