U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady leaves Washington after 26 years of placing policymaking over headline-making
Brady condemned the divisiveness that has taken hold of American politics, saying social media is the biggest driver of the problem while applauding former President Donald Trump for his influence on the Republican party.
National GOP proxy war breaks out in crowded primary to succeed U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady
Morgan Luttrell is backed by former Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Houston and the top super PAC aligned with House GOP leadership. Christian Collins has the support of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, the campaign arm of the House Freedom Caucus and some of the most ardent pro-Trump Republicans in the House, like U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.
Leak of billionaires' tax data draws GOP outcry over privacy
Republicans in Congress are alarmed by the leak of confidential IRS data to ProPublica that has enabled the investigative news organization to reveal that famous billionaires including Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg paid little in U.S. income tax at times.
Fraud overwhelms pandemic-related unemployment programs
Fraud perpetrators, sometimes in China, Nigeria or Russia, buy stolen personal identifying information on the dark web and use it to flood state unemployment systems with bogus claims. In Ohio, weekly first-time unemployment claims have ranged from 17,000 to more than 40,000 during the pandemic. In July, officials said theyโd discovered a massive criminal enterprise that had stolen more than $500 million in unemployment benefits. Nearly 800,000 of the 1.4 million claims Ohio has received through this program have been tagged for potential fraud. President Joe Biden's administration is pledging to cut down on unemployment fraud even as it tries to extend benefits through September.
Democrats pushing Bidenโs $1.9 trillion COVID-19 bill through House panels
Republicans are attacking the Democrats $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package as too costly, economically damaging and overtly partisan. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON โ Democrats pushed half of President Joe Bidenโs $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan through a House committee Thursday, advancing $1,400 payments for millions of Americans and other initiatives that Republicans call too costly, economically damaging and brazenly partisan. Democratic leaders hope for House passage later this month, with Senate approval and a bill on Bidenโs desk by mid-March. Republicansโ amendments spotlighted what they see as political soft spots they can exploit. And while the GOP amendments were beaten back, they forced Democrats to take positions that could tee up GOP campaign ads for the 2022 elections.
Dems attempt to push through school funding, wage increase
The plan faces opposition from Republicans who want to tie new school funding to reopening. Biden's plan for $130 billion in school funding is in addition to more than $8 billion from previous relief packages. Stop ruining their futures and stop playing games.โScott countered that schools can't make changes needed to reopen safely unless they get the funding in Biden's plan. AdRepublicans also signaled a fight over standardized testing, backing a proposed change to prevent relief funding from being used on academic assessments. The $350 billion portion of the bill before the committee also includes Biden's plan to raise the minimum wage from $7.25, where is has been since 2009.
Southeast Texas congressman tests positive for COVID-19
(House Television via AP)AUSTIN, Texas โ Rep. Kevin Brady said he has tested positive for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The Southeast Texas congressman and ranking Republican Ways and Means Committee member revealed his test results in a tweet late Tuesday, followed by a prepared statement Wednesday. The disclosure came as a record number of Texas COVID-19 deaths were reported Wednesday. Brady had been tested when he began experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and began receiving outpatient treatment from Walter Reed Medical Center. Austin-area officials announced Wednesday that they were discussing plans to turn the Austin Convention Center into a field hospital as hospitals continue to fill close to their capacities because of the soaring number of COVID-19 cases.
Texas congressman Kevin Brady says heโs tested positive for COVID-19
U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, spoke on a panel for the Lincoln Reagan Dinner, at the Bayou City Events Center in Houston in 2017. U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, has tested positive for the coronavirus, he said on Twitter on Tuesday evening. Earlier this week, U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, a high-ranking member of Texasโ congressional delegation, tested positive for the coronavirus. The first statewide elected official to publicly confirm a positive coronavirus test was Texas Supreme Court Justice Debra Lehrmann in May. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller also tested positive in early December.
Senate GOP blocks Democratic push for President Trumpโs $2K checks
โThereโs one question left today: Do Senate Republicans join with the rest of America in supporting $2,000 checks?โ Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said as he made a motion to vote. The showdown over the $2,000 checks has thrown Congress into a chaotic year-end session just days before new lawmakers are set to be sworn into office for the new year. Saying little, McConnell signaled an alternative approach to Trump's checks that may not divide his party so badly, but may result in no action at all. For now, the $600 checks are set to be delivered, along with other aid, among the largest rescue packages of its kind. Biden supports the $2,000 checks and said Tuesday the aid package is merely a โdown paymentโ on what he plans to deliver once in office.
House approves Trump's $2K checks, sending to GOP-led Senate
While Democrats favored bigger checks, Congress had settled on smaller $600 payments in a compromise over the big year-end relief bill Trump reluctantly signed into law. The vote was a stunning turn of events from just days ago, when House Republicans blocked Trump's demands during a Christmas Eve session. After the robust House vote, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer warned, โThere is no good reason for Senate Republicans to stand in the way.โโThereโs strong support for these $2,000 emergency checks from every corner of the country," Schumer said in a statement. The bipartisan bill negotiated by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had already passed the House and Senate by wide margins. Most House Republicans simply shrugged off Trump's push, 130 of them voting to reject the higher checks that would pile $467 billion in additional costs.
Trump ally McCarthy is reelected leader of House Republicans
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., talks about House Republicans and the election, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020. House Republicans are โthe most united and energizedโ he's ever seen after their โhistoric political upset." McCarthy and his team are now among the remaining leaders from the tea party era, when House Republicans last controlled Congress. In the Trump era, House Republicansโ role receded as the White House often dominated the discussion and Republicans held the majority in the Senate. The House Republicans had to seek a waiver from the District of Columbia, which has restrictions on large gatherings.
Trump ally McCarthy is reelected leader of House Republicans
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., talks about House Republicans and the election, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020. House Republicans are โthe most united and energizedโ he's ever seen after their โhistoric political upset." McCarthy and his team are now among the remaining leaders from the tea party era, when House Republicans last controlled Congress. In the Trump era, House Republicansโ role receded as the White House often dominated the discussion and Republicans held the majority in the Senate. The House Republicans had to seek a waiver from the District of Columbia, which has restrictions on large gatherings.
Audit likely gave congressional staff glimpse of Trump taxes
When JCT staffers disagree with the IRS on a decision, the review is typically kept open until the matter is resolved. Even acknowledging that Trump's taxes were before the panel is verboten. Representatives for the Trump Organization did not respond to messages seeking comment and confirmation that the Joint Tax Committee had reviewed Trump's taxes. Former JCT staffers would not comment on whether they remembered the dispute with Trump, citing confidentiality rules. Neal, the lead force behind a Democratic lawsuit to expose Trumpโs taxes, said the Timesโ reporting is proof that the documents should be given to Congress.
High-speed train between Dallas and Houston gets federal approval
The high-speed train that promises to link Dallas and Houston within 90 minutes has been approved by the Federal Railroad Administration, according to Texas Central Railroad, the company in charge of the project. Texas Central expects to start construction in the first half of 2021. The Federal Railroad Administration did not immediately respond to request for comment and has yet to publicly confirmed the approvals, but Texas Central Railroad said the rulings will be released soon. โThis is the moment we have been working towards,โ said Carlos Aguilar, CEO of Texas Central Railroad in a statement. The project has seen resistance from property owners in rural areas of Central Texas, where the railroad would travel through.