Senate Panel Seeks to Boost Defense Funding, Add F-35 Purchases
The panel's version of the annual defense policy bill largely endorses President Donald Trump's vision for the Defense Department but seeks to assert congressional oversight over the structure of the military, its buying processes and long-term strategies. The House Armed Services Committee is crafting its own authorization measure, and congressional appropriators still will assemble funding packages for the department.
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Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Texas governor threatens to remove Democrats who left state over Trump-backed redistricting
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he will begin trying to remove Democratic lawmakers from office Monday if they don't return after dozens of them left the state in a last-resort attempt to block redrawn U.S. House maps that President Donald Trump wants before the 2026 midterm elections. The revolt by the state House Democrats, many of whom went to Illinois or New York on Sunday, and Abbott giving them less than 24 hours to come home ratcheted up a widening fight over congressional maps that began in Texas but has drawn in Democratic governors who have floated the possibility of rushing to redraw their own state's maps in retaliation. Their options, however, are limited. At the center of the escalating impasse is Trump's pursuit of adding five more GOP-leaning congressional seats in Texas before next year that would bolster his party's chances of preserving its slim U.S. House majority. The new congressional maps drawn by Texas Republicans would create five new Republican-leaning seats. Republicans currently hold 25 of the state's 38 seats. A vote on the proposed maps had been set for Monday in the Texas House of Representatives, but it cannot proceed if the majority of Democratic members deny a quorum by not showing up. After one group of Democrats landed in Chicago on Sunday, they were welcomed by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, but declined to say how long they were prepared to stay out of Texas. 'We will do whatever it takes. What that looks like, we don't know,' said state Rep. Gene Wu, the Texas House Democratic Caucus leader. But legislative walkouts often only delay passage of a bill, including in 2021 when many of the same Texas House Democrats left the state for 38 days in protest of new voting restrictions. Once they returned, Republicans still wound up passing that measure. Four years later, Abbott is taking a far more aggressive stance and swiftly warning Democrats that he will seek to remove them from office if they are not back when the House reconvenes Monday afternoon. He cited a non-binding 2021 legal opinion issued by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, which suggested a court could determine that a legislator had forfeited their office. He also suggested the lawmakers may have committed felonies by raising money to help pay for fines they'd face. 'This truancy ends now,' Abbott said. In response, House Democrats issued a four-word statement: 'Come and take it.' The state of the vote Lawmakers can't pass bills in the 150-member Texas House without at least two-thirds of them present. Democrats hold 62 of the seats in the majority-Republican chamber and at least 51 left the state, said Josh Rush Nisenson, spokesperson for the House Democratic Caucus. Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows said the chamber would still meet as planned on Monday afternoon. 'If a quorum is not present then, to borrow the recent talking points from some of my Democrat colleagues, all options will be on the table. . .,' he posted on X. Paxton, who is running for U.S. Senate, said on X that Democrats who 'try and run away like cowards should be found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately.' Fines for not showing up A refusal by Texas lawmakers to show up is a civil violation of legislative rules. The Texas Supreme Court held in 2021 that House leaders had the authority to 'physically compel the attendance' of missing members, but no Democrats were forcibly brought back to the state after warrants were served that year. Two years later, Republicans pushed through new rules that allow daily fines of $500 for lawmakers who don't show up for work as punishment. The quorum break will also delay votes on flood relief and new warning systems in the wake of last month's catastrophic floods in Texas that killed at least 136 people. Democrats had called for votes on the flooding response before taking up redistricting and have criticized Republicans for not doing so. Illinois hosts Texas lawmakers Pritzker, a potential 2028 presidential contender who has been one of Trump's most outspoken critics during his second term, had been in quiet talks with Texas Democrats for weeks about offering support if they chose to leave the state to break quorum. Last week, the governor hosted several Texas Democrats in Illinois to publicly oppose the redistricting effort, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom held a similar event in his own state. Pritzker also met privately with Texas Democratic Chair Kendall Scudder in June to begin planning for the possibility that lawmakers would depart for Illinois if they did decide to break quorum to block the map, according to a source with direct knowledge who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations. 'This is not just rigging the system in Texas, it's about rigging the system against the rights of all Americans for years to come,' Pritzker said Sunday night. Trump is looking to avoid a repeat of his first term, when Democrats flipped the House just two years into his presidency, and hopes the new Texas map will aid that effort. Trump officials have also looked at redrawing lines in other states. ___ Associated Press writer Nadia Lathan in Austin contributed to this report. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
German finance minister to push for steel quotas on Washington trip
BERLIN (Reuters) -German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil will advocate for a quota system on steel exports to be included in the EU's trade deal with the United States at a meeting with his U.S. counterpart, Scott Bessent, later on Monday, he told a radio broadcaster. "There is talk of a quota system for steel, and it would be good if there were one," Klingbeil told Deutschlandfunk radio on Monday before his planned meeting in Washington. There are a number of chapters that have not yet been finalised in the trade deal struck, said Klingbeil, and steel is a particularly important issue for the German economy and jobs. "I will test out what steps the American government is prepared to take and what the solution might look like," said Klingbeil, even though the EU is responsible for negotiations. The EU's trade deal with Trump in July was greeted with a mix of relief and anger, with tariffs set at 15% for most products but negotiations continuing for certain sectors, including steel and aluminium, which carry tariffs of 50%. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had said on Friday the EU will negotiate with the United States on steel, with a focus on quotas that can be exported without too high tariffs. Klingbeil also urged quick clarification of other outstanding details in the trade dispute, including the investments promised by the EU and in the energy sector. "It should happen in the next few days," he said. Sign in to access your portfolio
New York Post
6 minutes ago
- New York Post
Fighter jets scrambled after civilian aircraft violates Trump airspace at New Jersey Bedminster
Fighter jets scrambled to intercept a civilian aircraft on Sunday after it entered restricted airspace over Trump's Bedminster retreat. The pilot flew into a temporary flight restriction (TFR) zone at about 12:50 p.m. ET, according to a statement from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). The civilian aircraft was escorted out of the area by NORAD aircraft after using flares to draw the pilot's attention. NORAD said the intercept was the second of the day, noting that another aircraft had entered the TFR zone. In total, there were five unauthorized incursions over the weekend. The second instance, NORAD said, involved flares, which may have been visible to the public. NORAD added that flares 'are employed with the highest regard for the safety of the intercepted aircraft and people on the ground.' 3 Fighter jets scrambled to intercept a civilian aircraft on Sunday after it entered restricted airspace over Trump's Bedminster retreat. REUTERS The flares also burn out quickly and completely, NORAD said, so there is no danger to those on the ground when dispersed. Officials are warning private pilots to do their homework before takeoff. 'General aviation pilots are reminded to verify all Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) Notice to Airmen (NOTAMs) and Fly Informed before every flight; in the instance of the Bedminster, New Jersey region, specifically FAA NOTAMs 9839, 9840, 9841 and 9842,' NORAD said. 3 President Trump waves as he walks across the South Lawn upon return to the White House in Washington, DC on Aug. 3, 2025 after spending the weekend at his Bedminster residence. AFP via Getty Images 3 A sign is seen at an entrance to the Trump National Golf Club August 9, 2018 in Bedminster, New Jersey. AFP via Getty Images The most up-to-date information can be found by visiting NORAD has stressed during previous instances how important it is for North American flight safety for pilots to avoid violating TFR. 'All pilots must familiarize themselves with updates to restricted airspace, including reviewing new and existing FAA NOTAMs that impact their flight plans and activities,' NORAD has stated. 'Adhering to FAA restricted airspace protocols is mandatory, regardless of geographical region, airframe, or aircrew.' According to the president's schedule, Trump was out of town at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster on Sunday. He is expected to return to the White House on Sunday evening.
