Newsmakers 2/28/2025: Leaders de la Cruz, Chippendale
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — This week on Newsmakers: Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz and House Minority Leader Mike Chippendale discuss their legislative priorities at the State House, the GOP's ongoing struggles in Assembly races, the first month of the new Trump administration and more.
Prefer your Newsmakers on the go?Subscribe to our podcast!Apple | Spotify
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Politico
38 minutes ago
- Politico
‘There was no imminent threat,' Thomas Massie says in joining Ro Khanna in decrying Iran strike
Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) — two lawmakers with very different views and priorities on most issues — came together Sunday to decry President Donald Trump's airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities. Khanna and Massie told host Margaret Brennan on CBS' 'Face the Nation' that Congress was not briefed ahead of the military action, which they see as unconstitutional. The pair introduced a resolution last week to block U.S. involvement in the conflict between Iran and Israel. 'I'm always open to new intelligence, but the procedure should have been Congress be briefed before we decided to enter war and actually have a vote on it,' Khanna said to Brennan. 'The reality is, people want regime change in Iran, and they are egging this president on to bomb. I hope cooler heads will prevail.' House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on X Saturday that the president 'fully respects' Article I of the Constitution, and the targeted strike follows 'the history and tradition' of prior military actions. Massie said Johnson's latter remark was likely referring to the War Powers Act of 1973, which allows for a president to take limited, targeted actions in a crisis without prior congressional approval, but that it was 'peculiar' to hear this from the Speaker of the House. 'That's been misinterpreted. There was no imminent threat to the United States which is what would authorize that,' Massie said. 'We haven't been briefed, they should have called us all back, and frankly we should have debated this war powers resolution that Ro Khanna and I offered instead of staying on vacation.' Khanna said Massie was showing 'courage' in speaking for parts of the MAGA base who have continually reiterated they do not want continuing wars in the Middle East. After Trump announced the airstrikes, MAGA largely fell in line with the action despite debates last week over the potential for U.S. military action in Iran amid continuing Israel-Iran missile exchanges. 'The tragedy in this country is that we keep entering these overseas wars, we triumphantly declare the mission is accomplished the day after, and then we're left with Americans bearing the consequences for decades,' Khanna said.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Senate Can Keep Ban on State AI Rules in Trump Tax Bill
(Bloomberg) -- A Republican effort to block US states from enforcing new artificial intelligence regulations will remain in President Donald Trump's massive tax and spending package for now, marking a win for tech companies pushing to stall and override dozens of AI safety laws across the country. Bezos Wedding Draws Protests, Soul-Searching Over Tourism in Venice One Architect's Quest to Save Mumbai's Heritage From Disappearing JFK AirTrain Cuts Fares 50% This Summer to Lure Riders Off Roads NYC Congestion Toll Cuts Manhattan Gridlock by 25%, RPA Reports In a surprise decision, Democrats said the Senate parliamentarian ruled the provision aligns with the special budgetary process Republicans are using to consider the tax package. That process allows the GOP to avoid making concessions to Democrats, who otherwise could filibuster legislation. The Senate version of the AI moratorium would deny states federal funding for broadband internet projects if they enforce AI regulations. The provision will likely still be challenged on the Senate floor, where stripping the provision would need just a simple majority. Some Republicans in both the House and Senate have pushed back on the AI provision. 'We do not need a moratorium that would prohibit our states from stepping up and protecting citizens in their state,' Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn said last week. Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough has advised lawmakers that many other provisions have failed to pass muster for the budget process, including language requiring state matching funds for food stamps and a requirement that people suing the federal government post enormous bonds to obtain temporary restraining orders, Democrats said. Republicans are racing to pass the fiscal package by July 4, with Senate leaders planning to vote on it this week. The bills' provisions are being litigated by staff in a closed-door process, with Senate Budget Committee Democrats releasing periodic updates to the media. The AI provision would benefit many of the US's largest tech and AI companies, some of which have lobbied against a state-by-state 'patchwork' of rules governing AI. California, New York, Utah and dozens of others have introduced or enacted AI laws in recent years, including bills to address concerns about data privacy, copyright and bias. Congress has yet to pass a federal framework on AI, which has effectively left the states to figure out how to set rules around the technology. The House passed its version of the bill, which would impose a 10-year moratorium on any state law regulating artificial intelligence or automated decision systems. House Speaker Mike Johnson said June 9 that the AI provision had the full backing of the White House, including AI and crypto czar David Sacks. More than 200 state lawmakers from both parties urged Congress to scrap the measure, which could have nullified a wide range of consumer protection laws on topics including children's online safety, generative AI harms, and government AI adoption and deployment, according to the AI safety think tank Center for Responsible Innovation. Senate Republicans also made progress on the broader bill as the Joint Committee on Taxation — the key congressional scorekeeper on tax matters — found the new tax provisions in the bill would add a net $441 billion to deficits through 2034. The Senate GOP's preferred 'current policy' baseline assumes that trillions of dollars in expiring Trump tax cuts are free. The score gives lawmakers room to negotiate final agreements on the broader package, including setting the level of the state and local tax deduction and how fast to end green energy tax credits. --With assistance from Erik Wasson. Luxury Counterfeiters Keep Outsmarting the Makers of $10,000 Handbags Is Mark Cuban the Loudmouth Billionaire that Democrats Need for 2028? Ken Griffin on Trump, Harvard and Why Novice Investors Won't Beat the Pros The US Has More Copper Than China But No Way to Refine All of It Can 'MAMUWT' Be to Musk What 'TACO' Is to Trump? ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
an hour ago
Sen. Cotton: ‘I think we have to be prepared for Iran to retaliate'
ABC News' Jonathan Karl interviews Senate Intelligence Chair Tom Cotton, R- Ark., on 'This Week.'
