Chuck Grassley Places Hold on Trump's Treasury Nominees
The nominees blocked are Brian Morrissey Jr., to be the general counsel of the Department of the Treasury; Jonathan McKernan, to be the under secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance; and Francis Brooke, to be assistant secretary of the Treasury for International Trade and Development.
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New York Post
24 minutes ago
- New York Post
Miranda Devine: Biden abused his authority by turning FEMA into a far-left political machine
The Biden administration abused its power by turning the entire mechanism of the federal government into a Democrat voter mobilization campaign, according to newly unearthed White House documents viewed exclusively by The Post. The worst offender was FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, under the Department of Homeland Security, which was controlled for four years by Biden's Machiavellian border buster Alejandro Mayorkas. When responding to an emergency or a natural disaster, FEMA employees were directed to make voter registration a 'key priority.' They politically targeted vulnerable people in their hour of need instead of focusing on providing federal assistance. Left-wing NGOs were brought in to 'educate' FEMA staff about 'equity and voter access for individuals affected by disaster,' says a Trump administration official. 'FEMA's job is to make sure Americans who have suffered catastrophic loss due to some disaster in their community [can access] food, water and shelter . . . Under President Biden, FEMA, like every agency, produced a plan on how they would leverage these crisis situations for political [purposes]. I can't think of anything more disgusting.' FEMA snubbed GOP FEMA employees were so fixated on voter outreach that, when they visited hurricane-ravaged Florida last October, they didn't even bother knocking on the doors of houses that had Trump signs in the yard. Instead of assisting Hurricane Milton survivors, they were instructed to 'avoid homes advertising Trump,' according to an Office of Special Counsel complaint. FEMA supervisor Marn'i Washington was fired as a scapegoat after Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called foul on the scam and The Daily Wire reported that at least 20 homes with Trump signs or flags had been skipped by FEMA and denied the opportunity of qualifying for federal assistance. It stands to reason that if FEMA's priority was getting out Democrats to vote, the last people they would want to visit were Trump supporters. The Florida scandal came on the heels of the Biden administration's sluggish response to Hurricane Helene in Trump-supporting rural areas of North Carolina and Tennessee. Whether it was Hurricane Helene, the Maui wildfires, Hurricane Ian, or the East Palestine train derailment, FEMA always came up short during the Biden years. The agency's inadequate performance is more understandable when you realize that providing actual disaster relief to victims had become simply a side dish to the partisan political priorities of the Democratic Party. Every week, Post columnist Miranda Devine sits down for exclusive and candid conversations with the most influential disruptors in Washington. Subscribe here! It began the minute Joe Biden came into office, when he concocted a fake voter registration crisis by leveraging the same racial discord that he had exploited during the George Floyd riots the previous summer, claiming that 'many Americans, especially people of color, confront significant obstacles to exercising the fundamental right' to vote, including 'difficulties with voter registration, lack of election information, and barriers to access at polling places.' This was not true. In fact, voter turnout in the 2020 election of 67% was the highest recorded in the 21st century, according to the Census Bureau. Voter registration, likewise, was at a record high in 2020. 'Equity' and 'access' were euphemisms for policies designed simply to increase Democrat voter turnout by targeting demographics that traditionally vote Democrat. Biden launched his federal government-wide voter recruitment program with an Executive Order on March 7, 2021, to 'promote equity in voter access.' The date was chosen deliberately to fall on the 56th anniversary of Bloody Sunday to invoke the civil rights legacy of fighting voter suppression against black Americans. Biden announced the scheme at a breakfast in Selma, Ala., absurdly tying the Jan. 6 Capitol riot to what he claimed was a renewed struggle for voting rights. Fed turnout machine A federal lawsuit filed by nine states last August claimed that his order was drafted by progressive racial activist group Demos, which 'monitors implementation and advocates that federal agencies do more.' The EO was executed by Susan Rice, Biden's assistant to the president for domestic policy, whose primary focus was making 'equity' central to every arm of government. In 2021, she commanded all federal agencies to dream up ways to re-engineer their activities to prioritize voter turnout, especially in 'marginalized communities.' The Department of Energy, for example, targeted low-income households that qualify for federal weatherization assistance with voter registration paraphernalia before the 2022 midterm elections. The Department of Labor enlisted state workforce agencies to designate American Job Centers as voter registration agencies and coordinating exclusively with leftist 'voting rights' groups. The Department of Health and Human Services instructed federal health centers to engage in voter turnout, including 'encouraging patients to register to vote, assisting patients with completing registration forms, sending completed forms to the election authorities.' HHS also encouraged voter registration by ineligible illegal aliens who had access to health coverage through the Affordable Care Act, according to an expose by Heritage Foundation Senior Legal Fellow Hans von Spakovsky. DHS went above and beyond. A FEMA 'Strategic Plan for the Implementation of Executive Order 14019, Promoting Access to Voting' dated Sept. 10, 2021, and sent to Rice by Katherine Culliton-González, DHS officer for civil rights and civil liberties, summarized what DHS was doing to comply with Biden's EO by using disasters and emergencies to harvest voters: 'DHS has planned and begun implementing a variety of internal and external activities to promote access to voting.' The plan included 'key messaging and . . . resources to promote equity in voter access through their training preparedness initiatives for individuals impacted by a disaster or emergency event.' Also included were novel ways of harnessing 'internal resources, and points of public interface to promote equity in voter access before, during, and after a disaster or emergency event.' Registration drive Another arm of Mayorkas' empire, the Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), was enlisted for the turnout effort, with a plan to 'build up its existing efforts to facilitate voter registration for new citizens at the end of naturalization ceremonies, in coordination with governmental and nongovernmental organizations.' At 2,100 naturalization ceremonies for new Americans, DHS embedded 'voter-registration outreach,' inserting 2 million voter registration forms in 'welcome packets' and inviting only partisan left-leaning groups. Another White House document covering 'Partnerships and Outreach' showed that DHS signed 'Memorandums of Understanding' with the League of Women Voters in October 2022 and NALEO Educational Fund in February 2023, for naturalization 'ceremony support.' Another DHS outfit, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, co-hosted 'Your Vote Your Voice 'cyber-hygiene webinars' with another NGO, the Chicago-based Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL). Taxpayer resources allocated by DHS for voter turnout in 2022-2024 included 12 full-time USCIS employees, $1.9 million in print contracts, and 'costs absorbed' for a dedicated five-person team from FEMA's Individual and Community Preparedness Division. President Trump issued a new executive order in March this year to reverse Biden's subterfuge, calling on every federal agency to ensure the voter outreach schemes are dismantled. The cost of this Sovietization of the federal government is incalculable. But let's hope FEMA and the other agencies can get back to their day jobs.
Newsweek
25 minutes ago
- Newsweek
JB Pritzker Reacts to Possibility of FBI Arresting Texas Democrats
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Illinois Democratic Governor JB Pritzker brushed off the possibility of the FBI coming into his state and arresting Texas Democrats who left the state and headed to Illinois and other Democratic-led states in a last-ditch effort to block Republicans' redistricting efforts in Texas. "They're grandstanding," the governor said when asked about President Donald Trump's suggestion that the FBI "may have to" get involved to bring the Texas Democrats back to their home state. Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email on Wednesday. Why It Matters The confrontation between Democratic and Republican state representatives in Texas highlights the national stakes of partisan redistricting battles ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Redistricting occurs once every 10 years following the census to adjust boundaries based on population changes. But when Texas Republicans began trying to redraw the congressional map mid-decade in a way that would give their party more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, Democratic legislators left the state to prevent formation of a quorum required to pass the plan. Under Texas law, the state House needs 100 representatives accounted for to conduct official business, but has only 88 Republicans, requiring Democrats' presence to revise the voting map. Republican U.S. Senator John Cornyn of Texas asked the FBI to help "locate and arrest" the Democrats who fled the Lone Star State. Trump also signaled his support for the request. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, left, looks on as Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu along with others speak about Texas Republican plans to redraw the House map, during a news conference at the Democratic... Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, left, looks on as Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu along with others speak about Texas Republican plans to redraw the House map, during a news conference at the Democratic Party of DuPage County office in Carol Stream, Illinois, on August 3. More Mark Black/AP What To Know Asked what he thought of Trump's remarks and the possibility of FBI involvement in the matter, Pritzker added, "There literally is no federal law applicable to this situation, none." Speaking on the News Not Noise podcast with Jessica Yellin, Pritzker added: "They can say that they're sending FBI. FBI agents might show up just to, I don't know, again, to put a show on. But the fact is that, you know, our local law enforcement protect everybody in Illinois." "Our state troopers protect everybody in Illinois and anybody who's here in Illinois," the Democratic governor said. "And so, whether it's federal agents coming to Illinois or state rangers from Texas, if you haven't broken federal law, you're basically unwelcome and there's no way that our state legislators here, the Texas state legislators, can be arrested." Pritzker's comments on Wednesday came amid an escalating legal battle between Republican officials in Texas and Democrats who left the state. Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Wednesday sought rare emergency relief from the state's Supreme Court to remove Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu and other absent legislators. Wu hit back at Abbott, saying the governor's move was "just purely insanity" and portrayed the ongoing legal and political pressure as "unconstitutional racial gerrymandering." More than 50 Texas Democrats have scattered to Illinois and other blue states like California and New York as part of their effort to block Republicans in their state from gerrymandering the congressional map to gain more U.S. House seats. Pritzker applauded their efforts during an appearance on CBS' The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, telling the host on Tuesday: "Donald Trump is trying to steal five seats from the people—frankly, of the country, not just the people of Texas—to disenfranchise people." "We're talking about violating the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution," he added. What People Are Saying Pritzker also told Colbert on Tuesday: "The great heroes of the Texas House Democratic Caucus decided the only thing they could do in order to stop it was, leave Texas. And where did they decide to come to? The safe haven of the state of Illinois, where we are going to protect them and take care of them." The governor added: "I'm very proud of them." Trump, referring to the 2024 presidential election, told CNBC on Tuesday: "I won Texas. I got the highest vote in the history of Texas, as you probably know, and we are entitled to five more seats." New York Governor Kathy Hochul said at a Monday news conference: "If Republicans are willing to rewrite these rules to give themselves an advantage, then they're leaving us no choice; we must do the same." What Happens Next Texas' redistricting efforts have kicked off a nationwide battle between blue and red states across the country, with the governors of New York and California pledging to redraw their own congressional maps to offset Republican efforts in Texas. In all, at least nine states have considered redrawing their maps, according to officials in those states and media reports: Texas, California, New York, Ohio, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Wisconsin and Maryland.
CNN
25 minutes ago
- CNN
Rep. Nancy Mace touts ties to Trump in campaign-style town hall
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, fresh off an announced bid for South Carolina's governor's mansion, jockeyed for an endorsement from President Donald Trump and sought to tie herself closely to him in a public meeting with a friendly crowd Wednesday. While members of her party have been encouraged to hold town halls over their August break from Washington to sell Trump's agenda out in the country, Mace's event – billed as 'The Mother of All Town Halls' – more closely resembled a campaign event. Mace spoke at length about her plans for governor and answered some questions from a crowd of supporters at a venue outside of South Carolina's First Congressional District, which Mace has represented since 2020. She teased plans to hold similar events across the state. The three-term congresswoman spent much of her remarks aligning herself with Trump and touting what she's done for the president, specifically citing her 2024 interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos that resulted in a $15 million defamation settlement, paid toward Trump's presidential library. 'Trump won that defamation suit, right, and how Nancy Mace will not back down, and Nancy Mace will hold the line,' Mace said. She continued, 'I haven't told the president this, but my one ask, I just want one ask, because the $15 million is supposed to be used to build his presidential library. I just want my name over a women's bathroom,' she continued, nodding to her pushes to ban transgender women from women's restrooms. Mace lobbied for an endorsement from Trump, one that will be critical in a crowded GOP gubernatorial primary that includes fellow Trump ally and South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman and state Attorney General Alan Wilson, who was the target of multiple Mace jabs Wednesday. 'I'm just saying, I've done a lot for the president,' Mace said. 'If you talk to him, I would really like his support for governor.' In her speech, the congresswoman also continued to claim credit for a $195 million infrastructure grant in the Palmetto State, a grant only possible because of former President Joe Biden's infrastructure law. 'One of the things the press will not tell you: I am one of the leading members of Congress who's gotten resources for our state,' Mace said. 'In fact, our office assisted in getting the largest infrastructure grant in South Carolina history, at $195 million earlier this year. The press won't tell you that.' Mace at the time joined some of her House Republican colleagues in voting against the measure. Asked by CNN about her ability to tout the grant as an accomplishment despite having not voted for the bill, Mace said she 'absolutely' could. 'We fight over how we spend the money, how we appropriate it, but once the appropriations happen, I'm gonna make sure that South Carolina, that we get our fair share, because that money's getting spent and our tax dollars in South Carolina is equal to anybody else's in California, New York, Tennessee,' she said. She later continued, 'Just because we disagree on how the money's spent means we shouldn't get money for our roads and bridges? Isn't that kind of hypocritical, that's ironic?' Mace on Wednesday also backed Texas' efforts to redraw its congressional map, telling reporters she 'would arrest the Texas Legislature' and supports '[Texas GOP Gov. Greg] Abbott in the Texas Legislature to do what's fair, what's right.' The congresswoman set herself apart from Norman, who pushed Wednesday for the South Carolina State Assembly to redraw the Palmetto State's congressional lines. 'I think our lines are good. We did a great job. The state. Congress doesn't do anything with drawing the lines. We don't have any legal authority, alright? It's done by the state legislature, the judiciary specifically. But the lines were drawn.' Mace later further separated herself from Norman, who singled out Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn's district as one to target. 'Well, constitutionally, there has to be a seat for a Democrat in a Black, you know, census for Jim Clyburn for a Democrat seat,' Mace said. 'So that's constitutionally, civil rights that exists. It's always going to be a Democrat seat.'
