Latest news with #DemocraticCaucus
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Senior Democrat rips into Hunter Biden's 'regrettable' claims about Joe being on sleeping pills
A senior member of the U.S. Senate Democratic Caucus had some choice words for Hunter Biden after the former first son made an astounding claim about the state of his father's health last year. Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal said on Capitol Hill Tuesday that Hunter Biden's comments were 'regrettable, because we need to be looking forward and focusing on the past really makes no sense.' The younger Biden appeared in an interview with YouTuber Andrew Callaghan which aired Monday, during which he made shocking claims about his father, former President Joe Biden. Hunter revealed that the sleep aid Ambien was to blame for his father's disastrous presidential debate performance, which became a turning point in the 2024 campaign. Monday's interview marked the one year anniversary of the presidential debate between then-incumbent Biden and current President Donald Trump, after which Biden withdrew from the race. 'I know exactly what happened in that debate,' Biden's son said. 'He flew around the world. He's 81 years old. He's tired. They gave him Ambien to be able to sleep and he gets up on the stage and looks like a deer in the headlights.' The then president blamed his lousy June 27, 2024 performance on a cold, though had spent several days at Camp David resting up ahead of the Atlanta showdown. As Republicans in the House and the Senate have been conducting investigations into the usage of the autopen by former President Joe Biden, Democrats have had to toe a tough line. Blumenthal has called the GOP investigations 'performative and theatrical' and told the Washington Examiner last month that he was 'not super interested in' attending a hearing on Biden's presidential pardon power. Yet, one of the actions taken by Biden via autopen during the last few days of presidency was the decision to commute the prison sentence of Adrian Peeler, a man who planned and committed the murder of an eight-year-old boy and his mother in 1999. The crime happened in Connecticut, Blumenthal's home state, and the senator remarked back in January that somebody had 'dropped the ball' with that particular decision. Hunter Biden's bombshell interview made numerous headlines Monday as the former first son unleashed f-bomb-laden rants and made shocking revelations about his family. Hunter also attacked prominent Democrats such as his father's former ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, who criticized Democrats performance in the 2024 election, and actor George Clooney who called for the elder Biden to drop out of the Presidential race last year. Hunter even went as far to say that he would invade El Salvador if they refuse to send back deportees sent to the country by the Trump administration. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz remarked that the rant was 'unhinged.' 'This is the current state of the Democrat party,' he added.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Florida Rep. Joe Casello dies while in office
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — Florida Democratic lawmaker Joe Casello has died while in office following a heart attack, according to state House officials. He was 73. Casello, who was first elected to the Florida House in 2018 from a district in Boynton Beach, was surrounded by his girlfriend and family when he died Friday, the Florida House Democratic Caucus said in a social media post. 'The family extends their heartfelt gratitude to all who have offered their love and support during this difficult time,' the caucus said in a statement. Casello was a firefighter in Worcester, Massachusetts, for three decades before entering politics in Florida. He served as a Boynton Beach city commissioner before becoming a state lawmaker. He had announced plans to run for a seat on the Palm Beach County Commission in 2026. Under Florida law, Gov. Ron DeSantis is required to call a special election or special primary election when a vacancy occurs for a legislative seat because of a death.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Florida Rep. Joe Casello dies while in office
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Florida Democratic lawmaker Joe Casello has died while in office following a heart attack, according to state House officials. He was 73. Casello, who was first elected to the Florida House in 2018 from a district in Boynton Beach, was surrounded by his girlfriend and family when he died Friday, the Florida House Democratic Caucus said in a social media post. 'The family extends their heartfelt gratitude to all who have offered their love and support during this difficult time,' the caucus said in a statement. Casello was a firefighter in Worcester, Massachusetts, for three decades before entering politics in Florida. He served as a Boynton Beach city commissioner before becoming a state lawmaker. He had announced plans to run for a seat on the Palm Beach County Commission in 2026. Under Florida law, Gov. Ron DeSantis is required to call a special election or special primary election when a vacancy occurs for a legislative seat because of a death.
Newsweek
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Hakeem Jeffries Reacts to Reported Primary Threat From Mamdani Allies
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. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries brushed off a recent CNN report that said people in New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's camp are looking to primary Jeffries and other House Democrats in the city. The Context Mamdani, a 33-year-old New York state assemblyman and democratic socialist, is the Democratic nominee in the New York City mayor's race. His triumph in the primary emboldened the progressive wing of the party and ignited fierce intra-party debate about Democratic priorities and whether they're doing enough to push back on President Donald Trump's agenda. Those tensions were laid bare on Wednesday on CNN, which said some of Mamdani's progressive allies want to unseat Jeffries and other high-profile Democratic lawmakers, including Representatives Jerry Nadler, Dan Goldman, Yvette Clark and Ritchie Torres. Jeffries, as the House Democratic leader, faces the dual challenge of maintaining party unity and fending off primary challenges from the left while preparing for the general election fight against Republicans in next year's midterms. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the Democratic Caucus assemble on the steps of the Capitol to condemn President Donald Trump's signature bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, in Washington on July 2, 2025. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the Democratic Caucus assemble on the steps of the Capitol to condemn President Donald Trump's signature bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, in Washington on July 2, 2025. J. Scott Applewhite/AP What To Know The minority leader addressed CNN's reporting during an interview with Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday, saying: "I have no idea what these people are talking about. We are going to continue to focus our efforts as we did on the House floor in connection with Donald Trump's one big, ugly bill on pushing back against the extremism that has been unleashed on the American people." The New York Democrat went on to emphasize party unity, saying that "it's clear to us, as House Democrats, it's clear to us as members of the New York City delegation, that the problem is Donald Trump and House Republicans who have launched this unprecedented assault on the American way of life and assault on health care." Jeffries was referring to the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which delivers on Trump's biggest priorities—including immigration enforcement and tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthy—by slashing funding for critical safety net programs like Medicaid and food assistance. The bill passed the Republican-controlled Senate and House and was signed into law by Trump on July 4. "They're ripping food out of the mouths of children, veterans and seniors," Jeffries said of the bill. "They're exploding the national debt. They're unleashing masked agents on law-abiding immigrant communities. It shouldn't be too difficult for some people to figure out who the problem is in the United States of America." André Richardson, a senior adviser to Jeffries, struck a more combative tone, telling CNN that "Leader Hakeem Jeffries is focused on taking back the House from the MAGA extremists who just ripped health care away from millions of Americans. "However, if Team Gentrification wants a primary fight, our response will be forceful and unrelenting. We will teach them and all of their incumbents a painful lesson on June 23, 2026." By calling Mamdani's allies "Team Gentrification," Richardson was likely referencing the fact that the New York state assemblyman won the support of younger progressives who are whiter and wealthier than most of the residents in districts where incumbent Democrats are being targeted. Newsweek reached out to Mamdani's campaign for comment via email on Wednesday. This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
03-07-2025
- Business
The 2 House Republicans who voted no on Trump's sweeping domestic policy bill
President Donald Trump's major tax cut and spending bill passed the House on Thursday, but not without some Republican opposition. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania voted against the legislation alongside the entire House Democratic Caucus. While Massie and Fitzpatrick were the only GOP members to vote no, several House GOP hardliners were angered by the changes made to the bill by the Senate and there was an overnight scramble by Speaker Mike Johnson to secure the necessary support to proceed. Some of the hardliners who ultimately voted yes say President Trump made promises to get their votes, including that he'd make the bill "better" in the future. On Thursday, Massie said he did not vote for the bill because of its projected impact on the national debt. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the bill could add $3.4 trillion to the deficit over the next decade. "Although there were some conservative wins in the budget reconciliation bill (OBBBA), I voted No on final passage because it will significantly increase U.S. budget deficits in the near term, negatively impacting all Americans through sustained inflation and high interest rates," Massie wrote on X. Massie also opposed the House version of the megabill that passed back in May. Trump's been a vocal critic of Massie, lambasting him last month in a lengthy social media post as not being "MAGA." "Actually, MAGA doesn't want him, doesn't know him, and doesn't respect him," Trump wrote at the time. The president accused Massie of being a "grandstander" who routinely votes no on key Republican-led legislation. Trump suggested Massie should be challenged in the upcoming Republican primary, even before this latest vote. "The good news is that we will have a wonderful American Patriot running against him in the Republican Primary, and I'll be out in Kentucky campaigning really hard," Trump wrote. Rep. Fitzpatrick did vote for the House bill in May, but said on Thursday that the Senate changes to the bill (which resulted in deeper cuts to Medicaid) as the reason for his change in position. As I've stated throughout these negotiations, with each iteration of legislative text that was placed on the House Floor, I've maintained a close and watchful eye on the specific details of these provisions, and determined the specific district impact, positive or negative, on our PA-1 community," Fitzpatrick said in a statement. "I voted to strengthen Medicaid protections, to permanently extend middle class tax cuts, for enhanced small business tax relief, and for historic investments in our border security and our military," he added/ "However, it was the Senate's amendments to Medicaid, in addition to several other Senate provisions, that altered the analysis for our PA-1 community. The original House language was written in a way that protected our community; the Senate amendments fell short of our standard." "I believe in, and will always fight for, policies that are thoughtful, compassionate, and good for our community. It is this standard that will always guide my legislative decisions," Fitzpatrick said. The Pennsylvania congressman, who also faces reelection in 2026, represents a swing district that went blue in 2024 for Kamala Harris.
