Latest news with #HouseJudiciary
Reuters
4 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Trump's sweeping tax-cut bill includes provision to weaken court powers
WILMINGTON, Delaware, May 30 (Reuters) - The sweeping tax-and-spending bill that would enact President Donald Trump's policy agenda includes a provision that critics said would weaken the power of U.S. judges to enforce contempt when the government defies court orders. The one-sentence provision in the 1,100-page bill prevents federal courts, including the Supreme Court, from enforcing contempt orders unless the plaintiffs have posted a monetary bond, which rarely happens in cases against the government. "No court of the United States may enforce a contempt citation for failure to comply with an injunction or temporary restraining order if no security was given when the injunction or order was issued," the provision says. It applies retroactively. "Security" refers to monetary bonds that can be used in private litigation when one party seeks to ask a judge to issue an injunction blocking the actions of another party, such as a company trying to prevent a rival from selling a product. If it turns out the injunction is later reversed, the bond helps cover the defendant's losses. The provision follows a White House memo in March that directed heads of government agencies to request that plaintiffs post a bond if they are seeking an injunction against an agency policy. The Trump administration said the measure would deter frivolous lawsuits. The Trump administration and the House Judiciary Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump has attacked judges who ruled against his government but he has also said he would obey the Supreme Court. Judges often don't require bonds in cases against the government. In a case by two small toymakers against the Trump administration tariffs, the plaintiffs said the bond that had been requested by the government would be more costly than tariffs and would nullify the benefit of an injunction. The judge on Thursday set the bond at $100 and blocked the tariffs against the two companies. Federal courts have been a major check on Trump in his second term, as plaintiffs in dozens of cases have gotten judges to block White House policies. Bonds were not required in the vast majority of those cases, so if the House bill provision became law, judges would be unable to enforce contempt orders. While no judge has issued a contempt order, several federal judges have said Trump administration officials appeared to be defying court orders and are at risk of being held in contempt. Judges use contempt to bring a party into compliance, usually by ratcheting up measures from fines to jail. Once the party complies, the penalties cease. In 2022, when Trump was out of office, he was held in contempt and fined $10,000 by a New York state judge for each day that he failed to produce documents that were subpoenaed in a civil probe of his private business practices that was led by New York's attorney general. Trump eventually complied after paying $110,000. The House passed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" on May 22 by a one-vote margin, without any votes from Democrats. The bill is now heading to the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 vote margin. Several Republicans said they will seek to modify the bill. Twenty-one Democrats from the House wrote to Speaker Mike Johnson on May 20 and urged him to strike the provision from the bill. "This provision would neutralize valid injunctions and leave courts powerless to act in the face of open defiance," said the letter. Eric Kashdan, senior legal counsel with the Campaign Legal Center, said judges could comply with the provision by setting bonds at a nominal amount and old cases could be reopened, but he said it would be time-consuming and burdensome. "You know what the government is going to do in the meantime? It's free to ignore those orders," said Kashdan, whose organization has sued the Trump administration over a voting policy.
Washington Post
5 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
House Democrat launches investigation of Trump's meme coin dinner
A top House Democrat on Wednesday night opened a probe into the private dinner that President Donald Trump hosted for top investors in his meme coin, seeking to highlight the ethical and legal concerns raised by the president's willingness to profit while in office. Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, demanded Trump turn over the names of the guests who attended last week's gala after pouring millions of dollars into the president's crypto venture. The Maryland congressman also pressed the president to disclose what steps he used to determine the source of the funds used to purchase the meme coin, citing concerns that some of the money could have come from foreign governments seeking to influence the White House.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tennessee rep says Nashville mayor's ICE policies amount to 'aiding and abetting illegal immigration'
A Republican lawmaker from Tennessee is calling for a federal investigation into Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell's handling of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, adding he will not back down. Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., said in a post on X that with support from the House Judiciary Committee, he is formally requesting all documents and communications from O'Connell's office pertaining to his alleged protection of illegal immigrants. Specifically, Ogles is requesting documents related to "the amendment of Executive Order 30," which he referred to as "an outrageous directive requiring Nashville employees and first responders to report all communication with federal immigration authorities directly to the mayor." Ogles also said he is requesting any internal discussions or documents concerning ICE enforcement actions in Nashville or Davidson County and all correspondence involving Metro employees and affiliated nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) pertaining to the arrests or detention of criminal illegal aliens within the city or county. House Gop Targets Another Dem Official Accused Of Blocking Ice Amid Delaney Hall Fallout Along with his post, Ogles shared a video of his announcement. Read On The Fox News App "We've heard it: the individuals that the mayor is standing with are murderers, rapists, drug traffickers, sexual predators, child traffickers…the list goes on," he said. "Which is why I will always stand on the rule of law and with ICE. And I don't just stand with ICE; I'll stand in front of ICE because we the people have had enough. "I choose my community, my state and my family over this type of nonsense, which is why, due to the remarks of Freddie O'Connell and the potential for aiding and abetting illegal immigration, the Homeland Security and the Judiciary Committees will be conducting an investigation into the mayor of Nashville, his conduct and whether or not federal dollars have been used in criminal enterprise," Ogles continued. "I will not back down. I will not relent, and I will always stand with law enforcement. I want my community, and I want my country back." Dhs Fires Back At Blue-city Mayor Unhappy About Ice Operation, Provides Rap Sheets For Those Charged Ogles' announcement comes 10 days after he sent a letter urging for an investigation into O'Connell, whom the Trump administration has accused of supporting "pro-illegal policies." O'Connell's office did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on the matter. Earlier this month, ICE agents working with the Tennessee Highway Patrol arrested nearly 200 people who the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said were illegal immigrants – many of them criminals with gang affiliations or other sordid pasts. Ice Cracks Down On Dc-area Businesses, Nearly 200 Illegal Immigrants Arrested A DHS news release targeted O'Connell by name over comments he made in early May. "What's clear today is that people who do not share our values of safety and community have the authority to cause deep community harm." After the arrests, O'Connell signed an executive order aimed at tracking peoples' interactions with federal immigration authorities, according to WSMV4. O'Connell also wrote a letter to the city about the ICE arrests. "Our top priority is keeping people safe, and we're deeply concerned that what appear to be federal actions are making that harder," O'Connell wrote. "Overnight, we understand that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents detained people during enforcement actions in Middle Tennessee. As we learn more, I want to be clear: No [Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD)] personnel were involved in last night's enforcement action." Blue City Mayor Says Ice Arrests Of Dangerous Criminals Are Not 'Focused On Making Us Safer' He added that the city's police department does not have federal immigration authority, nor are its members trained to conduct immigration enforcement. O'Connell also said the police department lacks access to federal immigration databases. "This type of federal enforcement action is not focused on making us safer and leaves people in our community fearing any interaction with law enforcement when there is a crime occurring," he added. "We will be seeking the names of those detained." DHS said the Nashville operation resulted in the arrests of a convicted child sex predator, an alleged member of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, an individual convicted of aggravated assault and multiple illegal aliens on drug charges. "The Nashville Mayor should want these criminal illegal aliens off American streets," DHS posted on X. "Attacks and demonization of our brave law enforcement is wrong. ICE officers are now facing a 413% increase in assaults. President Trump campaigned on immigration enforcement, the American people voted for it, and DHS is delivering." Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this article source: Tennessee rep says Nashville mayor's ICE policies amount to 'aiding and abetting illegal immigration'
USA Today
17-05-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Whispers, long pauses: Biden struggles to remember dates in Hur interview
Whispers, long pauses: Biden struggles to remember dates in Hur interview - audiotape Show Caption Hide Caption Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies to House Judiciary Attorney General Merrick Garland has testified to the House Judiciary regarding the Justice Department's fairness following GOP calls to release audio between President Biden and Special Counsel Robert Hur. In a 2023 recording former President Joe Biden at times speaks haltingly, having what appears to be repeated memory lapses as he speaks about his handling of classified documents as vice president. The recording of Biden's five plus hours of interviews with special counsel Robert Hur held over two sessions were released by Axios on May 16. Hur ultimately decided not to prosecute Biden for improper possession of classified documents. He asserted that jurors would have viewed Biden as "a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory." The audio release comes amid similar reports from a new book that probes Biden's memory and lapses in office titled "Original Sin," by Axios' Alex Thompson and CNN's Jake Tapper. It will be released Tuesday. Little new information The audio released by Axios doesn't provide unknown exchanges between Biden and Hur, but it does provide further insight into why Hur described Biden the way he did. At some times, Biden speaks almost at a whisper and has long pauses between words as he answers questions. He struggles to recall key dates, such as the year when his eldest son Beau Biden died. A ticking clock in the background emphasized the time Biden spent answering. At other times in the audio, Biden answers succinctly and clearly with no delays. He cracks jokes about his age and tells side stories. Why was the whole audio released? The Biden administration released a lightly redacted transcript of the interview while in office, but not the audio, asserting executive privilege. Several media outlets reported earlier this month that the Trump administration was preparing releasing the full audio. Trump faced charges related to keeping hundreds of classified documents and refusing to turn them over to the FBI while Biden was under investigation for retaining classified documents. Biden acknowledges that he might have wanted to keep a document 'for posterity sake' When pressed on whether he may have intentionally kept a classified document related to Afghanistan, Biden said, "I guess I wanted to hang onto it just for posterity's sake." The document was referenced in multiple books after Biden left office. Biden's attorney jumped in to clarify that Hur's team had asked a speculative question that did not reflect Biden's initial answer.
USA Today
17-05-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Whispers and long pauses: audio of special counsel interview shows Biden forgetting key dates
Whispers and long pauses: audio of special counsel interview shows Biden forgetting key dates Show Caption Hide Caption Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies to House Judiciary Attorney General Merrick Garland has testified to the House Judiciary regarding the Justice Department's fairness following GOP calls to release audio between President Biden and Special Counsel Robert Hur. In a 2023 recording former President Joe Biden at times speaks haltingly, having what appears to be repeated memory lapses as he speaks about his handling of classified documents as vice president. The recording of Biden's five plus hours of interviews with special counsel Robert Hur held over two sessions were released by Axios on May 16. Hur ultimately decided not to prosecute Biden for improper possession of classified documents. He asserted that jurors would have viewed Biden as "a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory." The audio release comes amid similar reports from a new book that probes Biden's memory and lapses in office titled "Original Sin," by Axios' Alex Thompson and CNN's Jake Tapper. It will be released Tuesday. Little new information The audio released by Axios doesn't provide unknown exchanges between Biden and Hur, but it does provide further insight into why Hur described Biden the way he did. At some times, Biden speaks almost at a whisper and has long pauses between words as he answers questions. He struggles to recall key dates, such as the year when his eldest son Beau Biden died. A ticking clock in the background emphasized the time Biden spent answering. At other times in the audio, Biden answers succinctly and clearly with no delays. He cracks jokes about his age and tells side stories. Why was the whole audio released? The Biden administration released a lightly redacted transcript of the interview while in office, but not the audio, asserting executive privilege. Several media outlets reported earlier this month that the Trump administration was preparing releasing the full audio. Trump faced charges related to keeping hundreds of classified documents and refusing to turn them over to the FBI while Biden was under investigation for retaining classified documents. Biden acknowledges that he might have wanted to keep a document 'for posterity sake' When pressed on whether he may have intentionally kept a classified document related to Afghanistan, Biden said, "I guess I wanted to hang onto it just for posterity's sake." The document was referenced in multiple books after Biden left office. Biden's attorney jumped in to clarify that Hur's team had asked a speculative question that did not reflect Biden's initial answer.
