Latest news with #OversightCommittee
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Jasmine Crockett formally launches House Oversight bid
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) formalized her bid to lead the House Oversight Committee, pitching herself as a fresh face to take on the GOP majority. Crockett's dear colleague letter makes her the fourth Democrat to throw her hat in the ring since the death of Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) last month from cancer. 'Our country is in an existential crisis driven by an out-of-control Executive with a flagrant disregard for our Constitution, our way of governance, and our very way of life as citizens of a democratic republic. The Administration has refused to respect congressional authority, abide by lawful judicial orders, or respond to public outrage,' she wrote. 'The magnitude of these unprecedented times warrants a resistance and tactics never before seen. We must pull back the curtain on the unmitigated chaos under Trump 2.0 and translate our findings to the American people in a way they can digest.' Crockett has gained prominence for her unique blend of well-placed one-liners and well-timed clashes with some of Congress's most notable conservatives. Crockett said Democrats need to do more to take credit for their wins, rather than letting them be weaponized by Republicans. She said former President Biden had 'saved the world economy' only to be 'attacked for the price of eggs.' 'From the pulpit of the Oversight Committee, the Ranking Member must lay out our case against Trump 2.0 and his accomplices, the Republicans in the House, and discharge this message across the nation. The Ranking Member must succinctly summarize the most salient points of our evidence. It is paramount that the Ranking Member be ready to rapidly respond to the opposition's arguments and rebuttals in a manner that does not play into their hand but renders the opposition's tactics ineffective,' she wrote. Crockett faces competition from acting ranking member Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) and Reps. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) and Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.). Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
5 hours ago
- Business
- The Hill
Jasmine Crockett formally launches House Oversight bid
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) formalized her bid to lead the House Oversight Committee, pitching herself as a fresh face to take on the GOP majority. Crockett's dear colleague letter makes her the fourth Democrat to throw her hat in the ring since the death of Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) last month from cancer. 'Our country is in an existential crisis driven by an out-of-control Executive with a flagrant disregard for our Constitution, our way of governance, and our very way of life as citizens of a democratic republic. The Administration has refused to respect congressional authority, abide by lawful judicial orders, or respond to public outrage,' she wrote. 'The magnitude of these unprecedented times warrants a resistance and tactics never before seen. We must pull back the curtain on the unmitigated chaos under Trump 2.0 and translate our findings to the American people in a way they can digest.' Crockett has gained prominence for her unique blend of well-placed one-liners and well-timed clashes with some of Congress's most notable conservatives. Crockett said Democrats need to do more to take credit for their wins, rather than letting them be weaponized by Republicans. She said former President Biden had 'saved the world economy' only to be 'attacked for the price of eggs.' 'From the pulpit of the Oversight Committee, the Ranking Member must lay out our case against Trump 2.0 and his accomplices, the Republicans in the House, and discharge this message across the nation. The Ranking Member must succinctly summarize the most salient points of our evidence. It is paramount that the Ranking Member be ready to rapidly respond to the opposition's arguments and rebuttals in a manner that does not play into their hand but renders the opposition's tactics ineffective,' she wrote. Crockett faces competition from acting ranking member Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) and Reps. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) and Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.).
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Biden decline was so bad he got lost in White House closet, whistleblower tells Senator
As more reports emerge about former President Biden's alleged cognitive decline during his time in office, a Republican senator has made an explosive new claim: that Biden would sometimes get lost in a closet inside the White House while serving as commander-in-chief. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., made the stunning claim on "Hannity" Friday, citing an unnamed Secret Service whistleblower who Hawley said was assigned to Biden. "He [Secret Service member] told me that Biden used to get lost in his closet in the mornings in the White House," Hawley said. "I mean, the guy literally stumbling around in the White House residence couldn't find his way out of his own closet. The president of the United States. I mean, this is outrageous. We were lied to." Biden Family Misled Public, Concealed Details On Son Beau's Cancer Diagnosis, New Book Says Hawley said the claims were made to him while the senator was investigating the attempted assassination of Trump at a presidential campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July. A gunman's bullet grazed the ear of then-candidate Trump while one attendee, Corey Comperatore, was fatally struck. Hawley said the brewing scandal about the Biden administration's use of an autopen to sign executive orders amounts to "one of the worst constitutional crises of our country's history.""We need to find out who actually signed off, so to speak, on all those autopen signatures and all of those pardons and all of those clemencies." Read On The Fox News App Biden Says He Could 'Beat The Hell Out Of' Authors Of New Book Arguing His Cognitive Decline "It's a rogue's gallery of crooks and criminals and terrible people, rapists and others, I mean who actually was doing that, we know it wasn't Biden, he didn't know anything about it. "we've got to figure out who was actually in charge cos it sure as heck wasn't Joe Biden." President Trump on Friday said the autopen is going to become "one of the great scandals of all time" and said he can't' believe that a competent Biden would have ever signed off on many of his executive orders, particularly in terms of the border. House Republicans, led by Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, launched an investigation earlier this month aimed at determining whether Biden, who was in declining health during the final months of his presidency, was mentally fit to authorize the use of the autopen. Comer said this week he was "open" to dragging Biden before the House to answer questions about the matter if need be. Last week, Comer sent out letters to five of the former president's closest confidants, including his former doctor in the White House, seeking further answers about Biden's cognitive health while in office. All five have made contact with the Oversight Committee, but Comer has threatened subpoena power if they refuse to testify. Hawley, meanwhile, also railed against left-wing media for failing to press the president or his office on instances of physical and mental lapses Biden showed while in public. The news comes as a new book by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson details the length at which those closest to Biden apparently went to cover up his limitations while in office. "The press has a huge role in this… They're supposed to report the truth," Hawley said. "It's what you do every night. It is not what the liberal media did though. They sold this country out for years and they did it for power and they need to be held accountable as well." Fox News' Alec Schemmel contributed to this report. Original article source: Biden decline was so bad he got lost in White House closet, whistleblower tells Senator
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Trump says Biden didn't favor his admin's lax border security policy, suggests autopen played a role
President Donald Trump said that he thinks Joe Biden didn't really agree with many of his administration's lax border security policies, instead suggesting that those surrounding the former president took advantage of his declining faculties and utilized an autopen feature in the White House to pass radical directives pertaining to the border. The comments came during a press conference from the Oval Office on Friday, during which Trump signaled that investigators are zeroing in on exactly who authorized officials in the White House to sign important documents for Biden using the autopen. "I think the autopen is going to become one of the great scandals of all time, because you have somebody operating it, or a number of people operating," Trump told reporters. "I knew Joe Biden, Joe Biden wasn't in favor of opening up borders, letting 21 million people into this from prisons and mental institutions and gang members. He wasn't into that at all. And, you know who signed these? Who signed these orders, proclamations and all of the different things that he signed that said our country so far back?" Watchdog Finds 'No Evidence' Biden Knew Of Crucial Climate Eos, Demands Answers On Who Signed Autopen House Republicans, led by Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, launched an investigation earlier this month aimed at determining whether Biden, who was in declining health during the final months of his presidency, was mentally fit to authorize the use of the autopen. Comer said this week he was "open" to dragging Biden before the House to answer questions about the matter if need be. "I understand he signed almost everything with an auto-pen. It's a very dangerous thing. It really means you're not president," Trump added in his comments to reporters Friday. Read On The Fox News App Trump pointed to Biden's legacy as a "sort of a moderate person," to explain his reasoning why he thinks Biden was not in favor of all of his administration's open border policies, adding that "he wasn't a person that would allow a murderers to come into our country." Rep. James Comer Spotlights Biden Admin's 'Record Of Dishonesty' Ahead Of Autopen Probe "I don't believe it was Joe Biden, I really don't," Trump reiterated. "He wasn't a person that was in favor of transgender for anybody that wanted it, to take kids out of families, etc., etc." A new book, an audio transcript of Biden's special counsel testimony, and a shocking cancer diagnosis have all renewed focus on how Biden's cognitive decline may have been worse than the public knew. Last week, Comer sent out letters to five of the former president's closest confidants, including his former doctor in the White House, seeking further answers about Biden's cognitive health while in office. All five have made contact with the Oversight Committee, but Comer has threatened subpoena power if they refuse to testify. "Look, I would love to ask Joe Biden a lot of questions, but right now, we're starting with the staffers who were operating the autopen," Comer said, according to the New York Post. "We're going to bring the physician, Dr. O'Connor, in, because he definitely was not telling the truth about Joe Biden's health."Original article source: Trump says Biden didn't favor his admin's lax border security policy, suggests autopen played a role
New York Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Garcia Joins Generational Fight Among House Democrats
Representative Robert Garcia of California told his colleagues on Thursday that he was running to become the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, intensifying a generational battle over a critical post at a time when younger members are agitating for more power. Mr. Garcia, 47, is not the only young lawmaker seeking the position, a prominent role that has been vacant since Representative Gerald E. Connolly of Virginia died last week at the age of 75. Mr. Connolly stepped back from it last month as his cancer progressed. Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas, 44, who is the No. 2 Democrat on the committee, said on MSNBC earlier this week that she planned to seek the top post. She and Mr. Garcia will vie for the job against two more senior members: Representatives Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, 70, who had assumed Mr. Connolly's duties since he stepped aside; and Kweisi Mfume of Maryland, 76, who told colleagues in text messages in May that he wanted the position. Democrats plan to hold an internal election for the position on June 24. The contest is unfolding as the party reappraises its identity following painful electoral losses in November, including whether it is time for its older members to relinquish power to a younger generation. A book released this month has revived conversations over whether Democrats were too quick to shut down skepticism about former President Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s age and mental acuity as he ran for re-election. David Hogg, 25, a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, faced an internal firestorm after he announced he'd support an effort to oust older incumbents in favor of younger progressives. The ranking Democrat on the Oversight Committee is one of the party's most visible opponents to Republicans and the Trump administration. The position has seen remarkable turnover; Mr. Connolly was the fourth person to hold it in six years, none of them younger than 60 years old. That is in keeping with Democrats' traditional approach to awarding powerful posts in Congress, where such decisions for decades were made almost entirely by seniority. Mr. Connolly's selection for the job last year appeared to be a rebuke to younger progressives who had argued the party needed fresh voices to lead their ranks on the panel during the second Trump administration. The Virginia Democrat, who was elected to the House in 2008, defeated Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, the millennial media phenom who is one of the most visible and popular members of her party. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, 35, subsequently left the Oversight Committee and said earlier this month that she would not pursue the post again, in part because of Democrats' emphasis on seniority. In the letter that Mr. Garcia sent to members formally announcing his bid, the second-term lawmaker tried to position himself as a bridge between more experienced members and the younger generation. Focusing on his time as mayor of Long Beach, Calif., he said that he 'showed that government can be both progressive and effective,' according to a copy of the letter obtained by The New York Times. Mr. Mfume, in text messages he sent to colleagues in May that were viewed by The Times, highlighted his '15 years of service in the House' — experience that he said would help 'aggressively push back against Trump's daily encroachment on congressional powers.'
