Latest news with #R-NE
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Don Bacon on Trump Tariffs Power: 'Constitution Is Clear'
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. U.S. House Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) pointed to the Constitution for the answer on the question of President Donald Trump's power to impose tariffs: He doesn't. Trump is facing a battle in the courts over his use of national emergency powers to implement many of his tariffs on American trading partners across the world. A federal trade court ruled he did not, but an appeals court has allowed the tariffs to remain in place temporarily as the issue works through the legal process. "Article One Section Eight gives Congress the power over taxes and tariffs. The Constitution is clear," Bacon, a rare Republican critic of Trump, posted to X. Another X user replied to say the 1934 Reciprocal Tariff Act delegated that power to the president when there is a national emergency. Trump had declared an emergency over trade imbalances, saying they threatened national security and the domestic economy, so he could impose the tariffs. "Courts just ruled on your emergency. It doesn't convince folks," Bacon replied. The White House has accused "unelected judges" of treading on Trump's presidential powers and democratic mandate. This is a developing article. Updates to follow.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
GOP Rep Triggers Town Hall Fury by Saying: ‘I Support Elon Musk'
A Nebraska congressman who apparently thought it would be safe to venture into his deep-red district for a town hall was met with angry booing and jeers over his support for Elon Musk's DOGE. Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE) also faced outrage Tuesday over President Donald Trump's lack of support for Ukraine, along with fears the government will gut and privatize the U.S. Postal Service, the Associated Press reported. About 200 people attended the town hall, which was held in a high school auditorium in Columbus, Nebraska. The county voted nearly 3-to-1 for Trump, according to the AP. 'What makes you think that [Musk] has no conflict of interest?' one member of the audience demanded, to cheers. 'Do you think he would cut [those interests] before he would cut our Medicare or our Social Security or our jobs?' 'I support Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency,' Flood said, leading to at least 10 seconds of sustained booing and thumbs-down from the audience. Musk's secretive government cost-cutting 'department' has taken an axe to dozens of federal agencies, and he's signaled that Social Security—which he called the 'biggest Ponzi scheme of all time'—could also be on the chopping block. Republicans have claimed, without providing any details, that Musk is accountable to the president and will be kept away from conflicts of interest, according to ABC News. Just this week, Musk has been allowed to install his own satellite internet in the White House and hawk Teslas from the lawn. And that's not even getting into the $15.4 billion in government contracts his companies have received, or his attempts to eradicate agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that regulate his business. Republicans have faced so much angry backlash over Musk and his cuts that party leaders have advised them to stop holding town halls, but Flood decided to brave one anyway. 'I do want to thank you for actually doing a town hall,' one woman said to scattered applause, before adding that Flood probably wouldn't like what she had to say next. 'First of all, I do want to say: Shame. I want to say shame for your quote that you said, '[Ukrainian] President [Volodymyr] Zelensky's approach today was disrespectful to President Trump and undermines the goal of bringing peace.' So shame on that,' she continued to cheers. In late February, Trump and Vice President JD Vance invited Zelensky to the Oval Office—ostensibly to discuss a ceasefire deal—only to ambush him, berate him for not being grateful enough to the U.S, kick him out of the White House, and use the meeting as an excuse to withdraw aid from Ukraine. 'I do believe that that White House meeting was a disaster, and I believe that President Zelensky should have signed that agreement,' Flood replied, before being booed again. He then tried to reiterate his position that Ukraine should not give up any land to Russia, Russia should return 20,000 kidnapped children to Ukraine, the U.S. should support NATO, and the U.S. should have better relations with Ukraine—none of which was reportedly in the deal he wanted Zelensky to sign. Nor does it track with his support for Musk, who appears to want to sabotage the NATO alliance. The same woman then told him, 'I am the daughter, the niece, the sister of veterans. Korea veteran, Iraqi war.' She said she had received the American Legion Auxiliary newsletter for decades, which has repeatedly said veterans' groups were underfunded and understaffed. 'You have said otherwise with DOGE,' she said, apparently referring to DOGE's plan to fire 80,000 employees with the Department of Veterans of Affairs. 'Who is lying? Them or you?' 'We owe our veterans the best possible care we can afford,' Flood said, adding that it's an issue that should unite Americans of all political backgrounds. Speaking with reporters after the town hall, Flood didn't sound surprised by the hostility he'd faced. 'I know that there are some angry people in my congressional district,' he said, according to the AP. 'I also know there's a lot of people who feel like America's back on track. Tonight, I put myself here because I think there's value just in allowing somebody to come express themselves.'
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Senate Republicans Propose $1000 EV Tax to Pay for Road Repair
For years now, electric vehicles owners in the United States have been eligible to receive tax breaks for choosing the gas-free option, with federal, state, and even local governments subsidizing anywhere from $4000–$10,000 or more of the cost of a new or used EV depending on region, make and model. However, a group of Republican members of the U.S. Senate believe the window of financial opportunity for EV owners should close sooner rather than later, according to a new piece of proposed legislation. Introduced by Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) on Wednesday, the proposed legislation focuses on repealing the current $7500 federal tax credit on approved new EVs, killing the $4000 tax break on used EVs, ending federal investment credits for EV charging stations, and terminating credits extended to those who lease EVs. Barrasso is backed by 14 other GOP senators, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), who want to end the sweeping subsidies within 30 days of the bill becoming law. But it's not just closing the flow of tax credits on these senators' minds. Going forward, EV owners would be charged a one-time $1000 fee at purchase under the proposed rules. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) explained that this fee would recoup around 10 years' worth of federal gas tax revenue per car. Federal gas taxes, which were first imposed under the Hoover administration in 1932, are almost exclusively used to maintain and repair roads. The same is true for many states around the country — which poses a future funding problem for transportation agencies as EV adoption increases and gas tax revenue decreases. "EVs can weigh up to three times as much as gas-powered cars, creating more wear and tear on our roads and bridges," Fischer said. Indeed, equivalent EVs usually do weigh more than their gasoline counterparts due to the mass of their battery packs, raising questions about the long-term effects on America's driving infrastructure. However, the wear-and-tear aspects of road use as it relates to EVs have yet to be studied on a grand scale. Reporting from Reuters says that more than $275 billion — including $118 billion from the 2021 infrastructure law — has been allocated away from the general fund to pay for road repairs since 2008. The recouping of lost gas tax costs is not a new concept, with at least 19 states currently imposing increased registration fees on EV owners. Even states with high levels of EV adoption and electric-friendly policies, like California, Oregon, and Washington, all charge an annual fee to EV owners, ranging from $100–$150. Newly minted Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy concurred with the principles of the legislation, as it would help with making good on a promise that President Donald Trump made during his campaign, but acknowledged that figuring out the mechanism for charging EV owners an equivalent gas tax cost was challenging. While Trump has frozen EV charging funds and is making moves to rescind certain emissions regulations and efficiency benchmarks, the introduction of this legislation appears to be the bidding of his party allies in Congress. We'll have to wait and see how this bill makes its way through the Senate and its subcommittees, but a Republican majority in the Senate means these rules likely have a fighting chance. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Tree Gets Poisoned
The DOJ moved to drop charges against three prominent people on Wednesday: two Trump employees charged in the Mar-a-Lago records case, and ex-Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE). None of these cases were political prosecutions. The Mar-a-Lago defendants were charged for allegedly helping Trump illegally retain national defense records while out of office; Fortenberry was fighting a 2022 conviction on lying to the FBI and concealing foreign campaign contributions. The DOJ is set to be run by some of the attorneys who defended Trump in his criminal cases. They include Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, nominated for the number two and three spots. All this sends an important signal, one that Trump himself made explicit in a Truth Social post: 'I am very proud of our Department of Justice, something I have not been able to say for many years!' The signal is that Trump has the power to stop (and potentially start) any criminal case. Nobody else in modern American history has really wielded this power in the way that we're likely to see over the coming months and years. We are beginning to see the fruit of that poison tree. In countries with corrupt prosecution systems, whether or not someone is under indictment does not send a clear signal about them. It may very well be that an indictment, if anything, is positive: evidence of an independence or unwillingness to bow down to an autocrat. That's no reason to avoid general skepticism of prosecutors, but it's the kind of shift that makes it harder to discern what is real and what is bogus. Take the prosecution of ex-Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), sentenced on Wednesday to 11 years in prison. The saga of Gold Bars Bob was a real public corruption case. We covered it. But it highlights the issue: ending real cases and bringing fake ones makes it very difficult to tell who is actually a bad actor. Trump's DOJ Moves To Drop Case Against Mar-a-Lago Records Cronies Don't Let The Chaos Mask Trump's Lawless Power Grabs RFK Jr. Did A 'Just Asking Questions' Dance As Democrats Grilled Him On Vaccines, Conspiracy Theories Trump Sparks Constitutional Crisis, Seizing Budget Authority from Congress Justice Dept. Is Said to Discuss Dropping Case Against Eric Adams — The New York Times Meta to Pay $25 Million to Settle 2021 Trump Lawsuit — The Wall Street Journal Compelling Mass Civil Servant Resignations Will Create Chaos — Can We Still Govern?
