Jose Garcia
Jose Garcia's JournalSenate Dems block GOP's first abortion bill
A GOP-led abortion bill failed in the Senate due to Democratic opposition on Wednesday, a sign of where the party is drawing the line on bipartisan cooperation.
After a week marked by Senate Democrats’ willingness to work with their Republican counterparts on both an immigration bill and confirming former Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of State, every Democrat voted against legislation that would “prohibit a health care practitioner from failing to exercise the proper degree of care in the case of a child who survives an abortion or attempted abortion.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had come out against the bill ahead of the vote, and other Democrats who opposed it say the law already requires doctors to give children appropriate medical care.
“This proposed law plays on misinformation and misunderstanding,” Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said at a press conference prior to the vote. “But like all anti-abortion bills, it is designed to take away the rights of patients and and doctors
More: https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/01/22/congress/senate-dems-block-abortion-bill-00200003
Supreme Court won't take up new dispute over 'Independent State Legislature' theory
Source: The Hill
The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to take up Montana Republicans’ efforts to revive two state election laws under a version of the so-called “independent state legislature” theory.
In 2023, the justices rejected the maximalist version of the theory, which would give state legislatures near-total control over setting election rules by preventing state courts from restraining their actions.
Though the Supreme Court ruled that state courts can conduct judicial review, the majority opinion stressed they do not have “free rein.” Under the Constitution’s Elections Clause, judges cannot intrude on state lawmakers’ authority to regulate federal elections, but the high court’s decision did not set a specific test for determining when that boundary is crossed.
Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen (R) asked the justices to take up that open question in her appeal seeking to revive two state laws banning paid ballot collection and same-day voter registration on Election Day in Montana.
Read more: https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5097790-supreme-court-wont-take-up-new-dispute-over-independent-state-legislature-theory/
Harvard settles in Title VI antisemitism lawsuits
Source: The Hill
Harvard University has settled in two lawsuits that accused the school of antisemitism on campus.
The first, brought by Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education, accused the elite institution of creating a hostile education environment for Jewish students.
In the settlement, Harvard agreed to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.
A FAQ sheet regarding Harvard’s bullying policies will also include an example that explains how Zionism is part of many Jewish individuals’ identity.
Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/education/5097883-harvard-antisemitism-lawsuits/
NJ governor asks Trump to examine Manhattan congestion pricing
Source: The Hill
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) on Monday asked President Trump to examine congestion pricing in Manhattan.
“As you begin your second term as President, I welcome any opportunity to work with you and your Administration where we can find common ground. One area where I believe our priorities align is congestion pricing,” a letter from Murphy reads.
The Democrat told Trump the program did not receive enough federal scrutiny last year.
A congestion pricing plan detailed in spring 2024 would have charged passenger vehicles entering Manhattan below 60th Street $15. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said in June the plan was delayed, also stating that “a $15 charge may not mean a lot to someone who has the means, but it can break the budget of a working- or middle-class household.”
Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/5098118-new-jersey-murphy-new-york-congestion-pricing/
Senate passes Laken Riley Act in first move after Trump inauguration
Source: The Hill
The Senate on Monday passed the Laken Riley Act, making the immigration-related bill the first piece of legislation to make it through the upper chamber in the new Congress and putting it a step closer to being signed into law by President Trump.
Senators voted 64-35 on the bill. Twelve Democrats voted with every Republican.
The legislation — which mandates the federal detention of immigrants without legal status who are accused of theft and burglary, among other things — was a priority for Republicans after immigration emerged as a signature issue for Trump and an effective cudgel against Democrats in November.
“This legislation will ensure that illegal aliens who steal or assault a law enforcement officer are detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement instead of being allowed out on the streets,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said on the floor ahead of the vote. “I’m looking forward to getting this legislation to the president’s desk.”
Democrats who voted in the affirmative included Sens. John Fetterman (Pa.), Ruben Gallego (Ariz.), Maggie Hassan (N.H.), Mark Kelly (Ariz.), Jon Ossoff (Ga.), Raphael Warnock (Ga.), Gary Peters (Mich.), Jacky Rosen (Nev.), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (Mich.) and Mark Warner (Va.).
Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5095996-senate-passes-laken-riley-act/
Alexander Vindman's wife says 'no pardons were offered or discussed'
Source: The Hill
The wife of retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman said “no pardons were offered or discussed” only a few hours before President Trump’s official return to the White House.
“Whatever happens to my family, know this: No pardons were offered or discussed. I cannot begin to describe the level of betrayal and hurt I feel,” Rachel Vindman said in a Monday morning post on the social platform Threads.
Alexander Vindman, alongside his brother Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-Va.), blew the whistle on the 2019 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that led to Trump’s first impeachment.
Former President Biden announced pardons to people including Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley, and former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), all of whom have been targets of Trump’s ire in the past, on Monday.
Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/thehill.com/homenews/administration/5096251-alexander-vindman-pardons-offered/amp/
Gov. DeSantis says James Uthmeier will be next Attorney General
Source: Florida Politics
With Attorney General Ashley Moody headed to the U.S. Senate to replace Marco Rubio, who will be Secretary of State in the Donald Trump administration, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that his Chief of Staff will become the state’s new top cop.
“My Chief of Staff, James Uthmeier, is kind of like Ashley. He’s proven himself in these fights,” DeSantis said in Orlando.
“I think he’s got big shoes to fill, but I think he’ll do a good job doing that. So you can anticipate that. I’m not going to make any appointment before it’s available, but I think that’s something that will happen,” DeSantis added.
Uthmeier was appointed Chief of Staff in September 2021. He had been General Counsel since October 2020 and first began working in Gov. DeSantis’ legal office as Deputy General Counsel in March 2019.
Read more: https://floridapolitics.com/archives/716081-gov-desantis-says-james-uthmeier-will-be-next-attorney-general/
Ron DeSantis picks Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to fill Marco Rubio's Senate seat
Source: NBC News
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed state Attorney General Ashley Moody to the U.S. Senate, setting her up to fill the seat of Sen. Marco Rubio, whom President-elect Donald Trump tapped to be secretary of state.
Rubio was selected to serve in Trump’s administration shortly after Trump won the 2024 presidential race, handing DeSantis a Senate appointment that is likely to have ripple effects across Florida government and politics.
It has widely been expected in recent weeks that Moody would be the pick, while others, including Reps. Kat Cammack and Cory Mills, did talk to DeSantis about the position. DeSantis had said publicly he had reservations about appointing a member of the House because of the GOP’s slim majority in that chamber.
State Sen. Jay Collins, who served as a Green Beret, also got considerable support from conservatives who wanted DeSantis to pick an military veteran.
Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna187938
Israel accuses Hamas of reneging on parts of ceasefire-hostage agreement, delays vote
Source: The Hill
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday accused Hamas of reneging on parts of a ceasefire and hostage release agreement announced the day before.
In a statement, Netanyahu said his Cabinet will not sign off on the deal until Hamas agrees to all parts of the arrangement.
“Hamas has reneged on parts of the agreement reached with the mediators and Israel in an effort to extort last-minute concessions,” Netanyahu said in a statement Thursday. “The Israeli Cabinet will not convene until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement.”
It was not immediately clear whether the statement reflected efforts to keep his precarious coalition government together, as at least one far-right member threatened to thwart the deal, or whether the ceasefire was at risk.
Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/international/5088902-israel-hamas-ceasefire-deal-vote-delay/
California's Newsom will join GOP governors in raising flag for Trump inauguration
Source: Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom will join Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and some GOP governors around the country in directing U.S. flags be raised to full height on Inauguration Day.
Newsom’s spokesperson Izzy Gardon confirmed Wednesday that the governor would temporarily direct the raising of flags at the state Capitol in Sacramento for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. Flags at the U.S. Capitol and at statehouses around the country have been lowered to half-staff in honor of the late former President Jimmy Carter.
Newsom, who has become a foil for Trump over the years, will need federal help as his state recovers from devastating wildfires that have killed more than two dozen people.
Trump has complained about American flags being flown at half-staff during his inauguration. “Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it,” he posted on his social media platform.
Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/US/wireStory/californias-newsom-join-gop-governors-raising-flag-trump-117728419
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