Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff and other lawmakers are paying tribute to former first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died Sunday at 96. CBS News congressional correspondent Nikole Killion reports.
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer thinks a federal legalisation of marijuana might be a reality in the near future due to the SAFER Act, which would reduce the risks to businesses in the cannabis industry.
He added that public support for recreational cannabis has increased dramatically in the past 10 years, which was recently evidenced in Ohio as well.
It would provide the industry with access to banking services- something that has been evasive since states first began to legalize recreational marijuana more than a decade ago.
“Its time has come. The people are on our side,” told Chuck to Yahoo News in an interview. He added that public support for recreational cannabis has increased dramatically in the past 10 years, which was recently evidenced in Ohio as well. The traditional Republican stronghold voted to legalize recreational marijuana last week, becoming the 24th state to do so.
Additionally, he thinks the SAFER Banking Act is a boom for the cannabis industry. The Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation Banking Act, or SAFER Banking Act, was passed by a bipartisan majority in the Senate Banking Committee in late September. It would allow financial institutions to shell out more small business loans while also providing legal protection to banks that work with cannabis retailers.
Previous versions of the bill were approved seven times by the House but were not able to get the sixty votes required to pass the Senate. Now Chuck claims that “as soon…
Writer/actress Amy Schumer is his second cousin, once removed.
1975-1980 – New York state assemblyman.
1981-1999 – US representative from New York 9th District (formerly 10th District and 16th District).
1987-1988 – Sponsors the Fair Credit and Charge Card Disclosure Act, which requires credit card companies to list detailed information about fees and interest rates when soliciting new customers. The credit card disclosures are nicknamed “Schumer Boxes.”
March 2, 2017 – Schumer calls on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign in the wake of a report that Sessions met with the Russian ambassador to the US during the presidential campaign, contradicting his testimony during his Senate confirmation hearing. Sessions does not resign but recuses himself from involvement in the investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
While it’s common knowledge that citizens have very little influence on elected officials, The Onion asked U.S. politicians how their constituents feel about a ceasefire in Gaza, and this is what they said.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
“A cease what? I’ve never heard that word in my life.”
Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA)
Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA)
“My constituents routinely vote in favor of having blood on our hands.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
“Does AIPAC count as a constituent?”
Vice President Kamala Harris
Vice President Kamala Harris
“Am I a politician? Gee, that’s flattering.”
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY)
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY)
“One more word about a ceasefire, and I’m ordering Israel to bomb south Brooklyn.”
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT)
“Oh, while I’m at work the nanny is the one who looks after the constituents.”
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ)
“My constituents know I have been calling for a cease-ceasefire since day one.”
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)
“Representatives are public servants. That means it’s my job to listen to what my constituents have to say, internalize it, and then do whatever I want.”
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
“I have genuinely not thought about another human being since 1998.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC)
“When I got elected in 2014, my campaign pitch was ‘You wanna see a dead body?’”
Gov. Gavin Newsom Of California
Gov. Gavin Newsom Of California
“Constituents…constituents… Oh, you mean the blurred shapes I sometimes see before meetups with donors?”
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR)
“Hmm… What is this ‘feel’?”
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
“My Illinois colleague Dick Durbin, who called for a ceasefire, obviously has different constituents than I do.”
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
“I don’t know. I can’t hear frequencies coming out of the mouths of people who make below $400k.”
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)
“They elected me to kill people, so that’s what I’m gonna do.”
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA)
“I have but one constituent, and their name is Lockheed Martin.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul Of New York
Gov. Kathy Hochul Of New York
“I know what they want. I just think they are stupid and don’t respect them. Make sense?”
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)
“A ceasefire is a sacred bond between one man and one woman. Anything else is a sin.”
Former President Barack Obama
Former President Barack Obama
“No constituents anymore, motherfuckers! You people can’t goddamn touch me! I can say whatever the hell I want. Fuck all of you!”
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
“My term doesn’t expire until 2068.”
Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
“Constituents? Oh, do you mean money? The money says to burn it to the ground.”
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH)
“I assume all my constituents were also given a full ride by the Federalist Society.”
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ)
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ)
“We often think about others so much that we forget to think about our own feelings. The question is, do I want a ceasefire?”
Gov. Greg Abbott Of Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott Of Texas
“Most of my constituents are guns, and they love firing. It’s the equivalent of orgasm to them.”
Former Republican Representative David Jolly warned that the GOP members running for the House speakership position could be just as “dangerous” as Representative Jim Jordan while speaking to Newsweek on Sunday.
On October 3, Representative Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, became the first House speaker in U.S. history to be ousted from the role by a floor vote, after a motion to vacate was brought against him by GOP Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida. Since then, successive GOP candidates for speaker have failed to garner the necessary majority of votes, an issue worsened by the party’s razor-thin margin of control in the House.
Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana was the first candidate chosen, but he ultimately failed to get the votes needed on the chamber floor and withdrew from consideration. Jordan of Ohio, the candidate initially endorsed by Trump, was next up, but he also failed to garner the needed votes, losing more and more support in three consecutive rounds of voting.
Nine Republicans announced their candidacy to be the next House speaker including: Representatives Tom Emmer of Minnesota, Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, Pete Sessions of Texas, Austin Scott of Georgia, Byron Donalds of Florida, Jack Bergman of Michigan, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania, and Gary Palmer of Alabama.
Representative Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, speaks at the U.S. Capitol on Friday in Washington, D.C. Inset, former GOP Representative David Jolly of Florida is seen on March 13, 2014, in Washington, D.C. Jolly warned that the GOP members running for the House speakership position could be just as “dangerous” as Jordan while speaking to Newsweek on Sunday. Alex Wong/ Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Jolly, who served Florida’s 13th Congressional District from 2014 to 2017, told Newsweek via phone on Sunday that Jordan is “one of the more dangerous Republican leaders in his willingness to undermine democracy and as he sought to assist Trump in stealing the election in 2020, I’m sure he would try to do so in 2024.”
He continued: “So his elimination from the speakership race, I think is a net positive all around. That does not mean that there’s a wide gap between him and who comes next, to be honest. If you look at the field of current candidates for speaker, they probably lack the tactics of Jordan, but I think many of them would arrive at the same destination.”
Jolly explained that the candidates may not start off at such a dangerous spot as Jordan, but may end up there.
“I made that point for those who thought Jordan was so much worse than McCarthy. My point was McCarthy always ended up where Jordan started. It just took him longer to get there,” he said. “McCarthy blessed the impeachment of Joe Biden, he covered for Trump on the January 6th stuff, [and] he negotiated in bad faith with Biden and then broke his promise. So it’s not as though other leading Republicans are significantly and qualitatively less dangerous than Jordan, but Jordan just starts from a very dangerous spot.”
Although the Republicans hold a slight majority in the House of Representatives and have been struggling to find a nominee that can garner at least 217 votes necessary to win the House speaker vote, Jolly said he is “cautiously optimistic” and that he believes Republicans are close to resolving this issue.
He added that “all of the high-profile potential speakers have been vetted and lost,” so the Republicans will go with a candidate that “the country largely doesn’t know.”
Jolly, who left the Republican Party in 2018, questions if the “hardliner” Republicans will agree to anything.
“The next speaker will have to compromise with [Hakeem] Jeffries, [Chuck] Schumer, and Biden. The next speaker will lose the appropriations fight coming up in 30 days,” he said. “The House Republican Conference hardliners are not grounded in reality. They are not grounded in the reality of governing. And, if they’re going to hold their speaker to that alternate reality, I don’t know how anyone gets to 217, but I think that this week will be the closest anyone could come.”
House Democrats have not moved from their position at electing their nominee, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, in all three rounds of voting, but Jolly said there is “zero” chance of swaying enough House Republicans to vote him in.
However, Jolly does see a scenario where there could be a consensus with Democratic support of a Republican nominee, but not without concessions. Jolly suggested Patrick McHenry, a North Carolina Republican, who is currently presiding as Speaker pro tempore, but is not one of the candidates running.
“So we would have to be in a scenario where things fell apart,” the former congressman said. “And to a lesser extent Emmer or Austin Scott. Simply because they did both vote to certify the [2020] election.”
Jolly said that for Democrats to vote for a Republican speaker they would most likely ask House Republicans to agree to “three pieces of legislation that would come up under an open rule where every member could offer an amendment. Those three would be Israel, Ukraine, and the final appropriations package.”
However, Jolly said he does not believe Republicans would agree to those concessions.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
People are consuming more marijuana than ever, but the industry is still suffering significant growing pains. As the industry expands, bad players are being weeded out but New York and California have truly botched the legal system. The marijuana industry is primarily filled with small businesses like dispensaries, craft product makers, farmers and more. On the key issues preventing them from moving to profitability is banking and taxes. After a 3 year downturn (despite increased sales), the cannabis industry saw a ray of hpe in the SAFER Banking bill….but then the US House of Representatives devolved into one of the hottest messes in its storied history. So did Matt Gaetz (R-FL) put a knife in the cannabis industry?
The Biden administration has been extremely slow in delivering on his campaign promise of increased federal legalization and an easier way to do business. The House passed SAFE Banking 7 times in bipartisan fashion, all failing in the Senate. This year, the Senate, with key sponsors of Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Patty Murray (D-WA) wrote the bill SAFER Banking and managed to get it out of committee.
WIth some bipartisan support, including Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), the bill looked like it will pass the Senate and head to the House before going to the White House with hopes of Biden’s signature. The industry crossed fingers with hope and cannabis stocks inched upwards.
Then Representative Matt Gaetz ousted Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as speaker and shut down Congress. For the last two weeks, GOP Representatives have been caught up in a vortex of a floor fight which shows little hope of abating soon. After twice losing, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) announced he is pushing for a third floor vote for speaker. Until a speaker is elected, House bills remain stalled.
Senator David Daines (R-MT) is saying the the Senate will hold off on floor action until there’s a sense the House can pass a bill. But if they year ends, everything starts back at the beginning, and adds months of waiting to the beleaguered cannabis industry.
One issue around the lack of a SAFER Banking act is it makes it harder on the regular workers of businesses to get car, house and other traditional loans. Without SAFER Banking, this is seen as a negative and count against a regular worker who is holding onto a steady job. Even with a well paying job, banks are more likely to look at through a “no” lens.
So in a way, Matt Gaetz is also harming the working man and small business owner.
President Joe Biden led a resounding condemnation of what he called an “appalling assault on Israel by Hamas terrorists,” saying that the United States stands “ready to offer all appropriate means of support” to Israel.
“Terrorism is never justified. Israel has a right to defend itself and its people,” he said in a statement. “The United States warns against any other party hostile to Israel seeking advantage in this situation.”
U.S. politicians from both sides of the political aisle rushed to respond to rapidly unfolding events in Israel Saturday morning, as the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack, leading Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare that “we are at war.”
Israel’s rescue service said that 70 had been killed, while the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza reported at least 198 people had been killed and at least 1,610 wounded, as Israel responded to the incursions with retaliatory strikes. “Our enemy will pay a price the type of which it has never known,” Netanyahu vowed Saturday.
“Our commitment to Israel’s right to defend itself remains unwavering, and I extend my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this abhorrent attack on civilians,” Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austinsaid in a statement. Austin added that the DoD “will work to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and protect civilians from indiscriminate violence and terrorism.”
A number of high-ranking politicians also responded quickly to the unfolding situation on Saturday. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest-ever ranking Jewish politician, wrote Saturday morning that “the U.S. stands with Israel in its unwavering right to defend itself. I stand ready to ensure Israel has the support to do so.” California Representative Kevin McCarthy, who was recently ousted as Speaker of the House, offered a similar statement on X.
Several Republicans running for president were quick to lay responsibility on Biden for the situation. In a statement, former President Donald Trumpblamed “American taxpayer dollars” for helping “fund these attacks, which many reports are saying came from the Biden Administration.”
Trump did not explain what he meant, but his former running mate Mike Pencewrote on X that the attack is “what happens when @POTUS projects weakness on the world stage, kowtows to the mullahs in Iran with a $6 Billion ransom, and leaders in the Republican Party signal American retreat as Leader of the Free World.”
The $6 billion number is a reference to a September hostage exchange that unfroze $6 billion in Iranian funds but did not involve any U.S. taxpayer money.
Trump also said Israel “has every right to defend itself” in response to the attacks “with overwhelming force.” Those same words were used by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who wrote on X that the “dastardly terrorist attacks perpetrated against innocent Israeli civilians by Iran-backed terror group Hamas deserve a swift and lethal response,” and called on Israel to “respond with overwhelming force.”
In a video statement later in the morning, DeSantis similarly blamed “Joe Biden’s policies which have gone easy on Iran” for the war.
The attack has killed at least 70 people in Israel so far, and hundreds more are reportedly injured. The multi-front attack began with rocket fire, and then expanded as Hamas members invaded Israel from Gaza. In a televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the country is “at war” and swore the militants “will pay an unprecedented price.” The Associated Press reported that nearly 200 people have died in Palestine, with hundreds of injuries reported, in Israel’s response.
President Joe Biden called Netanyahu Saturday morning. The Israeli president said Mr. Biden “emphasized that the U.S. stands alongside Israel” and “fully supports” the country’s right to self-defense. Netanyahu characterized Biden’s support as “unreserved.”
The White House told CBS News that Mr. Biden, who met with Netanyahu last month, has been briefed on the situation and will “continue to receive updates” as officials “remain in close contact with Israeli partners.”
Police officers evacuate a woman and a child from a site hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, southern Israel, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023.
Tsafrir Abayov / AP
In a statement, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the U.S. “unequivocally condemns the unprovoked attacks” and “stands firmly with the Government and people of Israel.” Watson said that national security adviser Jake Sullivan has communicated with Israeli national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken shared a similar statement, noting that the U.S. “condemns the appalling attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israel, including civilians and civilian communities.”
“There is never any justification for terrorism,” said Blinken.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that he is “closely monitoring developments” in Israel.
“Our commitment to Israel’s right to defend itself remains unwavering, and I extend my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this abhorrent attack on civilians,” Austin said. “Over the coming days the Department of Defense will work to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and protect civilians from indiscriminate violence and terrorism.”
Congressional leaders react
The leaders of both political parties have also issued statements about the situation. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, called the attacks “absolutely horrific” in a statement shared on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.
“The U.S. stands with Israel in its unwavering right to defend itself. I stand ready to ensure Israel has the support to do so,” Schumer said.
The terrorist attacks by Hamas on the people of Israel are absolutely horrific. The U.S. stands with Israel in its unwavering right to defend itself. I stand ready to ensure Israel has the support to do so. My prayers are with the dead, reported hostages, and hundreds injured.
Rep, Patrick McHenry, Republican of North Carolina, the speaker pro tempore and temporary leader of congressional Republicans after Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Republican of California, was ousted from the speakership earlier this week, called Israel the U.S.’ “most sacred ally” on X.
“America stands with Israel,” McHenry said. “The Israeli people have our unwavering support and the Israeli government has every right to defend its citizens against this act of war.”
America stands with Israel.
The vicious attack on our most sacred ally by Hamas terrorists cannot stand. The Israeli people have our unwavering support and the Israeli government has every right to defend its citizens against this act of war. 🇮🇱
Sen. Ben Cardin, Democrat of Maryland, the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement that he condemned “the brazen and ongoing terrorist attack.”
“I mourn those lost and my heart goes out to their families. May their memory be for a blessing,” Cardin said. “Just as the United States stood by Israel after it was attacked exactly 50 years ago on Yom Kippur, today we stand by Israel in this time of crisis. As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I am committed to ensuring that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and its citizens, today and every day.”
The chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Sen. Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia, called the attack “unprovoked and despicable” in a statement.
“Today, Hamas terrorists launched an unprovoked and despicable attack on Israeli civilians,” he said. “The United States must stand firmly beside our friend and partner Israel as it defends its security and its citizens,” and he said the committee would “continue to monitor the situation closely.”
GOP hopefuls speak about attack
Several candidates campaigning for the 2024 Republican party presidential nomination have also condemned the attack on social media and in statements to the media.
Former President Donald Trump, who has not appeared at debates but is leading the polls, issued a statement calling the attacks “a disgrace” and criticizing Mr. Biden’s handling of the Middle East.
“These Hamas attacks are a disgrace and Israel has every right to defend itself with overwhelming force,” Trump said. “Sadly, American taxpayer dollars helped fund these attacks, which many reports are saying came from the Biden Administration. We brought so much peace to the Middle East through the Abraham Accords, only to see Biden whittle it away at a far more rapid pace than anyone possible. Here we go again.”
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who criticized fellow candidate Vivek Ramaswamy for comments he had made suggesting the U.S. cut funding to Israel during the first Republican presidential debate, issued a statement calling Hamas “a bloodthirsty terrorist organization … determined to kill as many innocent lives as possible.”
“Hamas has declared war on Israel on the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret and the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War,” Haley said. “…The reports out of Israel are horrific with a stunning number of dead and wounded and should be universally condemned. Israel has every right to defend its citizens from terror. We must always stand with Israel and against this Iranian regime.”
Ramaswamy’s team said in a statement that they are “appalled by the Hamas attack” and “stand with Israel.”
On X, Florida governor Ron DeSantis called on the U.S. to “stand with Israel.”
The dastardly terrorist attacks perpetrated against innocent Israeli civilians by Iran-backed terror group Hamas deserve a swift and lethal response.
Israel not only has the right to defend itself against these attacks, it has a duty to respond with overwhelming force.
“The dastardly terrorist attacks perpetrated against innocent Israeli civilians by Iran-backed terror group Hamas deserve a swift and lethal response,” DeSantis wrote. “Israel not only has the right to defend itself against these attacks, it has a duty to respond with overwhelming force. I stand with Israel. America must stand with Israel.”
Former Vice President Mike Pence, who is also running for president, shared an article about the violence on X and called Israel the country’s “most cherished ally.”
Every American should condemn the unprovoked and massive attack on Israel by terrorists in Hamas. Our prayers are with the families and soldiers of our most cherished ally. @netanyahu says Israel is “at war” America Stands With Israel🇺🇸🇮🇱 https://t.co/D1M8y5EjCe
A bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators will travel to China next week. The visit comes amid a time of persistent disagreement over policies concerning Taiwan, the South China Sea and what the U.S. calls genocide of the country’s Uyghur population. Patrick Cronin, Asia-Pacific security chair at the Hudson Institute, joins CBS News to discuss what’s at stake for the visit.
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Three hours before a potential government shutdown, the House and Senate did what no one thought possible just 24 hours prior—approve a last-minute short-term spending bill on Saturday that provides $16 billion for disaster relief and prevents millions of federal employees from being furloughed, at least until Nov. 17.
The 45-day stopgap funding package, hastily put together by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), will keep federal agencies open, but does not provide aid to Ukraine.
After weeks of escalating rhetoric by the House Republican Freedom Caucus, approximately twenty hard-liners who revel in challenging the GOP leadership, McCarthy pivoted to House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and the Democrats to get the bill passed. Consequently, the GOP speaker is expected to be confronted by his party when the House returns next week.
“We’re going to do our job,” McCarthy said before the House vote, “We’re going to be the adults in the room. And we’re going to keep government open.”
The House bill, which funds the government at current 2023 levels, was approved by a wide margin: 335-91, with almost all Democrats and most Republicans supporting the legislation. The Senate approval was a lopsided 88-9 vote in support, according to CSPAN.
“Americans can breathe a sigh of relief,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer following the vote.
The loss of aid to Ukraine was difficult to overcome for some lawmakers, including Sen. Michael F. Bennet (D-Colo.), who delayed the Senate vote until receiving promises of “more economic and security aid” for the war-torn nation by Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)
After voting to approve the measure, Bennet told reporters, “I think it was really, really important for us to send a signal to the world. We’re gonna continue to work in a bipartisan way to get Ukraine the funds.”
“I know important moments are like this, for the United States, to lead the rest of the world,” Bennet said, noting his mother was born in Poland in 1938 and survived the Holocaust. “We can’t fail,” he told the Associated Press.
President Joe Biden praised the legislation as “preventing an unnecessary crisis that would have inflicted needless pain on millions of hardworking Americans.”
With a focus on McCarthy and the House Republicans, he said, “But I want to be clear: we should never have been in this position in the first place. Just a few months ago, [we] reached a budget agreement to avoid precisely this type of manufactured crisis.”
Biden added that while there is no new funding for Ukraine in the stopgap measure, “We cannot under any circumstances allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted. I fully expect the Speaker will keep his commitment to the people of Ukraine and secure passage of the support needed to help Ukraine at this critical moment.”
Washington — Days after relaxing its unofficial dress code, the Senate passed a resolution requiring business attire when senators are on the floor of the chamber.
The change follows a recent decision by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat of New York, to stop enforcing the unofficial requirement and allow members to wear casual attire on the Senate floor. But Schumer noted he would continue to wear a suit.
The decision prompted swift backlash, especially toward Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who typically wears a hoodie and gym shorts to work.
Sen. John Fetterman arrives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 21, 2023.
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
On Wednesday, the Senate adopted the formal dress code by unanimous consent, requiring a coat, tie and slacks, or long pants for men. It does not include any specific requirements for women.
“Though we’ve never had a formal dress code, the events over the past week have made us all feel as though formalizing [a dress code] is the right path forward. I deeply appreciate Sen. Fetterman working with me to come to an agreement that we all find acceptable,” Schumer said Wednesday.
The resolution was introduced by Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah.
“For 234 years, every senator who has had the honor of serving in this distinguished body has assumed that there was some basic written rules of decorum, conduct and civility, one of which was a dress code,” Manchin said. “We thought maybe it’s time we finally codify something that was precedented rule for 234 years.”
After the vote, Fetterman released a statement that included no words, only a photograph of actor Kevin James smirking.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has stopped short of calling for newly indicted Sen. Bob Menendez to resign, breaking from the increasing number of fellow Democrats publicly demanding that their colleague step down.
Menendez temporarily stepped down as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after he was indicted, but he has been defiant in refusing to resign from Congress’ upper chamber.
Over the past couple of days, however, more and more Democrats have voiced the opinion that their colleague should leave office. As of Wednesday, at least 30 Senate Democrats agreed that Menendez should step down — including fellow New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and No. 2 Senate Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois. Others in the chamber who haven’t pressed for his departure are stressing that Menendez is entitled to the presumption of innocence while his case plays out.
Schumer told reporters on Wednesday that he was “deeply disappointed” and “disturbed” when he read the indictment against Menendez, but the majority leader declined to call for his resignation.
In his first on-camera remarks about the indictment of Sen. Menendez, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says the NJ Democrat “fell way, way below” the standard of his position, but does not call for Menendez to resign. pic.twitter.com/DX6SRu2KTV
“I’ve known Sen. Menendez a very long time, and it was truly, truly upsetting,” the New York Democrat said. “We all know that for senators, there’s a much, much higher standard. And clearly, when you read the indictment, Sen. Menendez fell way, way below that standard.”
Schumer said that Menendez will address the Democratic caucus Thursday, “and we’ll see what happens after that.”
The indictment includes three counts against Menendez. He is accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars from three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for helping Cairo obtain military aid and attempting to meddle in criminal probes.
The businessmen — Jose Uribe, Fred Daibes and Wael Hana — also pleaded not guilty.
The indictment marks the second corruption case Menendez has faced in a decade, with jurors failing to reach a verdict in 2017 over different allegations.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday declined join a growing group of Democrats who are calling on indicted Sen. Bob Menendez to resign his seat, though he did say the New Jersey Democrat’s actions fell “way, way below the standard” of the office.
“Like you, I was just deeply disappointed, disturbed when I read the indictment,” Schumer said at a news conference on Capitol Hill. “Look, I’ve known Sen. Menendez a very long time. And it was truly, truly upsetting.”
At least 30 of the members of the Democratic caucus, including members of Schumer’s leadership team have called on Menendez to resign. According to CNN’s count on Wednesday, 21 Democrats and independents who caucus with the Democrats have not called on Menendez to resign, including Schumer and Menendez himself. Three of those who have not called on Menendez to resign sit on the Senate Ethics Committee and therefore will not comment on any issue that may come before their panel.
“For senators, there’s a much, much higher standard,” Schumer added. “And clearly, when you read the indictment, Sen. Menendez fell way way below that standard. Tomorrow, he will address the Democratic caucus, and we’ll see what happens after that.”
Menendez is expected to address the Senate Democratic caucus at a closed-door meeting on Thursday, according to Sens. Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Mark Warner of Virginia.
On Wednesday, Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, pleaded not guilty to all corruption-related charges.
Menendez has been charged with three counts for allegedly taking bribes to use his political power and connections to help the government of Egypt obtain military aid as well as pressure a state prosecutor investigating New Jersey businessmen and attempt to influence the federal prosecution of a co-defendant.
Co-defendants Jose Uribe and Fred Daibe, entered not guilty pleas as well. A fifth co-defendant, Wael Hana, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday.
Menendez has said he will not step down. In a public statement Monday, he accused those who “rushed to judgment” of doing so for “political expediency.”
“I recognize this will be the biggest fight yet,” Menendez said, referencing the legal battle ahead. “But as I have stated throughout this whole process, I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I still will be New Jersey’s senior senator.”
Washington — House Republicans voted to advance four conservative spending bills on Tuesday in a long-sought display of unity that nonetheless doesn’t move Congress any closer to preventing a government shutdown.
The relatively routine vote to bring the bills to the House floor for debate gave Speaker Kevin McCarthy a win after days of Republican infighting between moderates and a contingent of hardline House conservatives over how to fund the government.
But the move will likely do little to change the dynamics underlying the fight over government spending, with just days to go before government funding expires.
Even if the House were to pass all four bills to fund the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, State and Agriculture for another year, they contain spending cuts that make them dead on arrival in the Senate, where Democrats are working on their own solution to avoid a shutdown.
A contingent of hard-right Republicans in the House are opposed to a short-term funding extension and want deeper spending cuts. They twice defeated McCarthy’s efforts to advance the defense spending bill last week, and have vowed to oppose what’s known as a “continuing resolution,” which would extend government funding at current levels as broader talks unfold.
Lawmakers face a hard deadline of Saturday night to approve funding and keep the government open. Without an extension, hundreds of thousands of federal employees would go without pay until new funding is approved for their agencies, and dozens of government services could be affected.
Essential workers — like active-duty military members, many federal law enforcement officers and air traffic controllers — would stay on the job, but wouldn’t be paid until after the shutdown. Employees in nonessential positions would be furloughed without a paycheck until the government is funded again. Government contractors aren’t guaranteed backpay.
Senate Democrats make their move
Making matters more complicated for McCarthy, the Senate on Tuesday took the first steps toward passing their own version of a funding extension by advancing a House-passed bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will use that legislation as a vehicle for a short-term funding extension.
If the Senate passes its own bipartisan measure to keep the government open, it puts pressure on McCarthy to lean on Democrats in his own chamber to avert a shutdown. But doing so would put his speakership in jeopardy — conservatives have threatened to oust him if he goes that route. McCarthy’s slim majority of just four seats leaves him little room to maneuver.
House Republicans have been unable to rally around a short-term option. The conservative faction opposes any short-term funding extension and wants Congress to negotiate all 12 annual spending bills individually.
“All last week, Speaker McCarthy, instead of focusing on bipartisanship, catered to the hard right and has nothing — nothing — to show for it,” Schumer said on the Senate floor Tuesday. “And now the speaker will put on the floor hard-right appropriations bills that have nothing to do with avoiding a shutdown.”
The New York Democrat said a bipartisan group of senators “worked in good faith” over the weekend to reach an agreement on a temporary spending bill that would allow government operations to continue after September.
The Senate bill would continue to fund the government at current levels through Nov. 17 and includes about $6 billion in aid for Ukraine as well as nearly $6 billion in disaster relief.
The White House endorsed the Senate bill and called on House Republicans to “stop playing political games with peoples’ lives.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, also endorsed passing a temporary funding bill, calling it “the clearest path forward” and rebuking House conservatives’ tactics.
“Delaying action on short-term government funding doesn’t advance the ball on any meaningful policy priorities,” McConnell said in a floor speech. “Shutting the government down over a domestic budget dispute doesn’t strengthen anyone’s political position. It just puts important progress on ice and it leaves millions of Americans on edge.”
On Tuesday, McCarthy was noncommittal on bringing up a Senate-passed bill for a vote, but said he would put a short-term spending bill that includes funds for border security on the floor by Saturday, when current government funding expires.
“I think that’s the appropriate way to be able to keep government funding, secure our border, while we continue to keep the government open to work on the rest of the appropriations process,” McCarthy told reporters.
McCarthy said the measure would last 30 to 45 days and he didn’t want it to include aid for Ukraine — another sticking point for the far right.
Republican Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana accused far-right members of giving the upper hand to Democrats in negotiations by blocking efforts to advance GOP spending bills in the House.
“We would have been in a much better leverage position to get conservative wins,” Graves said last Saturday. “Every day you wait you end up handing the reins over to Chuck Schumer.”
Washington — House Republicans will try to advance four party-line funding bills this week, though they would not avert a looming government shutdown.
On Tuesday, the House will vote on whether to bring four funding bills — for the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, State and Agriculture — up for a debate and eventually a final vote. But even if the House were to advance the four bills, the bills would not be considered in the Senate because they contain dramatic cuts that Democrats will not support.
Congress has until Saturday night to pass a dozen appropriations bills funding the federal government for another year — or a short-term deal to extend funding while negotiations continue.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Monday deferred to the majority whip on whether there was enough Republican support for a vote for the rule on the House’s consideration of the bills — that is, how long they can be debated, whether they can be amended, and more. His efforts last week to begin debate on the defense spending bill were twice defeated by far-right Republicans who opposed it.
“I feel we’ve made some progress,” McCarthy told reporters. “We’ll know whether Tuesday night that we have.”
McCarthy wants the House to pass a measure to extend government funding for 45 days, but he has acknowledged that he may not have the votes, since hard-right Republicans, who want steeper spending cuts, fiercely oppose a short-term deal. They want Congress to negotiate all 12 spending bills individually.
McCarthy can only lose four votes in the narrowly divided House. If he moves forward with a bill that could garner Democratic support, he faces the prospect of losing his speakership in an ouster by those conservatives.
“I still believe if you shut down, you’re in a weaker position,” McCarthy said Friday. “You need the time to fund the government while you pass all the other appropriations bills.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has called the House’s proposed short-term resolution a “total non-starter” in the Senate.
With the House at an impasse, Schumer said Thursday that he was setting up a path for the Senate to advance a House-passed bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration that could serve as a vehicle for an overall short-term funding extension.
“As I said for months, we must work in a bipartisan fashion to keep our government open, avoid a shutdown and avoid inflicting unnecessary pain on the American people,” he said. “This action will give the Senate the option to do just that.”
A growing chorus of prominent Democrats—including New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy—are calling on Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to resign in the wake of Friday’s shocking indictment in Manhattan federal court, despite his insistence that he’s “not going anywhere.”
The indictment is chock full of lurid details, including allegations that Menendez accepted envelopes stuffed with thousands of dollars in cash and gold bars in exchange for using his position on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to benefit the Egyptian government.
“The allegations in the indictment against Senator Menendez and four other defendants are deeply disturbing. These are serious charges that implicate national security and the integrity of our criminal justice system,” Murphy said in a statement Friday. “The alleged facts are so serious that they compromise the ability of Senator Menendez to effectively represent the people of our state. Therefore, I am calling for his immediate resignation.”
It is the senator’s second criminal indictment in eight years. His previous corruption charges filed in 2015 were dismissed after a jury could not reach a verdict in 2017.
Due to Senate bylaws, Menendez was forced to step down from leadership since he was charged with a felony but has actively rejected calls for his resignation.
“For years, forces behind the scenes have repeatedly attempted to silence my voice and dig my political grave,” the 69-year-old said in a statement. “Since this investigation was leaked nearly a year ago, there has been an active smear campaign of anonymous sources … It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat. I am not going anywhere.”
In addition to Murphy, five Democratic representatives have called for the senator’s resignation as of Saturday morning, including three—Andy Kim, Mikie Sherrill, and Donald Norcross—widely expected to run for Menendez’s Senate seat in 2024. New Jersey Globe editor David Wildsteinnoted Saturday morning that Norcross’s call for resignation is especially indicative of the mood among Democrats, as Menendez “has been close to the Norcross family for decades.”
Several state and local officials have also joined the chorus. Both New Jersey State Senate President Nick Scutari and State Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin called on Menendez to resign, with Coughlin arguing that the charges “go against everything we should believe as public servants.” “We are given the public’s trust, and once that trust is broken, we cannot continue,” he added. New Jersey Democratic Party Chair LeRoy Jones cited next year’s election as the main reason for Menendez to step down.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, however, declined to say whether his colleague should resign. “Bob Menendez has been a dedicated public servant and is always fighting hard for the people of New Jersey,” Schumer said in a brief statement. “He has a right to due process and a fair trial.”
And Menendez’s fellow New Jersey Senator Cory Booker has also been silent so far about the indictments. As a young politician, Booker was mentored by Menendez, whom he has called “ “one of the greatest advocates for justice on the planet Earth.” Booker also testified at Menendez’s 2017 trial, where he called Menendez “trustworthy and honest.”
Republicans are denouncing Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s decision to loosen the Senate’s informal dress code, claiming that allowing casual clothing on the Senate floor disrespects the institution they serve. What do you think?
“Once again, Republicans have their finger on the pulse of what’s most important to the American people.”
Isabella Baucom, Recycling Sorter
This Week’s Most Viral News: September 22, 2023
“Agreed. Expanding childhood poverty requires at least cocktail attire.”
Tom Morgan, Document Burner
“You can just tell when a law was written by a slob.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) tweaked the informal code to allow lawmakers to wear whatever they choose when entering the chamber, which many took as a nod to Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and his wardrobe of hoodies.
On Tuesday, Erickson joined the chorus.
“Dems who were outraged by January 6 rioters storming the Capitol because of the violence wrought against that great Temple of Democracy are okay with a man at war with the English language and pants getting to wear a hoodie and shorts onto the Senate floor,” Erickson wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Just no bison helmets.”
Critics couldn’t help but point out the false equivalence ― and some struggled to believe the tweet was even real:
Fetterman, known for his hoodies and other informal attire, is the most prominent beneficiary of the change.
But Republicans are up in arms over the move, especially Greene, who said “dress code is one of society’s standards that set etiquette and respect for our institutions.”
Given Greene’s own etiquette-defying history ― including a speech at a white nationalist event last year ― her critics were quick to point out her hypocrisy.
“Thankfully, the nation’s lower chamber lives by a higher code of conduct: displaying ding-a-ling pics in public hearings,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
Thankfully, the nation’s lower chamber lives by a higher code of conduct: displaying ding-a-ling pics in public hearings. https://t.co/a4sLQ7nSBL
Fetterman’s fashion has been a common target for Republican lawmakers.
Just last week, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) took a dig at his clothing, calling his shirt a muumuu and taunting him for wearing pants that were “not exclusively elastic.”
Fetterman fired back with a reminder that the House had failed to pass any spending bills, sending the country on the path to a government shutdown.
“Instead of crying about how I dress, how about you get your shit together and do your job, bud?” he wrote on X.
