Political Headlines
Biden to highlight what he’s done on student loan debt in upcoming speech
Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz(WASHINGTON) -- Days after borrowers once again began paying back their student loan debts after a three-year pause, President Joe Biden will give a speech on Wednesday highlighting what his administration has done to fix holes in the student loan system and deliver some form of debt relief, according to the White House. Biden's plan to cancel between $10,000 and $20,000 in student loan debt for millions of Americans was overturned by the United States Supreme Court this summer. And now, as borrowers return to their loan payments without any cancelation, the political frustration with Biden on debt relief will certainly grow. But there are other ways the Biden administration has still been working ... Read More
Multiple Trump co-defendants approached about plea deals in Fulton County: Sources
Witthaya Prasongsin/Getty Images(ATLANTA) -- A number of former President Donald Trump's co-defendants in the Fulton County election interference case have received plea deal offers or have been approached about potentially making a deal by the District Attorney's office, multiple sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. Last week, one of the 19 defendants in the case became the first to accept such an offer from prosecutors. Scott Hall, who was implicated in the alleged scheme to breach voting machine equipment in rural Coffee County, Georgia, received just five years of probation in exchange for testifying against his co-defendants after pleading guilty to five misdemeanors. Hall, a bail bondsman, will also pay a $5,000 fine, complete 200 hours of community ... Read More
Trump, DeSantis and others balk at future Republican debates, with competing calls to change or cancel them
Marilyn Nieves/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- The Republican National Committee is facing a series of tests of its ability to wrangle the 2024 presidential field into participating in or complying with the party's requirements for the primary debate process. The growing outcry underlines the push among some of the White House hopefuls and their aides to winnow down the crowded field so that a clear alternative to Donald Trump can emerge -- while Trump, still the early front-runner in polling, now argues the debates should cease entirely so the party can focus on the general election next fall. Disdain from nearly every primary candidate over the national party's debate process has ramped up in recent weeks, with calls intensifying from the campaigns ... Read More
New York judge issues limited gag order after Trump sends disparaging post about court clerk
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York judge sternly imposed a limited gag order in Donald Trump’s civil business fraud trial Tuesday after the former president disparaged a key court staffer. Amid a long day of testimony, Judge Arthur Engoron issued the order, which applies to all parties in the case and pertains to verbal attacks on court staff. It came after Trump maligned Engoron’s principal law clerk, Allison Greenfield, in a social media post. The post included a photo of Greenfield with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., posing for a picture at a public event. Trump, the Republican front-runner for president in 2024, has repeatedly cast the lawsuit and trial as a political attack by New York’s Democratic ... Read More
Laphonza Butler sworn in as replacement for late Sen. Dianne Feinstein
Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) --Â Vice President Kamala Harris swore in Sen. Laphonza Butler to serve as California's senator on Tuesday, replacing the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Butler, whose appointment was announced by California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday, was flanked by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who met with Butler on Tuesday just prior to her being sworn in, and California Sen. Alex Padilla as Harris administered the oath on the Senate floor. After her swearing in, members from both parties stood and gave a round of applause. Butler shook hands with Republican Leader Mitch McConnell as she exited the chamber. The new senator did not respond to a question about whether she intends to seek a full Senate term. "I'm ... Read More
What to know about Kevin McCarthy’s rise and fall from power
Win McNamee/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) --Â GOP Rep. Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday became just the second speaker in history to be subjected to an effort by rank-and-file lawmakers to take away his gavel -- and the first to have it stripped away. McCarthy faced a so-called motion to vacate from Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who put forth the motion after McCarthy, his allies and Democrats passed a stopgap funding bill to keep the federal government open -- legislation that Republican hard-liners said greenlit too much spending. The intraparty drama underscored the difficulty of leading a raucous caucus in a chamber Republicans control by only five seats -- a balancing act that was always anticipated to come to a head. The California Republican had ... Read More
Sen. Lankford resumes call for bill to stop government shutdowns
Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) --Â A Republican senator is renewing calls for legislation that would require lawmakers to reach a government funding deal without threat of a shutdown. Sen. James Lankford is resuming calls to pass legislation that would require congressional lawmakers to work in "continuous session" and abide by other stipulations until reaching a deal to fund the government by fiscal-year deadlines in the future. Lankford, R-Okla., first introduced the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act five years ago, along with Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-NH, after the two sat down to discuss the idea for bipartisan legislation that could help put an end to government shutdowns, Lankford told ABC News on Tuesday. "What's the best way to stop it? So as ... Read More
White House vows Ukraine aid will continue
Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) --Â The White House on Tuesday expressed confidence that regardless of developments on Capitol Hill, the U.S. would ultimately provide more assistance for Ukraine -- but warned, absent progress, current funding could run out in "a couple of months." Despite Congress' failure to approve additional aid for Ukraine in government funding passed over the weekend -- and with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's job hanging in the balance -- White House national security spokesman John Kirby said he remained hopeful. "All of the House leadership is supportive of continuing to help Ukraine, and the vast majority of House members on the Republican side are in support of continuing to help Ukraine," Kirby said. "There's a small number ... Read More
Rep. Henry Cuellar gives firsthand account of being carjacked
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) --Â Rep. Henry Cuellar offered his firsthand account Tuesday after he was carjacked at gunpoint Monday night. "I was just coming into my place. Three guys came out of nowhere and they pointed guns at me. I do have a black belt, but I recognize when you got three, three guns -- I looked at one with a gun and another with a gun, a third one behind me -- So they said they wanted my car. I said, 'Sure.' You've got to keep calm under those situations. And then they took off," Cuellar told reporters Tuesday morning on Capitol Hill. Cuellar said police have recovered his car and his phone, and he thanked both U.S. Capitol Police ... Read More
Supreme Court hears heated debate over Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Drew Angerer/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) --Â Biden administration Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar delivered a forceful defense of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Tuesday during a heated Supreme Court argument over the constitutionality of the agency's funding and its future as a bulwark against predatory financial services. She faced off against former Trump administration Solicitor General Noel Francisco, representing a group of payday loan companies subjected to CFPB regulation and challenging its existence, who argued the agency's structure is illegal and must be struck down. Hanging in the balance is the consumer watchdog and banking regulator created by Congress after the 2008 financial crisis to protect Americans from predatory lending practices and deceptive financial products. Its regulations govern everything from credit cards to ... Read More
McCarthy speaker vote live updates: House speaker ousted for first time in US history
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- A showdown is unfolding Tuesday to determine House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s fate as leader of the chamber's Republican majority. Hard-line Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida is leading the charge against McCarthy. He introduced a so-called motion to vacate late Monday after criticizing how McCarthy has handled spending and budget issues since Republicans retook majority control of the chamber and claiming McCarthy can't be trusted. McCarthy has defended his record, including most recently in averting a partial federal government shutdown with Democratic support -- calling himself "the adult in the room." Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern. Oct 03, 5:21 PM EDT McCarthy silent leaving House chamber, currently meeting with leadership McCarthy exited the ... Read More
Congressman Henry Cuellar carjacked at gunpoint in Washington
U.S. House of Representatives(WASHINGTON) -- Democratic Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar was carjacked at gunpoint Monday night near his residence in the Navy Yard area of Washington, D.C. just blocks from the Capitol. An alert sent to congressional members stated three to four men held guns to his head and took his car and phone, sources told ABC News. Cuellar's chief of staff, Jacob Hochberg, confirmed the carjacking news in a statement to ABC News late Monday night. “As Congressman Cuellar was parking his car this evening, 3 armed assailants approached the Congressman and stole his vehicle. Luckily, he was not harmed and is working with local law enforcement. Thank you to Metro PD and Capitol Police for their swift action ... Read More
Matt Gaetz moves to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker, setting up dramatic vote
Andrew Caballero-reynolds/AFP via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Hard-line Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz on Monday night introduced a motion to remove Kevin McCarthy from the House speakership, setting up a dramatic vote over the future of the chamber's Republican majority. The motion must be voted on within two legislative days, under House rules. "Bring it on," McCarthy soon responded on X, formerly known as Twitter. Gaetz, a Florida lawmaker, had said on ABC's This Week on Sunday that he would bring a so-called motion to vacate against McCarthy, criticizing how McCarthy has handled spending and budget fights since the GOP took control of the House in January and contending that McCarthy broke promises to other conservatives about how he would lead. "Kevin ... Read More
Ramaswamy says campaign is in ‘new phase’ amid bigger spotlight, scrutiny — and polling plateau
ABC News(NEW YORK) -- Vivek Ramaswamy tells ABC News that he feels his campaign has entered "a new phase" eight months into his presidential bid -- as the Republican hopeful and entrepreneur has won a following among primary voters but like other candidates still trails far behind Donald Trump. Asked about how he is changing while in California on Saturday, where he was addressing a state party convention, Ramaswamy told ABC News, "I laid the foundation, I introduced myself, started at 0.0%, no track record in politics. I had to earn my stripes as the new guy. I feel like we've done that now." Ramaswamy, a biotech founder and commentator, launched his 2024 campaign in late February. Despite having much ... Read More
White House warns only enough Ukraine funding for ‘urgent battlefield needs’
Prasit photo/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- The White House warned Monday that the U.S. has only enough money to meet Ukraine's "urgent battlefield needs" in the short term, after Congress left additional funding for Ukraine out of a short-term measure to fund the U.S. government. The federal government has about $6 billion left in military funding for Ukraine, according to U.S. officials. “It is enough to -- for us to meet the -- meet Ukraine’s urgent battlefield needs for a bit -- for a bit longer,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday. About $5.4 billion of the funding is set aside to provide to provide weapons and other military equipment to Ukraine from existing American stocks, the officials said. That ... Read More
Texas AG Ken Paxton faces other legal troubles after being acquitted in impeachment
Eleanor Dearman/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service via Getty Images(AUSTIN, Texas) -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was recently acquitted by the state Senate on 16 articles of impeachment, but the state's top lawyer still has multiple legal battles ahead. Paxton has been under an ongoing federal investigation in Texas since the fall of 2020, when the FBI began to probe allegations of abuse of office and misconduct brought by a group of whistleblowing former employees. Many of those claims, which Paxton adamantly denies, were also the focus of the impeachment proceedings. While a majority of the state House backed the articles of impeachment against Paxton, including many of his fellow Republicans, he was ultimately acquitted by the state Senate's Republican ... Read More
Biden nominates 3 for Fed board, including first Black woman
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden on Friday announced the nominations of three people for the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors, including Sarah Bloom Raskin, a former Fed and Treasury official, for the top regulatory slot and Lisa Cook, who would be the first Black woman to serve on the Fed's board. Biden also nominated Phillip Jefferson, an economist, dean of faculty at Davidson College in North Carolina and a former Fed researcher. The three nominees, who will have to be confirmed by the Senate, would fill out the Fed's seven-member board. They would join the Fed at a particularly challenging time in which the central bank will undertake the delicate task of raising its ... Read More
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