Mitch McConnell, standing apart in a changing GOP, digs in on his decades-long push against Russia
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has been increasingly isolated on foreign policy among his GOP colleagues, a growing number of whom have distanced themselves as a matter of course from U.S. involvement abroad -- and particularly on Ukraine.
New documents detail Sen. Ron Johnson asking about electors
Newly released documents from the House Jan. 6 committee show that the former Wisconsin Republican Party chairman testified that U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson spoke to him weeks before Joe Biden assumed the presidency about having the stateโs GOP-controlled Legislature, rather than voters, choose Wisconsinโs presidential electors.
Sen. Johnson, Barnes get personal in final Wisconsin debate
Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and Democratic challenger Mandela Barnes have gotten personal in their final debate before the Nov. 8 election, with each candidate attacking the other as being radical and out of touch with the average Wisconsin voter.
Kamala Harris talks abortion, appeals to voters in Milwaukee
Vice President Kamala Harris has met with college students and Latino leaders in Milwaukee during a visit meant to energize voters weeks before an election in which Wisconsin's Democratic governor, Tony Evers, and Republican U.S. senator, Ron Johnson, are on the ballot.
Wisconsin Democrats focus ire on Republican Sen. Johnson
Wisconsin Democrats looking to unseat Republican Sen. Ron Johnson are focusing their attacks on him, and not each other, as each of the eight candidates make their case to party activists at the state convention held six weeks before the primary.
Wisconsin's Johnson under heat for fake elector revelation
Evidence revealed at the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection shows that an aide for U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson told former Vice President Mike Penceโs staff that the Republican from Wisconsin wanted to hand-deliver fake elector votes from Wisconsin and Michigan.
Opposition from GOP senator threatens Biden judicial pick
Republican Sen. Ron Johnson's opposition to President Joe Biden's judicial nominee in Wisconsin has surprised Democrats and is providing the latest test to the Senate tradition of letting home state senators block district court judges from advancing.
Critics call Sen. Ron Johnson's insurrection comments racist
The insurrection also caused widespread damage and led to National Guard troops being called in to restore order. Johnson's comments sparked outrage among Wisconsin Democrats, including state Sen. LaTonya Johnson, of Milwaukee. โFor him to say something as racist as that โ itโs ridiculous,โ said the state senator, who is Black. AdโRon Johnson is a racist and is unfit to serve the people of Wisconsin. Tom Nelson, the Outagamie County executive who is also seeking the Democratic nomination, said Johnson has reached โa new despicable lowโ with his comments.
Senate Dems strike jobless aid deal, relief bill OK in sight
Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON โ Senate leaders and moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin struck a deal late Friday over emergency jobless benefits, breaking a logjam that had stalled the party's showpiece $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. AdMore significantly, the jobless benefits agreement suggested it was just a matter of time until the Senate passes the bill. The House approved a relief bill last weekend that included $400 weekly jobless benefits โ on top of regular state payments โ through August. Republicans criticized the overall relief bill as a liberal spend-fest that ignores that growing numbers of vaccinations and signs of a stirring economy suggest that the twin crises are easing. AdIn another late bargain that satisfied moderates, Biden and Senate Democrats agreed Wednesday to make some higher earners ineligible for the direct checks to individuals.
By slimmest of margins, Senate takes up $1.9T relief bill
Itโs widely expected the Senate will approve the bill and the House will whisk it to Biden for his signature by mid-March, handing him a crucial early legislative victory. โWe are not going to be timid in the face of a great challenge," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Biden and Senate leaders had agreed Wednesday to retain the $400 weekly jobless payments included in the version of the relief bill the House approved Saturday. In another bargain that satisfied moderates, Biden and Senate Democrats agreed Wednesday to tighten eligibility for the direct checks to individuals. AdAs soon as the Senate began considering the bill, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., forced the chamber's clerks to begin reading the entire 628-page measure aloud.
Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry announces Senate run
FILE - In this Oct. 24, 2020 file photo, Milwaukee Bucks senior vice president Alex Lasry, left, and then-Bucks guard George Hill walk through a Milwaukee neighborhood during a voter canvassing effort. Democrat Alex Lasry, a Bucks executive and son of a billionaire, announced Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, that he's running for the U.S. Senate in 2022 for the seat currently held by Republican Ron Johnson. (AP Photo/Steve Megargee File)MADISON, Wis. โ Democrat Alex Lasry, a 33-year-old Milwaukee Bucks executive and son of a billionaire, announced Wednesday that he's running for the U.S. Senate in 2022 for the seat held by Republican Ron Johnson. Lasry launched his campaign with a YouTube video that included endorsements from several prominent Milwaukee politicians, including Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and Milwaukee Common Council President Cavalier Johnson. ___This story has been corrected by removing a reference to Alex Lasry being a hedge fund manager.
The Latest: House managers wrap up 1st full day of arguments
(Senate Television via AP)WASHINGTON โ The Latest on former President Donald Trump's second Senate impeachment trial (all times local):8:20 p.m.House Democrats have wrapped up their first full day of arguments at the historic second impeachment trial of Donald Trump. The impeachment trial is set to resume at noon Thursday. Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney say they are deeply disturbed by the evidence shown by Democrats against former President Donald Trump at his second impeachment trial. Prosecutors at Trumpโs impeachment trial on Wednesday played security footage from inside the Capitol on Jan. 6. ___2:20 p.m.Democrats are arguing that former President Donald Trump โbuiltโ the mob that attacked the Capitol.
As Wisconsin's Johnson weighs future, Trump ties take a toll
Not Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson. Bishop criticized fellow Republicans like Johnson who parroted claims of illegal election activity, even as he remains a Johnson backer. A number of Republicans are eyeing a run for either Senate or governor, depending on what Johnson does. Potential Republican Senate candidates include U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, former U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy and Kevin Nicholson, who lost a 2018 Republican Senate primary. Mandela Barnes, the stateโs first Black lieutenant governor, state Treasurer Sarah Godlewski and state Sen. Chris Larson of Milwaukee.
Lawmakers who voted against Biden are denounced back home
Protesters, newspaper editorial boards and local-level Democrats have urged the lawmakers to step down or for their colleagues to kick them out. The House and Senate can remove members with a two-thirds vote or censure or reprimand with a majority. In St. Louis on Saturday, several hundred people protested against Sen. Josh Hawley, the first-term Missouri Republican who led efforts in the Senate to overturn Biden's election. Johnson initially supported Trump's baseless claims of election fraud, but after the riot, he voted in favor of Biden's win. Perry condemned the Capitol violence.
The Latest: Nancy Pelosi reelected speaker of the House
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., speaks to the media, Wednesday Dec. 30, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. The group of House and Senate Republicans are echoing President Donald Trumpโs baseless claims of widespread voter fraud. Democrat Nancy Pelosi was set to be reelected as House speaker by her party, which retains the majority in the House but with the slimmest margin in 20 years. Hawley specifically defended himself against criticism from GOP Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania as he challenges that stateโs election results. Rep. Nancy Pelosi is set to be reelected as House speaker by fellow Democrats, who retain the House majority but with the slimmest margin in 20 years.
Senate hearing elevates baseless claims of election fraud
Christopher Krebs, former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, testifies before a Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee hearing to discuss election security and the 2020 election process on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Greg Nash/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON โ Republican senators on Wednesday further perpetuated President Donald Trumpโs baseless claims of widespread voter fraud, two days after Democrat Joe Bidenโs victory was sealed by the Electoral College. GOP Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, the committee chairman and one of Trumpโs fiercest defenders, said his goal was to have a bipartisan hearing to examine the election. But he repeated Trumpโs assertions without evidence and focused heavily on the claims being made by the president's team. There was no testimony from state or local election officials who conducted extensive checks to ensure the accuracy of the election before certifying the results.
Infected senator vows 'moon suit' to vote Trump's court pick
Many alumni have posted a letter on social media expressing their opposition to Barrett's nomination to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the U.S. Supreme Court after Ginsburg's death last month. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via AP, Pool)WASHINGTON โ Shuttered by COVID-19 infections, the Republican-led Senate is refusing to delay confirmation of President Donald Trump's pick for the Supreme Court. With Trump trailing Democrat Joe Biden in polls and their own Senate majority at risk, Republicans hope a Supreme Court vote in the week before Election Day will save their jobs. The Judiciary Committee is planning four days of hearings ahead of a final Senate vote by Oct. 29. However, McConnell could have the full Senate vote to force the committee to discharge the nomination to the floor for final voting.
GOP seeks to call off Senate work, but not Barrett hearings
WASHINGTON โ The coroniavirus reached further into Republican ranks on Saturday, forcing the Senate to call off lawmaking as a third GOP senator tested positive for COVID-19. โThe Senateโs floor schedule will not interrupt the thorough, fair and historically supported confirmation process,โ McConnell wrote Saturday. Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who like McConnell is running for reelection, added that senators can attend the hearings remotely. Republicans in the Senate who had attended GOP events began announcing that they too had tested positive. The news about Covid's march into the White House didn't let up and wasn't flattering after months of complaints that Republicans weren't approaching the pandemic in a serious or organized way.
The Latest: Trump's doctor to give update on condition
Scott Applewhite)MADISON, Wis. โ The Latest on coronavirus infections hitting President Donald Trump and others in his circle (all times EDT):10:20 a.m. The White House says President Donald Trumpโs doctor will provide an update on his condition Saturday morning as the president undergoes treatment for COVID-19 symptoms at a military hospital. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany says Navy Commander Dr. Sean Conley will address reporters at 11 a.m. from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Johnson's announcement is adding to the swirl of tension in Washington since President Donald Trump announced his positive test Friday. He returned to Washington on Sept. 29 and said he was exposed soon after that to someone who tested positive.
GOP Senate report on Biden son alleges conflict of interest
(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)WASHINGTON โ Two Republican-led Senate committees issued a politically charged report Wednesday alleging that the work Joe Bidenโs son did in Ukraine constituted a conflict of interest for the Obama administration at a time when Biden was engaged in Ukraine policy as vice president. Hunter Biden's work in Ukraine remains a prominent line of attack in conservative circles heading into the election. But the crux of the document is that Hunter Biden's lucrative involvement with the gas company Burisma posed a conflict of interest because Biden was vice president at the time and dealing with Ukraine policy. Even so, the report acknowledges that the extent to which Hunter Biden's board position affected Ukraine policy is โnot clear." Both Bidens have denied wrongdoing, and Hunter Biden has denied using his influence with his father to aid Burisma.
Romney says Biden probe 'not legitimate role of government'
(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)WASHINGTON โ Utah Sen. Mitt Romney is sharply criticizing a Republican investigation into Democrat Joe Bidenโs son, saying it's โnot the legitimate role of governmentโ to try and damage political opponents. Johnson, a close ally of President Donald Trump, is leading the investigation into Burisma, a gas company in Ukraine that paid Hunter Biden to serve as a board member while Joe Biden was vice president. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens, and Hunter Biden has denied using his influence with his father to aid Burisma. The presidentโs efforts to have Ukraine investigate Hunter Bidenโs role were at the heart of the impeachment investigation. Johnsonโs committee, along with the Senate Judiciary Committee, is also looking into the origins of the Justice Departmentโs Russia probe.
Confirmation gets trickier for Trump Homeland Security pick
WASHINGTON โ A whistleblower's complaint and a tight timeline are making it increasingly unlikely that the Senate will confirm Chad Wolf as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security before the election. President Donald Trump formally sent the nomination late Thursday to the Senate after announcing his intention to appoint Wolf in a tweet last month. But the full Senate is unlikely to hold a confirmation vote before the election, said two Republican aides granted anonymity to discuss private deliberations. Trump appointed Wolf acting secretary in November 2019, following the resignation of Kevin McAleenan, the acting secretary who took over following the resignation of Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. โTheir toxic and unethical actions are wholly incompatible with the non-partisan mission of the Department of Homeland Security,โ he said.
Warning on Russia adds questions about Senate's Biden probe
But the stark warning that Russia is working to denigrate the Democratic presidential candidate adds to questions about the probe by Johnson's Senate committee and whether it is mimicking, even indirectly, Russian efforts and amplifying its propaganda. Evanina said Russia disapproved of Biden because of his role in shaping Obama administration policies supporting Ukraine and opposing Russian leader Vladimir Putin. In May, the committee authorized a subpoena for Blue Star Strategies, a lobbying firm that was a consultant to Burisma. Johnson, meanwhile, announced this week a subpoena for the FBI for documents in its investigation into the Trump campaign and Russia. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a Trump ally and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has for months scrutinized the Russia investigation.
GOP senator subpoenas FBI over Russia, defends Biden probe
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., speaks during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing to examine Department of Homeland Security personnel deployments to recent protests on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020, in Washington. (Toni Sandys/The Washington Post via AP, Pool)
GOP senator subpoenas FBI over Russia, defends Biden probe
Johnson's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is one of multiple Republican-led Senate panels scrutinizing the FBI's investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. As always, the FBI will continue to cooperate with the Committees requests, consistent with our law enforcement and national security obligations," the statement said. In a separate statement on Sunday, the FBI said that it was continuing to cooperate with the Judiciary Committee's investigation. Hunter Biden has denied using his influence with his father to aid Burisma, and Biden has denied speaking with his son about his overseas business dealings. Biden was representing the official position of the U.S. government, a position that was also supported by other Western governments.
Foreign threats loom ahead of US presidential election
NEW YORK As the Nov. 3 presidential vote nears, there are fresh signs that the nations electoral system is again under attack from foreign adversaries. There is no evidence that America's enemies have yet succeeded in penetrating campaigns or state election systems, but Democrat Joe Biden's presidential campaign confirmed this week that it has faced multiple related threats. When asked directly, the Trump campaign refused to say whether it had accepted materials related to Biden from any foreign nationals. Contrary to their narrative, the Democrats efforts to tear these safeguards apart as they sue in 18 states across the nation would open our election system up to foreign interference, Morgan said. Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, a Republican, described Trump's warnings about mail voting absurd and ridiculous.He should be far more forceful and far more direct in condemning foreign interference, Ridge said in an interview.
House Democrats subpoena Pompeo for documents on Biden's son
WASHINGTON The House Foreign Affairs Committee has subpoenaed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for documents he turned over to a Senate panel that is investigating Hunter Biden, a son of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. The committee says Pompeo had delivered more than 16,000 pages of records to the Senate but refused to send the same materials to the Democrat-led House. The subpoena represents another escalation in an election-year battle between Democrats and the GOP Senate committees investigating Hunter Biden. Democrats have criticized Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chair Ron Johnson, R-Wis., in particular for his probe of Hunter Biden and the gas company Burisma. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens, and Hunter Biden has denied using his influence with his father to aid Burisma.
Senate passes fix for small-business coronavirus relief
WASHINGTON The Senate on Wednesday passed legislation to make it easier for businesses struggling during the coronavirus pandemic to take advantage of a payroll subsidy program that's been a central part of Washington's response to the corresponding economic crisis. The Senate passed the bill by voice vote after a handful of GOP opponents gave way. It would also lengthen the period in which PPP money must be used and still permit businesses to have their loans forgiven from eight week to 24 weeks. We have all heard from small businesses in our states ... that (PPP) needed some changes to make it work for so many small businesses that had been left out or rejected, Schumer said. But small businesses said the rules were too inflexible, especially as the eight-week window to use the taxpayer subsidies is beginning to close for many businesses, many of which are still struggling to fully reopen.
Senate panel approves subpoena in Hunter Biden probe
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday voted 8-6 to subpoena Blue Star Strategies, a lobbying firm that was a consultant to Burisma, a gas company in Ukraine that paid Hunter Biden to serve as a board member. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens, and Hunter Biden has denied using his influence with his father to aid Burisma. The chairman of the Republican-led panel, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, has repeatedly insisted that the investigation is not designed to hurt Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee in this years presidential election. These hearings will provide the Senate with the full picture.A Biden campaign spokesman said in a statement that Johnson was running a political errand for Trump. The presidents efforts to have Ukraine investigate Hunter Bidens role as a board member for Burisma were at the heart of House Democrats impeachment probe last year.
Trump defends trade war with China amid GOP economic fears
(CNN) - President Donald Trump defended his trade strategy on Thursday morning, pushing back on Republican senators who have raised fears about the economic effects of the administration's escalating trade war with China. Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, an outspoken critic of Trump's tariffs, told Politico in a story published Thursday that "there's no question" the president's trade war is weighing on the economy. Senate Republicans' anxieties about the real economic effects of Trump's tariffs and his ongoing trade war are rising -- but these fears aren't new. There is not tangible movement toward anything else to respond to the administration's trade war with China right now -- and Trump knows it. But Scott's effort shows some GOP lawmakers are looking for ways to boost the economy without directly addressing the cause of some instability: Trump's trade war.
GOP Sen. Ron Johnson barred from entering Russia
(CNN) - U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson has been denied entry into Russia. Unfortunately, Russian officials continue to play diplomatic games with this sincere effort and have denied me entrance to Russia," the Wisconsin Republican said in a statement Monday. Johnson called it a "petty affront" but vowed to "continue to advocate a strong and resolute response to Russian aggression and frank dialogue when possible." The MFA told RIA-Novosti that Johnson was on a "stop list" in response to measures by Washington. In 2014, Russia sanctioned a list of U.S. officials and lawmakers, in response to the U.S. imposing sanctions for Russia's annexation moves.