House Prepares First Hearing on Biden’s COVID-19 Response
House Republicans have called top U.S. health officials to testify in their first hearings about the Biden administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bloomberg reported.
Congress
US hits $31.4 trillion debt ceiling as Treasury announces ‘extraordinary measures’ to avoid default
The United States reached its debt ceiling of $31.38 trillion on Thursday, forcing the Treasury Department to implement “extraordinary measures” to avoid defaulting on bonds.
Pentagon Still Can’t Account For Roughly $220 Billion In Equipment, Gov’t Watchdog Says
The Department of Defense (DOD) has neglected to address its inability to keep track of at least $220 billion in equipment provided to government contractors, according to a Tuesday report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
Feds borrowed $4 billion per day in 2022, totaling $10K per household
Federal debt soared by $1.4 trillion in 2022 as President Joe Biden and Congress approved multiple new spending packages.
McCarthy confirms Schiff, Swalwell, Omar will lose committee seats
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said he will keep his promise to block three headline-grabbing Democrats from their committee assignments in the 118th Congress.
Peru: At least 17 dead amid protests calling for President Boularte to resign
At least 17 people have been killed in Peru amid clashes between supporters of former left-wing President Pedro Castillo, who was arrested for sedition and high treason in December, and government security forces backing new president Dina Boularte, BBC News
U.S. House to vote on rules that will constrain McCarthy’s power
The U.S. House of Representatives will vote on Monday on the rules that will govern it for the next two years, in a first test of newly elected Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s ability to wrangle his caucus.
House to Vote on Bill Aimed at Slashing $72 Billion From IRS
The House is set to vote on a bill Monday night that would slash billions from the IRS, fulfilling newly elected GOP Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s pledge to cut the agency’s funding in an effort to prevent audits on Americans.
Kevin Mc Carthy Elected House Speaker After Turbulent Voting
Republican Kevin McCarthy of California won the election early Saturday as the U.S. House of Representatives speaker in a historic five-day battle after making concessions to legislators who questioned his conservative credentials.
McCarthy appeals to holdouts as House sits in limbo
The House sat in limbo for a third day while Republicans scrapped over the speaker’s gavel, but a deal that would end the gridlock has been offered, according to allies of Rep.-elect Kevin McCarthy and sources close to the talks.
Christian affiliation dominates roster of 118th Congress; majority is Protestant
A higher percentage of members of the 118th Congress, 88%, identify as Christian than the share of Christians in the U.S. population, which stands at 63%, a Pew Research Center analysis revealed Tuesday.
US House Adjourns After Not Electing Speaker
The U.S. House of Representatives adjourned Tuesday after failing three times to elect a Speaker in a development not seen for a century.
Biden signs $1.7 trillion spending bill into law
President Biden on Thursday signed into law Congress’ $1.7 trillion spending bill to fund federal agencies through September.
Congress will have spent nearly $100 billion on Ukraine war once $1.7T omnibus bill is enacted
Congress will have allocated nearly $100 billion in total to the Ukraine war once the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill is signed into law.
Biden Signs Defense Bill Into Law, Overturning Military COVID Vaccine Mandate
President Joe Biden signed Congress’ annual defense bill for 2023 into law Friday, giving his approval to a bill that overturns his own administration’s mandate that servicemembers must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.
$1.7T omnibus bill funds border security in foreign nations, but prohibits it in US
The more than 4,000-page, $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill prohibits funds for U.S. border security but it provides funding for border security in foreign nations.
U.S. to send first Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine as Zelenskyy comes to town
The U.S. is sending its famed Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine, Biden administration officials confirmed Wednesday, marking a major step forward in American military aid to Kyiv as its war with Russia nears the 10-month mark.
US Senate approves legislation to ban Tik Tok on federal government devices
The US Senate unanimously passed a bill Wednesday that would ban federal employees from using Tik Tok, the popular Chinese-owned video-sharing app, on government devices, the Washington Post reports. The bill will now pass to the House for approval, which would need to be given before the end of the congressional year.
House passes short-term spending bill to avoid government shutdown
The House passed a short-term spending bill on Wednesday that would fund the government for another week while lawmakers make an eleventh hour push to pass a full year-long omnibus package prior to the Dec. 23 deadline.
Federal deficit to pass $3 trillion for second year, economic growth higher than expected
After a year of immense spending during the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic downturn, the federal deficit is projected to hit $3 trillion for the second year in a row, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
