Category: Senate

Senate Approves $895B Defense Bill Despite Democrat Opposition To Youth ‘Trans Care’ Ban

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 17: Incoming U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) (R) speaks to reporters following the weekly Senate luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on December 17, 2024 in Washington, DC. Thune spoke on the passing of the National Defense Authorization Act and the upcoming government funding bill. Thune was joined by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) (L) and Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY). (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Incoming U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) (R) speaks to reporters following the weekly Senate luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on December 17, 2024 in Washington, DC. Thune spoke on the passing of the National Defense Authorization Act and the upcoming government funding bill. Thune was joined by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) (L) and Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY). (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

OAN Staff James Meyers
1:52 PM – Wednesday, December 18, 2024

The Senate approved the Pentagon’s massive $895 billion annual budget on Wednesday, which also prohibits the use of federal funds to provide transgender surgeries for minors with gender dysphoria, angering pro-LGBTQ Democrats.

In an 85-to-14 vote, the Senate passed the 1,800-page National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which had cleared the House of Representatives last week and now just needs President Joe Biden’s signature. 

At the start of every new fiscal year on October 1st, Congress is tasked with passing the NDAA to authorize defense spending and specify expenditures. This year’s bill, which comes more than two months late, amounts to a 1% uptick over last year’s budget. 

The bill also features a 4.5% pay hike for service members across the board at the start of 2025. 

While NDAAs historically garner bipartisan support, Republicans were able to successfully throw out the bill’s provision on child transgenderism, which Democrats uplifted.

GOP officials argue that since a child’s brain doesn’t stop developing throughout their teens and mid-20s, with many “phases” and confusion naturally experienced throughout their childhood, it’s ethically wrong to allow under-18 minors to permanently alter their bodies forever due to a mental disorder.

The new NDAA blocks the military’s health care service Tricare from footing the bill for “gender transition” coverage pertaining to service members’ children under the age of 18. All 21 Senate Democrats were against the provision change.  

Led by Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), she claimed that the transgender policy could have an impact on an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 gender dysphoric children of service members. 

According to the Modern Military Association of America, there are close to “10,000 transgender youth ages 6 to 22” with parents active in the military. 

Besides the transgender provisions, the NDAA aimed to improve conditions for service members, including a 14.5% bump for junior troops in a bid to help recruitment efforts. An amendment was also added to the bill that would authorize the Department Of Defense (DoD) to safeguard the border from drones, which comes after the recent arrival of drones in the Northeast. 

“Murderous drug cartels and foreign adversaries have taken advantage of the chaos of the last administration to fly drones unchecked into American airspace,” Ernst said in a statement.

“Border security is national security, and Americans deserve real measures to protect them against a growing threat.”

Additionally, the measure enables the use of the National Guard to help support efforts to control the crossing of illegal immigrants across the U.S.-Mexico border. Hiring individuals based on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) will also be prohibited until the DoD is able to conclude its investigation of DEI programs. 

Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts

Pennsylvania’s Senate Recount Expected To Cost $1M

Poll workers demonstrate how ballots are are received, processed, scanned, and securely stored on Election Day at the Philadelphia Election Warehouse during a press tour by the Philadelphia City Commissioners on October 25, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Unverified claims of ballot tampering have already been made in Pennsylvania and other states ahead of the November 5th general election. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images)
Poll workers demonstrate how ballots are are received, processed, scanned, and securely stored on Election Day at the Philadelphia Election Warehouse during a press tour by the Philadelphia City Commissioners on October 25, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Unverified claims of ballot tampering have already been made in Pennsylvania and other states ahead of the November 5th general election. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images)

OAN Staff Abril Elfi
4:35 PM – Monday, November 18, 2024

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/pennsylvanias-senate-recount-expected-to-cost-1m/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

The cost of Pennsylvania’s Senate recount is expected to cost around $1 million in federal funds.  

Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said that statewide recounts are triggered if the votes are within a 0.5% margin. 

Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Senate-elect David McCormick (R-Pa.) were separated by 0.43% votes, with a maximum of 80,000 provisional and mail-in ballots still left to be counted.

According to the Department of State, as of 4 p.m. local time on November 14th, Casey received 48.53% of the vote with 3,359,086 votes, and McCormick had 48.90% with 3,385,115. 

Schmidt stated that the last recount in the state between McCormick and cardiothoracic surgeon Mehmet Oz, known on television as Dr. Oz, cost Pennsylvania taxpayers $1.053 million. 

In this case, about 7 million ballots will be subject to recount, and counties will begin counting on November 20th and must finish by November 26th at noon.  They also must report their data to Schmidt by November 27th at 12 p.m. 

During the recount, Schmidt said that counties will use “a different method or different equipment to tabulate the results” than they used in the initial tally to identify any potential issues. 

Schmidt also noted that the results of the recount will be published online on November 27th, the day before Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, the state website’s election returns page will be updated as counties update their unofficial vote tallies from the original count. These updates are separate from the recount.

Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Bryan Cutler slammed Casey for declining to waive the costly recount.

“Throughout his entire career, Sen. Casey has publicly called for the enforcement of the rule of law and the upholding of judicial norms,” said Cutler. “The facts and the law are clear: The election was free and fair; Dave McCormick is our new U.S. senator; a costly, statewide recount is unnecessary and duplicative; and Democrat-controlled counties are now openly defying the courts and the plain language of the election law to try and overturn a legal election result.”

Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts

Trump Victory, Senate Majority Assures 2nd Amendment Friendly Supreme Court

SEE: https://www.ammoland.com/2024/11/trump-victory-senate-majority-assures-2a-friendly-supreme-court; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:
Donald Trump IMG WhiteHouse-gov
Former and future President Donald J. Trump’s return to office will assure more 2A-friendly federal court nominations and a reversal of Joe Biden’s crusade against gun rights. (Donald Trump IMG WhiteHouse-gov)

The silver lining of Donald J. Trump’s re-election as the 47th President Tuesday is that for the next two, and possibly four years, he will be able to fill federal court vacancies, including any open seats on the U.S. Supreme Court, with Second Amendment-friendly judges and justices.

It was a repudiation of the policies of anti-gun President Joe Biden and his equally anti-gun Vice President Kamala Harris. It was also a triumph over Democrats from the Biden-Harris administration on down who have waged a war against the former president beginning when he first took office in 2017 and have not relented over the past four years in an effort to prevent him from running for another term.

Gun owners should expect the new Trump administration to quickly do a couple of things:

  • Abolish the Biden-Harris White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. This blatant creation of an internal administrative mini-bureaucracy whose only purpose was to lobby for stricter gun control laws was considered an open declaration of war on the Second Amendment and the nation’s gun owners.
  • Fire and replace ATF Director Steve Dettelbach. Install someone in that position who does know something about firearms, and who can tell the difference between honest American gun owners and violent criminals who belong in prison.

This person should quickly change policies regarding the regulation of traditional gun shows across the country.

Gun owners are also expecting President Trump to nominate a U.S. attorney general who directs his/her attention to prosecuting and imprisoning genuine violent criminals, rather than adopt and enforce policies designed to make criminals of law-abiding gun owners.

Here are a few suggestions for Republicans in the House and Senate:

  • Pass legislation prohibiting waiting periods for anyone with a concealed carry license or permit issued by any state.
  • Pass national reciprocity legislation, requiring states that do not already have so-called “constitutional carry” statutes to recognize carry permits/licenses issued by any other state.
  • Pass legislation allowing cross-state purchase of handguns, with enough funding to improve the FBI’s National Instant Check System (NICS). (After all, an individual who can pass a background check in his/her home state should be able to pass a background check in any state.)
  • Pass legislation requiring photo identification for voting. (People must show valid photo ID to open bank accounts, make major purchases, buy firearms and do all sorts of other things. It should be the same for voting in any election.)

It is clear gun owners in critical battleground states turned out to help move the vote for Trump and away from Harris, who could not shake her position on “mandatory buybacks” despite efforts by her campaign to walk it back.

As noted by Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, “In this election, the Democrats shot blanks and the voters buried their gun ban agenda. I bet they will double down on gun prohibition because they know that it was gun owners that removed them from power and they are gunning to get even. The fight to defend gun rights is not over and every gun owner who helped win this battle must remember that the war on gun rights is ongoing.”

One major disappointment came from the Pacific Northwest, where voters elected vehemently anti-gun Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson as the state’s next governor. He may have an awkward time of things, considering his history of filing lawsuits against the president-elect during his first term.

As noted by Fox News, Ferguson “came to national prominence by repeatedly suing the administration of former President Donald Trump, including bringing the lawsuit that blocked Trump’s initial travel ban on citizens of several majority-Muslim nations.”

Ferguson reminded his supporters of his history of litigating against Trump, beginning almost immediately after the president took office in 2017.

In his victory speech, Ferguson declared, “I will lead a government that protects our core freedoms.” That may not apply to Article I, Section 24 of the state constitution, which declares “The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired.” Yet Ferguson has lobbied for bans on so-called “assault weapons” and “large-capacity magazines.”

The concern now will be how fast Washington lawmakers move to make the Evergreen State just like New Jersey or California. Watch for an exodus of gun owners to neighboring Idaho, or states where they will be welcomed, such as Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona or Texas.

About Dave Workman

Dave Workman

Donald Trump Elected As The 47th President Of The United States & Republicans Win Control of the Senate~Newsmax First Network to Project Trump Winner

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 06: Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak with former first lady Melania Trump and Barron Trump during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on November 06, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Americans cast their ballots today in the presidential race between Republican nominee former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as multiple state elections that will determine the balance of power in Congress. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Donald Trump arrives to speak with former first lady Melania Trump and Barron Trump during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on November 06, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

OAN Staff Sophia Flores 
11:55 PM – Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Donald Trump has officially been elected the 47th president of the United States of America.

Trump was elected to the Oval Office in a landslide victory.

As of 11:50pm PST, Trump won 277 electoral votes, sending him over the needed 270 to clinch the White House. In addition to winning the most electoral votes, he won the popular vote. A Republican has not won the popular vote since George W. Bush in 2004.

Additionally, Trump would be the second president in history to serve two nonconsecutive terms. The last president to do so was former Democrat President Grover Cleveland in 1892.

This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.

Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts

_________________________________________________________

WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 06: The United States Capitol is seen on August 6, 2020 in Washington, DC. Negotiations between U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) for a new COVID-19 relief package are expected to continue today. (Photo by Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images)
The United States Capitol is seen on August 6, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images)

OAN Staff Sam Valk
10:30 PM – Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Republicans have flipped control of the United States Senate for the first time since 2018.

Ohio GOP nominee Bernie Moreno defeated 18-year Senator Sherrod Brown, while Montana nominee Tim Sheehy defeated incumbent Jon Tester.

On top of Republicans picking up West Virginia’s Senate seat, they now hold 51-seats in the upper chamber.

The win means that Democrat leader Chuck Schumer will no longer be the Senate majority leader after January.

This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.

Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts

_______________________________________________________

Newsmax First Network to Project Trump Winner

Newsmax projected Donald Trump the winner of the presidency, the first network to do so.

Newsmax made the projection at 1:23 a.m. ET, beating all major news networks.

The projection came minutes after Newsmax called the state of Pennsylvania for Trump.

The Pennsylvania win gave him the magic 270 electoral votes, making him the 47th President of the United States.

"The Pennsylvania race was extremely close, but it became clear that there was no pathway for Kamala Harris to overcome President Trump's lead," Gary Kanofsky, Senior Vice President of News at Newsmax, said.

"We kept crunching the data and it became obvious as more votes came in that Donald Trump had established an insurmountable lead. That's when we were confident it was time to make the call."

Other networks followed Newsmax's lead, including Fox News, which called the race for Trump a half hour later.

Trump beat Kamala Harris after picking up key victories in swing states Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

Georgia in picking Trump became the first to flip from the 2020 results. Joe Biden narrowly carried Georgia in 2020, but Republicans have won every other Georgia presidential vote since 1996.

Harris and Trump had their eyes on seven battleground states before the election: Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Nevada.

Trump took North Carolina first, followed by Georgia, Pennsylvania and then Wisconsin.

_____________________________________________________________

LIVE: President Trump Addresses the Nation After Winning the 2024 Presidential Election - 11/5/24

Senate Report: USSS Agent in Charge Withheld Threat Info at Trump’s Butler, PA Rally

BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump is whisked away by Secret Service after shots rang out at a campaign rally at Butler Farm Show Inc. on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump slumped and injuries were visible to the side of his head. Butler County district attorney Richard Goldinger said the shooter and one audience member are dead and another was injured. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump is whisked away by the Secret Service after shots rang out at a campaign rally at Butler Farm Show Inc. on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)

OAN Staff Blake Wolf
11:47 AM – Thursday, September 26, 2024

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/senate-report-usss-agent-in-charge-knew-of-threat-at-trumps-butler-rally-didnt-inform-superiors/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

A new Senate report has revealed that the U.S. Secret Service agent in charge of former President Donald Trump’s July 13th Butler, Pennsylvania, rally was aware of “credible intelligence” regarding a dire security threat, yet did not pass the information on to event planners or her supervisor.

The Wednesday report, released by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, found that the Secret Service’s lead agent in charge of the Trump rally had stated in a security planning document that there was “no adverse intelligence” regarding Trump’s Butler rally, despite her own “prior knowledge of an unspecified threat.”

Additionally, the advance agent in question reportedly told Senate investigators that she had notified the special agent in charge (SAIC) of the Secret Service’s Pittsburgh field office regarding the “credible intelligence” prior to the rally. However, after contacting Pittsburgh’s SAIC and speaking to him directly, he disputed her claims and informed Senate officials that he was not informed and had no knowledge of this.

Pittsburgh SAIC then told investigators that if he had known about the threat, the rally would have most likely moved to an indoor location in order to mitigate the potential risk.

The 94-page report also cited security failures, which included: a lack of chain of command, poor coordination between state and local law enforcement, insufficient equipment and resources, and a failure to effectively secure the site of the rally.

Gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, came within millimeters of killing the former president on live television. Crooks climbed on top of a nearby building and, soon after, fired eight gunshots from his AK-47 style firearm in Trump’s direction. Nonetheless, the gunman only hit Trump in the side of his right ear, as the former president had turned and moved his head at the exact timing of the gunshots.

However, 50-year-old rally goer Corey Comperatore and two others were not so lucky. Comperatore passed away that day after being hit by a barrage of bullets, while the other two men were quickly rushed to the hospital.

In terms of the Senate report, it also revealed that counter snipers were on site due to this exact “credible intelligence” of a threat, yet the majority of Secret Service personnel who spoke to the committee still claimed that they had been unaware of the threat.

Secret Service agents said that they “could not identify” who had the final authority to make decisions during the Trump event.

“It was almost like an ‘Abbott and Costello’ farce with ‘who’s on first’ finger pointing by all of the different actors,” stated Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), “It was really truth being stranger than fiction.”

“Every single one of these actions is directly related to a failure in the U.S. Secret Service’s planning, communications, intelligence sharing and law enforcement coordination efforts,” Chairman Gary Peters stated on Tuesday. “Every single one of these failures was preventable, and the consequences of those failures were dire.”

Despite egregious mistakes by the lead agent and other Secret Service members, they still refused to accept any responsibility when questioned by investigators on the security failure findings.

The lead agent’s identity has not been made public, however, during a July hearing with Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) stated “I know their name,” referencing the lead agent.

Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi also stated that the agency reviewed the report and agreed that the committee’s findings aligned with many of the Secret Service’s “Mission Assurance Review,” revealing multiple communication issues as well as a lack of “due diligence.”

“The weight of our mission is not lost on us and in this hyperdynamic threat environment, the U.S. Secret Service cannot fail,” Guglielmi stated. “Many of the insights gained from the Senate report aligned with the findings from our mission assurance review and are essential to ensuring that what happened on July 13 never happens again.”

The committee has reportedly completed 12 interviews, reviewed roughly 2,800 documents, and conducted a walkthrough inspection at the Butler rally site, with additional interviews expected in the coming weeks.

Committee aides have not confirmed if the probe will expand or continue, looking into the second assassination attempt, which took place earlier this month at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf club. However, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced at a recent Justice Department event that the DOJ will “waste no resources” in the agency’s investigation of the second incident.

“We’ve put a lot of meat on the bones here, but we are a long way from getting the information we need,” stated Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), a member of the investigation subcommittee.

Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts

United States Senate wants $500 MILLION TO BUYOUT US FARMS

Government agencies acquiring farmland due to chemical contamination concerns, leading to potential nationwide implementation. 0:00 Senate seeks funding to purchase farmland from U.S. farmers. 0:44 Government agencies are pushing for a buyback program, raising concerns about narrative control. 04:23 Government agencies acquiring farmland due to chemical contamination concerns, leading to potential nationwide implementation. 08:07 Organic farms contaminated with PFAS due to nearby sewage sludge usage. 12:17 Complexity of the proposed government program to address the farm crisis causing panic and concern. 16:21 Concerns over government control, farm shutdowns, and global agendas impacting food security.

Legislation allowing doctor-assisted suicide narrowly clears Delaware House, heads to state Senate

A bill allowing doctor-assisted suicide in Delaware has narrowly cleared the Democrat-led House and now goes to the state Senate for consideration.

DOVER, Del. -- A bill allowing doctor-assisted suicide in Delaware narrowly cleared the Democrat-led House on Thursday and now goes to the state Senate for consideration.

The bill is the latest iteration of legislation that has been repeatedly introduced by Newark Democrat Paul Baumbach since 2015, and it is the only proposal to make it to a floor vote. After lengthy debate, lawmakers voted 21-16 for the measure, which needed at least 21 affirmative votes for passage.

Among those voting for the bill was Republican Rep. Kevin Hensley of Townsend, who voted against the proposal in previous legislative sessions.

“I did not get confused,” Hensley assured fellow lawmakers after the vote. Hensley said his perspective on the issue changed after his mother, who lives in California, opted for physician-assisted suicide a year ago.

“This was probably one of the toughest votes I’ve ever had to make,” said Hensley, the only GOP lawmaker to vote for the bill.

California is one of 10 states, along with the District of Columbia, that have laws legalizing medically assisted suicide.

Several Republican lawmakers expressed ethical concerns about the Delaware legislation. They also questioned the need for it, given advances in hospice and palliative care in recent years.

Baumbach said the measures are not intended to replace palliative or hospice care, but to complement them. Data from other states indicate that hospice care is involved in the vast majority of cases involving doctor-assisted suicide, he added.

Baumbach said the “end-of-life option” offered in the bill gives terminally ill individuals certainty that they can choose to end their pain if it becomes greater than what hospice or palliative care can alleviate.

“This puts the choice in the dying person’s hands to determine whether or not they wish to self-administer the medicine,” he said.

The legislation allows an adult resident of Delaware who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and is expected to die within six months to request lethal prescription drugs from a doctor or advanced practice registered nurse who has primary responsibility for the terminal illness. A consulting physician or nurse would have to confirm the diagnosis and prognosis of the patient, who must have “decision-making capacity.”

The patient would have to be evaluated by a psychiatrist or a psychologist if any of the medical professionals involved are concerned that he or she lacks decision-making capacity. A person also would not qualify for doctor-assisted suicide solely because of age or disability.

The patient would have to make two oral requests for a lethal prescription, followed by a written request, and would have to wait at least 15 days after the initial request before receiving the drugs. The attending doctor or nurse would have to wait at least 48 hours after the written request, which must be signed by two witnesses before prescribing the drugs.

The bill states that any provision in a contract, will, or any other agreement that would affect whether an individual could make or rescind a request for lethal prescription “is not valid.” It also states that requesting, prescribing or dispensing the lethal medication “does not, for any purpose, constitute elder abuse, suicide, assisted-suicide, homicide, or euthanasia.”

The legislation goes further to assert that the act of killing oneself with self-administered prescription medication does not invalidate any part of an insurance policy or annuity.

Josh Hawley GOES OFF on HHS for 85,000 Unaccompanied Migrant Children, abused, forced to work in sweatshops

During the testimony of federal officials on the situation of unaccompanied migrant children, Robin Dunn Marcos faced criticism from Josh Hawley and Lindsey Graham. Seema Nanda, the solicitor of labor for the U.S. Labor Department, revealed to the Senate Judiciary Committee that there has been an 88% increase in the number of children employed illegally since 2019. Along with representatives from the State, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services Departments, Ms. Nanda discussed various aspects related to the well-being and safety of unaccompanied minors at the border. These included resource requirements, border security, enforcement of child labor laws, and the provision of care and services for these children, as well as protocols for identifying and assisting trafficked minors.

McConnell Stepping Down As Senate GOP Leader

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 7: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on March 7, 2023 in Washington, DC. McConnell spoke on a range of issues after a closed-door lunch meeting with Senate Republicans. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on March 7, 2023 in Washington, DC. McConnell spoke on a range of issues after a closed-door lunch meeting with Senate Republicans. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

OAN’s Sophia Flores
9:35 AM – Wednesday, February 28, 2024

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/mcconnell-stepping-down-as-senate-gop-leader/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

The longest serving Senate leader in history, Mitch McConnell, is set to step down from his position in November.

McConnell (R-Ky.), announced the news on Wednesday afternoon in the well of the Senate. A place he first became acquainted to in 1985.

“One of life’s most underappreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter,” he said in prepared remarks obtained by The Associated Press. “So I stand before you today … to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate.”

“As I have been thinking about when I would deliver some news to the Senate, I always imagined a moment when I had total clarity and peace about the sunset of my work,” McConnell said in his prepared remarks. “A moment when I am certain I have helped preserve the ideals I so strongly believe. It arrived today.”

While McConnell will be stepping down as the GOP leader, he plans to serve out his Senate term. It concludes in January 2027.

This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.

Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts

Biden Unfit for Oval Office: Speaker Johnson Shuts Down Senate Bill, Blasts President

In a bold move that underscores his commitment to America First principles, Speaker Johnson has put a stop to a Senate bill that sought to funnel billions in foreign aid, sidestepping critical domestic issues such as border security. This special report dives into the fiery press conference where Johnson didn't just shut down the bill but also blasted President Biden for his mishandling of classified information and overall incompetence. Johnson's stance sends a clear message: American leadership must prioritize the needs of its people over international aid. This report unpacks the implications of Johnson's actions, the reactions it has sparked, and what this means for the future of American policy and leadership. Don't miss our Final Thought, where we tie everything together, revealing why this moment is crucial for every American.

Senate Border Deal Will Also Legalize All the Afghans Biden Brought to U.S.

By

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2024/02/senate-border-deal-will-also-legalize-all-the-afghans-biden-brought-to-u-s; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

At least 11,110 had fake birthdays.

Biden brought tens of thousands of Afghans to America. These were not for the most part “allies” or anyone who had worked with us. They were just the ones who made it to the airport and if anyone vetted them, it was only the Taliban who controlled access.

Biden brought them in and the Senate keeps trying to legalize them even though there’s no basis for it.

At the last count, around 36,000 Afghans or 40% of the “refugees” had no legal basis for being evacuated even after the Biden administration and its congressional allies, both Democrat and Republican, watered down standards for applying for SIV visas so much that virtually any Afghan employed in any capacity by any contractors, charities, or even the media qualified.

The proposed Afghan Adjustment Act would grant the Afghan migrants, at least 36,000 of them, permanent legal residency and put them on a pathway to demanding citizenship.

Tens of thousands of Afghans have been turned loose on “humanitarian parole” for two years, which gives the refugee resettlement organizations handling their cases plenty of time to figure out some basis for applying for a more permanent asylum, but they don’t want to follow the law.

Why not?

Despite the virtual lack of vetting, hundreds of Afghan migrants are being flagged as security risks. 50 believed to be security risks were already released into the country and the majority of them are in the wind. Four have already been involved in sexual assault cases. Considering how much the Afghans have misbehaved in so little time, refugee resettlement contractors are understandably worried that much more damaging information will come out after two years.

All of that was in 2022. It’s two years later and the clock is ticking. And as part of the border deal, they’ll be legalized.

The bill would also provide a pathway to conditional, lawful, permanent residency for vetted Afghan nationals who were admitted or paroled into the U.S. after July 2021.

NBC News repeats the ‘Afghan Allies’ lie. The Afghan allies got visas. They are not allies. They’re Afghan migrants flown in and dumped into America.

And they’ve been making life worse for Americans ever since they got here.

Vetting is a joke. Literally.