WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump, emboldened by Republican election wins in the Senate and scornful of GOP candidates he felt didn’t sufficiently embrace his support, delivered a stark warning to the new Democratic House majority on Wednesday: Investigate me, and I’ll investigate you — and the government will grind to a halt. Noting that […]
Congress
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Kavanaugh pledges to be 'team player' on Supreme Court
WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh promised Tuesday to be a “team player” if confirmed to the closely divided court, declaring that he will be a “pro-law judge” who won’t decide cases based on his personal views. With Republicans hoping to move the Supreme Court to the right for years to come, President […]
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Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Donald Trump threatens government shutdown over border security
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans anxious about keeping control of Congress think it’s a bad idea, but President Donald Trump still says he’s willing to close the government over border security issues, including money he wants to build a promised U.S.-Mexico border wall. “I would be willing to ‘shut down’ government if the Democrats do not […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Collins says no to any Supreme Court nominee who shows 'hostility to Roe v. Wade'
WASHINGTON — Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a key swing vote on President Donald Trump’s next Supreme Court pick, said Sunday that she would not vote for any judge who wanted to end access to abortion in the United States by overturning Roe v. Wade. “I would not support a nominee who demonstrated hostility to Roe […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Donald Trump tells GOP to 'stop wasting their time' on immigration
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday told his fellow Republicans in Congress to “stop wasting their time” on immigration legislation until after November, dismissing his party’s struggle to surmount internal divisions. Trump’s tweets come just days after he insisted Congress act to resolve the problems at the U.S.-Mexico border. But stubborn differences between […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine voters soon to decide fate of ranked-choice voting
Maine voters will finally get their chance to try out the hotly debated ranked-choice voting system when they head to the polls to select party nominees for governor, Congress and the Legislature on June 12. While they’re in the voting booth, Mainers will also face Question 1 on their ballots, asking them if they want […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Dem, GOP leaders to get classified briefing on Russia probe
WASHINGTON (AP) — House and Senate lawmakers from both parties are set to meet with top intelligence officials Thursday as President Donald Trump raises new suspicions about the federal investigation into his 2016 campaign. Trump is calling his newest attempt at discrediting special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation “spygate.” In recent days, he has been […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
EPA chief Scott Pruitt faces Capitol Hill grilling over ethical missteps
WASHINGTON (AP) — Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt faces potentially make-or-break hearings Thursday on Capitol Hill, where he is expected to be peppered with questions about spending and ethics scandals that have triggered bipartisan calls for his ouster. Pruitt was scheduled to testify about his agency’s budget in back-to-back hearings before two House subcommittees. […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Ronny Jackson, White House doctor, fights to save imperiled VA bid
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Wednesday launched an all-out defense of Ronny Jackson’s nomination to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs amid concerns by Congress that President Donald Trump had not properly vetted him or others. Jackson is fighting to salvage his imperiled nomination as more details emerge about accusations from his time […]
Posted inLetters, sj-web
Classist government policies
If President Trump’s proposed overhaul to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is implemented (under the guise of a “harvest box”) there will be a decrease in individual consumer autonomy which would hurt the economy. This hypocritical over-extension is a gross effort to cut the federal deficit through the wrong avenues. Instead of aiming to cut […]