Majority Leader Charles Schumer Chuck Schumer Overnight Energy: Schumer to trigger reconciliation process Wednesday | Bipartisan bill would ban 'forever chemicals' in cosmetics | Biden admin eyes step toward Trump-era proposal for uranium reserve GOP senator: I want to make Biden a 'one-half-term president' How Biden can get the infrastructure bill through Congress MORE (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday vowed that the Senate will vote on repealing the 2002 Iraq War authorization, marking the first time he has announced his support for the measure. “The Iraq War has been over for nearly a decade and authorization passed in 2002 is no longer necessary in 2021. ...It no longer serves a vital purpose in our fight against violent extremists,” Schumer said from the Senate floor. “I strongly and fully support repealing the 2002 authorization for the use of military force in Iraq,” he said. “It is my intention as majority leader to bring this matter to a floor vote this … [Read more...]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer are endorsing efforts to terminate the 2002 authorization of military force against Iraq, a step that supporters say is necessary to constrain presidential war powers even though it is unlikely to affect U.S. military operations around the world. Schumer announced Wednesday he intends to bring repeal legislation to the Senate floor this year. “The Iraq War has been over for nearly a decade,” Schumer said. “The authorization passed in 2002 is no longer necessary in 2021.” The White House said in a statement earlier this week it supports the legislation, which the House is expected to pass on Thursday, and stressed that no ongoing military activities are reliant upon the 2002 authorization. It also said that President Joe Biden is committed to working with Congress to replace outdated authorizations of military force with narrower frameworks designed to ensure the U.S. can protect Americans from terrorist … [Read more...]

Business groups are urging President Biden Joe Biden Mellman: Trump voters cling to 2020 tale FDA authorizes another batch of J&J vaccine Cotton warns of China collecting athletes' DNA at 2022 Olympics MORE and Congress to push forward on bipartisan infrastructure negotiations, as talks begin to unravel. Chief executives at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable and National Association of Manufacturers released a joint statement Wednesday saying there is a “clear path forward for bipartisan agreement on meaningful infrastructure legislation.” “A bipartisan deal is within reach, and at a time when our competitiveness around the globe is at stake,” the executives said. “Congress and the Administration should continue bipartisan negotiations and pursue a regular order process. Now is the time to do the right thing for the country – not fall further behind.” ADVERTISEMENT Their push for a bipartisan bill comes as many Democratic … [Read more...]

Sen. Joe Manchin Joe Manchin Progressives rave over Harrison's start at DNC US, EU pledge to work together on climate amid reported dissension on coal Senate to hold hearing on DC statehood bill MORE (D-W.Va.) has given Democrats hope he could vote for a scaled-down version of S. 1, a sweeping election reform bill that Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer Chuck Schumer Overnight Energy: Schumer to trigger reconciliation process Wednesday | Bipartisan bill would ban 'forever chemicals' in cosmetics | Biden admin eyes step toward Trump-era proposal for uranium reserve GOP senator: I want to make Biden a 'one-half-term president' How Biden can get the infrastructure bill through Congress MORE (D-N.Y.) plans to bring to the floor next week. Manchin said Wednesday that he has shared a list of demands with Schumer ahead of a Senate Democratic caucus meeting planned for Wednesday on how to build Democratic unity behind the legislation. … [Read more...]

Sen. Joe Manchin Joe Manchin Progressives rave over Harrison's start at DNC US, EU pledge to work together on climate amid reported dissension on coal Senate to hold hearing on DC statehood bill MORE (D-W.Va.) on Wednesday said he will not guarantee he'll support a fast-track process for a sweeping infrastructure package, rejecting a key demand by progressive senators who want such a pledge in order to support a smaller bipartisan deal. Manchin stressed he hasn't decided whether he'll support reconciliation, a process that will let Democrats bypass the 60-vote filibuster, for a massive infrastructure package. But rejected the notion of horse-trading his vote in advance. "I would never ask any of my colleagues for an iron-clad commitment ... and I expect the same from them," Manchin said, asked about the push from his progressive colleagues for an iron-clad guarantee. ADVERTISEMENT Pressed if he was saying he couldn't commit to supporting … [Read more...]

Lawmakers including multiple 2020 White House candidates are seizing on the U.S. women's national soccer team's battle for salaries equal to their male counterparts’ to push for pay equity legislation. The effort come after the U.S. women's team won the first game of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup on Tuesday with a crushing 13-0 victory over Thailand and drew the issue into the national spotlight. ADVERTISEMENT The women's team is currently engaged in a gender discrimination lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation over the organization paying male players far more than women, even though the men's team has been far less successful. The men's team did not qualify for their last World Cup tournament, while the women's team won the championship in 2015. House Democrats passed legislation, titled the Paycheck Fairness Act, in March that would require employers to prove that pay disparities aren't rooted in gender discrimination and ban asking prospective … [Read more...]

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved two of President Biden Joe Biden Mellman: Trump voters cling to 2020 tale FDA authorizes another batch of J&J vaccine Cotton warns of China collecting athletes' DNA at 2022 Olympics MORE 's nominees to serve in the nation's top cybersecurity positions. The committee approved former National Security Agency (NSA) Deputy Director Chris Inglis to serve in the newly created national cyber director role at the White House, and approved former NSA official Jen Easterly to serve as director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). While the nominations advanced unanimously, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said following the vote that he intended to place a hold on Easterly’s nomination and others until Biden visits the U.S.-Mexico border to address a surge in migration. ADVERTISEMENT “I clearly support Jen Easterly to be the … [Read more...]

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen Janet Louise Yellen On The Money: Schumer to trigger reconciliation process on Wednesday | Four states emerge as test case for cutting off jobless benefits The Hill's 12:30 Report: Biden readies for Putin meeting Watch live: Harris, Yellen deliver remarks on aid to small businesses MORE said Wednesday that the disclosure of confidential taxpayer data to ProPublica is a "very serious situation" and that she'd keep Congress updated on investigations into the matter. “This was a very serious situation, and I and the Treasury Department take very seriously the protection of government data,” Yellen said during a Senate Finance Committee hearing. She said that the issue has been referred to the Treasury inspector general and the Department of Justice. She also said IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig and the Treasury inspector general for tax administration are looking into the matter. ADVERTISEMENT ProPublica last week … [Read more...]