Fifteen Senate Republicans have signed a ‘Dear Colleague’ letter pledging to oppose lifting the earmark ban that has been a Senate GOP conference rule since 2010. Republican senators are expected to vote by secret ballot on the issue Wednesday. Senate Republicans will take up the issue after the House Republican Conference voted in March to lift the earmark ban it adopted in March of 2010, which effectively put a stop to lawmakers putting pet projects into spending bills. ADVERTISEMENT Sen. Mike Lee Michael (Mike) Shumway Lee Hillicon Valley: Apple approves Parler's return to App Store | White House scales back response to SolarWinds, Microsoft incidents | Pressure mounts on DHS over relationship with Clearview AI 15 Senate Republicans pledge to oppose lifting earmark ban Apple approves Parler's return to App Store MORE (Utah) and 14 other Senate Republicans on Monday informed colleagues they “stand committed to the ban on earmarks.” “We will not … [Read more...] about 15 Senate Republicans pledge to oppose lifting earmark ban
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DeSantis embraces YouTube alternative as conservatives battle Big Tech
close Video '60 Minutes' story made Ron DeSantis a 2024 frontrunner: Joe Concha Fox News contributor Joe Concha says Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis could be the 47th president after the botched '60 Minutes' story. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is embracing a YouTube alternative after the Google-owned platform removed a video featuring the Republican governor and public health experts, claiming they shared misinformation. As conservatives battle Big Tech, claiming censorship of right-leaning ideas and posts on platforms, DeSantis is taking his messaging to a new platform – Rumble – a Toronto-based video-sharing platform that launched in 2013 with the focus of helping "small and independent video creators" grow their footprint and their audience. FLORIDA GOV. RON DESANTIS CRITICIZES GOOGLE, YOUTUBE CENSORSHIP POLICIES AS 'ORWELLIAN' DeSantis posted his first video to the platform on April 15, titled "Gov. DeSantis Fights Back Against Big Tech … [Read more...] about DeSantis embraces YouTube alternative as conservatives battle Big Tech
White House Reportedly Changes Mind On Prior Marijuana Use, Excludes Multiple Prospective Staffers
The White House reportedly changed its mind on allowing individuals who had smoked marijuana to serve in the Biden administration, affecting multiple staffers who had disclosed previous usage. Biden campaigned on decriminalizing marijuana use, and initially suggested that potential staffers would not be disqualified for consideration based on past use. However, multiple staffers who disclosed previous use have been placed in remote work environments, suspended or asked to resign, according to The Daily Beast. Big story here. After saying that marijuana use wouldn’t be disqualifying for a White House position, dozens have been barred from serving because they disclosed marijuana use. https://t.co/LPimvoTpD2 — Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) March 19, 2021 The Biden administration decided in February to waive the requirement that White House staffers obtain a Top Secret security clearance, NBC News reported . The move was designed to ensure that “applicants with … [Read more...] about White House Reportedly Changes Mind On Prior Marijuana Use, Excludes Multiple Prospective Staffers
Senators Lambast Obama Administration For Flouting International Drug Conventions
Sens. Chuck Grassley and Dianne Feinstein are blasting the Obama administration for not enforcing federal marijuana law, a decision they say puts the U.S. in conflict with the U.N. Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, and Feinstein, a Democrat from California, wrote a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of State John Kerry demanding an answer as to why the Department of Justice and the State Department have adopted “flexible interpretations” of the United Nations Conventions on Narcotic Drugs. The senators point out that it’s difficult for the United States to maintain a hard stance on drug trafficking abroad while turning a blind eye to marijuana legalization in Washington, Colorado, Oregon and Alaska. “Indeed, we are concerned that these policies suggest that the United States will be reluctant to publicly criticize the drug control policies of countries that violate the U.N. Conventions going forward, and that the United States’ silence could be perceived as … [Read more...] about Senators Lambast Obama Administration For Flouting International Drug Conventions
Senate GOP faces post-Trump spending brawl
Republicans are bracing for a fierce fight over spending as the party tries to figure out its post-Trump identity. GOP senators this week will wade into two major sources of division in the conference: whether to nix an earmark ban, one of the few remaining vestiges of the Tea Party years, and whether to adopt a caucus rule that endorses offsetting any increase in the debt ceiling with spending cuts. The looming standoff comes after Republicans embraced big budgets under former President Trump Donald Trump House votes to condemn Chinese government over Hong Kong Former Vice President Walter Mondale dies at age 93 White House readies for Chauvin verdict MORE , who signaled support for getting rid of the debt ceiling and urged GOP lawmakers to go bigger in the final round of coronavirus relief passed while he was in office. ADVERTISEMENT Sen. John Thune John Randolph Thune The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Facebook - All US … [Read more...] about Senate GOP faces post-Trump spending brawl