White House news

• Biden compounds his baby formula problems

  02-06-2022 23:51 via thehill.com
  
  The White House has compounded its problems – again – this time in addressing a baby formula shortage that President Biden admitted he was not personally aware of until months after the shutdown of a plant that manufactured a significant chunk of the nation’s products.Biden’s admission that he wasn’t aware of the gravity of the situation until April, when store shelves were already empty, confounded some observers who saw it as a political mistake that made the opt
  
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• Pelosi says House will vote on gun package next week

  02-06-2022 23:28 via thehill.com
  
  Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday announced the House will vote on a sweeping gun package next week, less than a month after two mass shootings that killed more than 30 people in Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas.The package, which the House Judiciary Committee marked up on Thursday, would raise the age requirement for purchasing semi-automatic weapons from 18 to 21 years old, prohibit civilian use of high-capacity magazines and bump stocks and mandate that purchases of so-called ghost
  
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• GOP lawmaker pulls guns during markup

  02-06-2022 23:16 via thehill.com
  
  Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) pulled out a collection of handguns during a House Judiciary Committee markup on Thursday on measures aimed at preventing gun violence, prompting concern from Democrats on the committee.
  “I hope the gun is not loaded,” Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) interjected as Steube made a point.  “I’m in my house, I can do whatever I want with my guns,” Steube shot back.Steube was not at the Capitol with other lawmakers but was attending the h
  
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• 21 Democrats ask leaders to split up gun package

  02-06-2022 22:42 via thehill.com
  
  A group of 21 House Democrats led by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) is asking leadership to split up a package of eight gun bills and hold individual votes on each measure, in hopes of maximizing Republican support for each as they head to the Senate.In a Thursday letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), the 21 Democrats suggested that some of the measures may
  
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• White House touts Biden: He’s beaten gun lobby before

  02-06-2022 22:21 via thehill.com
  
  The White House touted President Biden’s history on gun issues, signaling optimism that gun control legislation can get done in the wake of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas .“He’s done this before,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Thursday. “He has beat the gun lobby before.”Her comments come as Biden is set to deliver a prime-time speech on Thursday evening about gun control.“So tonight, you’ll hear from him. I
  
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• Biden lays groundwork for risky meeting with Saudis

  02-06-2022 20:51 via thehill.com
  
  President Biden and his officials are laying the groundwork for a high-profile meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, reversing course on the campaign promise to isolate the powerful Gulf figure.Tensions between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia are at a high over a range of issues, from the Saudi government’s repression of opposition and its role in the killing of a Washington Post opinion journalist, to Riyadh’s role in the war on Yemen.Families of victims of the September 11
  
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• McBath references late son at gun markup: ‘I know that phone call’

  02-06-2022 20:31 via thehill.com
  
  Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.) on Thursday reflected on the phone call parents in Uvalde, Texas, received last week with news that their children had died in a school shooting, adding, “I know that phone call” — referring to the death of her son, who was fatally shot in 2012.The comment was made during a House Judiciary Committee markup for a package of gun-related bills, which Democrats are looking to push through the lower chamber following mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y., and Uval
  
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• McBath references late son at gun hearing: ‘I know that phone call’

  02-06-2022 20:31 via thehill.com
  
  Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.) on Thursday reflected on the phone call parents in Uvalde, Texas, received last week with news that their children had died in a school shooting, adding “I know that phone call” — referring to the death of her son, who was fatally shot in 2012.The comment was made during a House Judiciary Committee markup for a package of gun-related bills, which Democrats are looking to push through the lower chamber following mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvald
  
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• Gohmert fires back at Democrats on gun debate: ‘You think we don’t have hearts?’

  02-06-2022 19:20 via thehill.com
  
  Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) fired back at Democrats during a markup on Thursday, slamming his colleagues across the aisle for claims their criticism of Republicans during the ongoing gun legislation debate.
  The comments came during a House Judiciary Committee markup of a package of bills that seek to tighten gun control measures in the U.S., including raising the age to purchase semi-automatic rifles to 21 years old and placing restrictions on high-capacity magazines.“I don't think that i
  
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• Biden approval rating rises 6 points from record low: poll

  02-06-2022 19:02 via thehill.com
  
  President Biden’s approval rating among Americans has risen six percentage points this week, after recording his lowest approval rating in his presidency a week prior, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll. The new poll, published on Wednesday, found that 42 percent of respondents approve of the job Biden is doing as president. That number is up from a record low of a 36 percent approval rating from the public last week. Fifty-two percent of respondents disapprove of the
  
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• Biden to deliver primetime speech about gun control

  02-06-2022 18:58 via thehill.com
  
  President Biden will deliver a speech in prime time about the need for gun reform on Thursday evening, remarks that were hastily added to the White House schedule after another mass shooting grabbed headlines.  The White House said in updated guidance that Biden “will deliver remarks on the recent tragic mass shootings, and the need to pass commonsense laws to combat the epidemic of gun violence that is taking lives every day.”  Biden called for action on gun reform followi
  
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• Biden to deliver prime-time speech about gun control

  02-06-2022 18:58 via thehill.com
  
  President Biden will deliver a speech in prime time Thursday about the need for gun reform, remarks that were hastily added to the White House schedule after another mass shooting grabbed headlines.  The White House said in updated guidance that Biden “will deliver remarks on the recent tragic mass shootings, and the need to pass commonsense laws to combat the epidemic of gun violence that is taking lives every day.”  Biden called for action on gun reform following mass sho
  
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• House Republicans unveil energy, climate strategy

  02-06-2022 18:55 via thehill.com
  
  House Republicans are launching a new energy and climate strategy as the party seeks to win over voters ahead of the midterm elections, though green groups have immediately criticized the plans as insufficient.Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), who leads the House GOP’s task force on energy, climate and conservation, told reporters Thursday that the plans being unveiled by the party are guided by affordability, emissions reduction and energy security."We are aggressively pursuing meeting this glo
  
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• House Democrats say Amazon obstructing probe into deadly warehouse collapse

  02-06-2022 18:48 via thehill.com
  
  Democrats on the House Oversight Committee said Amazon is obstructing their investigation into a deadly warehouse collapse by failing to send requested documents. Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) sent a letter to Amazon Thursday demanding the company comply with the committee’s request for documents about labor practices in place during a tornado that hit the company’s Edwardsville, Ill., fa
  
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• Nadler seeks to preempt GOP arguments on gun reform

  02-06-2022 18:16 via thehill.com
  
  House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) sought to preempt Republican arguments against new firearm legislation on Thursday, countering claims that video games or a lack of mental health care are driving the gun violence epidemic in the U.S.Nadler’s comments came as his panel marked up a package of gun bills in the wake of two mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas, that killed a combined 31 people — including 10 Black Americans and 19 elementary school stu
  
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• Biden administration touts infrastructure law in addressing supply chain issues, increasing goods

  02-06-2022 18:03 via thehill.com
  
  The Biden administration touted its infrastructure law and other previously allocated funding in addressing supply chain issues and increasing goods in Michigan in an op-ed published Thursday.White House infrastructure coordinator Mitch Landrieu and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who will be in the state on Thursday, penned an op-ed in the Detroit Free Press noting how federal funding was going toward improving infrastructure in the state, coming on the same day that the Biden administ
  
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• Nadler says assault weapons ban will hit House floor ‘if we have the votes’

  02-06-2022 17:49 via thehill.com
  
  The head of the House Judiciary Committee said Thursday that Democratic leaders will hold a vote on an assault weapons ban — if they have the support to pass it. Ahead of a special markup on gun reform legislation on Capitol Hill, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) ticked off the various proposals Democrats intend to bring to the floor next week. Those include “red flag” legislation and the package of eight different anti-gun violence measures the committee is marking up Thursda
  
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• Mastriano agrees to interview with Jan. 6 panel

  02-06-2022 16:37 via thehill.com
  
  Doug Mastriano, Pennsylvania’s Republican gubernatorial nominee, will testify before the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol about his role aiding the Trump campaign in challenging the results of the 2020 presidential election. The select House committee subpoenaed the Pennsylvania state lawmaker in February, citing his involvement in a plan to send an alternate slate of electors for some states in order to swing the 2020 election for former President Trump
  
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• Biden administration announces fresh round of Russia sanctions

  02-06-2022 16:30 via thehill.com
  
  The White House on Thursday announced fresh sanctions on Russia in an effort to further punish Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine and crackdown on attempts to evade existing penalties.New sanctions by the Treasury Department will target prominent Russian government and business officials, including Sergei Roldugin and his family members. Roldugin is a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin and manages Putin’s offshore finances, the White House said.Treasury will also target th
  
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• Former DHS secretary says graphic images 'required to awaken the public' on mass shootings

  02-06-2022 16:17 via thehill.com
  
  Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson in an op-ed published Wednesday argued that “something graphic is required to awaken the public to the real horror” on mass shootings after a deadly shooting in Uvalde, Texas left 21 dead at an elementary school.“I lack the moral standing to tell a parent to accept and approve, for the greater good, the public display of photos of his or her dead child. Only they can judge the additional weight that doing so would place on them, at
  
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• Watch live: House Judiciary Committee votes on gun control packages

  02-06-2022 15:31 via thehill.com
  
  The House Judiciary Committee will vote Thursday morning on the proposed gun control bill H.R. 7910, titled the “Protecting Our Kids Act.”Proceedings are scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m. ET.Watch the live video above.
  
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• Progressive Rep. Ro Khanna says Biden needs 'bolder' inflation plan

  02-06-2022 15:03 via thehill.com
  
  California Rep. Ro Khanna (D) wrote in an opinion piece published on Thursday calling for President Biden to have a "bolder" plan to address inflation.“I support the president’s efforts, but we need a bolder vision and faster action,” Khanna wrote in a New York Times opinion piece not long after Biden presented a plan to address inflation in the country. “To meet the moment, Mr. Biden should convene an emergency task force empowered to lower prices and address shorta
  
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• White House to pay interns for first time

  02-06-2022 14:45 via thehill.com
  
  The White House will pay its interns when it relaunches its internship program in the fall, calling it a "significant milestone" to provide opportunities to low-income students and increase diversity."Too often, unpaid federal internships have been a barrier to hardworking and talented students and professionals, preventing them from contributing their talents and skills to the country and holding them back from federal career advancement opportunities," the White House said in a statement.The W
  
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• Puerto Rico governor hopeful that status bill will move quickly through Congress

  02-06-2022 11:28 via thehill.com
  
  Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi (D) is hopeful that a House delegation due this weekend on the island will return to Washington, D.C., ready to quickly move a bill to update the U.S. territory's status. The delegation, led by House Natural Resources Committee Chair Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), will be in Puerto Rico to get feedback on a proposed bill introduced last month that would allow Puerto Ricans to vote between becoming a state, an independent nation or an independent nation
  
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• Haunted Democrats fear gun control measures could cost them in midterms

  02-06-2022 11:24 via thehill.com
  
  Democrats are haunted by political fears on the issue of gun control, making the party reluctant to completely stick its neck out on moves such as banning assault weapons.  More than 20 years after restrictions on guns were blamed in part on Al Gore's loss in the presidential race, many Democrats still worry that being too aggressive on gun control culd hurt the party’s candidates in purple states and House districts.  “If you’re someone like Raphael Warnock
  
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• Gun groups ready for aggressive effort against ‘red flag’ legislation

  02-06-2022 11:24 via thehill.com
  
  No-compromise gun rights groups are preparing to mount an aggressive campaign against any “red flag” legislation in Congress as a response to the elementary school massacre in Uvalde, Texas.Such measures appear to be gaining some steam as a potential compromise between Democrats and Republicans, but opponents hope to use the same playbook to stop them that proved impactful in the past.“We're already planning our full attack plan on it,” said Dudley Brown, president of the
  
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• Biden administration announces over $368M for rail infrastructure improvements

  02-06-2022 11:00 via thehill.com
  
  The Biden administration on Thursday announced over $368 million in grants to improve rail infrastructure in states including Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Kansas, Florida and Michigan.Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who will announce the new round of grants from Michigan on Thursday, said these funds for train improvements will create jobs, strengthen supply chains as a way to fight inflation and improve passenger rail for Americans traveling.“We’ve got the largest and
  
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• White House cancels $5.8B in student loans for former Corinthian College students

  02-06-2022 00:49 via thehill.com
  
  The Biden administration is planning to discharge all outstanding federal student loans borrowed by former Corinthian Colleges students, providing $5.8 billion in loan cancellations to 560,000 borrowers.The group loan discharge applies to all former students who attended any campus owned or operated by Corinthian Colleges Inc. since it was founded in 1995 through its closure in 2015. The Hill first reported earlier on Wednesday that the Biden administration was planning to administer widesp
  
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• Biden doubles down on support for Ukraine, but shows limits

  02-06-2022 00:00 via thehill.com
  
  President Biden is once again ramping up U.S. support for Ukraine, vowing to send more advanced weapons to Kyiv with the express goal of helping the Ukrainians defeat the Russians. But the president is still exercising caution, reinforcing that his administration is not seeking a hot-war with Moscow or trying to depose Russian President Vladimir Putin, and issuing dire warnings against the prospect of a nuclear confrontation. Significantly, the new $700 million package the U.S. is read
  
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