White House news

• Biden speaks with Venezuelan opposition leader ahead of Summit of the Americas

  08-06-2022 23:57 via thehill.com
  
  President Biden on Wednesday had a phone call with Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó ahead of the Summit of the Americas, which Guaidó was not invited to attend in-person.Biden reaffirmed his support for Guaidó as the country's interim president and "expressed his support for Venezuelan-led negotiations as the best path toward a peaceful restoration of democratic institutions, free and fair elections, and respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Ve
  
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• Uvalde fourth grader details harrowing account of shooting to House committee

  08-06-2022 22:56 via thehill.com
  
  Fifteen days after a gunman shot 19 of her classmates and two teachers at Robb Elementary School, 11-year-old Miah Cerrillo told lawmakers on Wednesday she thinks the shooting will happen again.In a harrowing account of last month’s massacre in Uvalde, Texas, Cerrillo said she called 911 to ask for the police, smearing her dead classmate’s blood on her face so she could play dead as the gunman remained in the classroom for more than an hour.“He shot my friend that was next to m
  
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• No. 2 House Republican on guns: We didn't ban planes after 9/11

  08-06-2022 22:38 via thehill.com
  
  House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) on Wednesday invoked 9/11 when arguing against gun control measures as a response to recent mass shootings, saying that the U.S. did not ban planes after the terrorist attack.“Airplanes were used that day, as the weapon to kill thousands of people and to inflict terror on our country. There wasn't a conversation about banning airplanes,” Scalise said in a press conference on Wednesday. “There was a conversation about connecting the dot
  
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• GOP rips Yellen after botched predictions on inflation

  08-06-2022 22:02 via thehill.com
  
  Congressional Republicans breathed fire at Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen this week during testimony in front of both the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee over soaring inflation that has hit near 40-year highs in the wake of the pandemic.  The former Federal Reserve chair admitted last month she’d been wrong on inflation, which could remain at elevated levels into 2023. “Is there a risk of inflation? You responded, ‘I think there’
  
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• Lawmakers focus on prevention, cures to curb US health insurance costs

  08-06-2022 21:47 via thehill.com
  
  House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) discussed their differing visions for an improved health care system on Wednesday, with the Democrat focusing largely on prevention and the Republican on breakthroughs in cures. Schweikert told The Hill’s Steve Clemons that shifting the system from the current “maintenance model” to a “curative model” would eventually reduce healthcare needs and bring costs down for the insurance ind
  
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• Two Democrats vote against advancing gun legislation

  08-06-2022 21:39 via thehill.com
  
  Democratic Reps. Elissa Slotkin (Mich.) and Jared Golden (Maine) on Wednesday voted against advancing two pieces of gun legislation, which were brought to the House floor after last month’s mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas.The pair of lawmakers voted “no” on a rule setting up a vote on the Protecting Our Kids Act, a package that consists of eight gun measures, and the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, a bill that seeks to nationalize red flag laws &md
  
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• These four Democrats voted against parts of the gun package

  08-06-2022 21:39 via thehill.com
  
  Four Democrats broke from the party and objected to aspects of a sweeping gun package the House passed on Wednesday, which was introduced in the aftermath of last month’s mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y. and Uvalde, Texas.The House passed the Protecting Our Kids Act, a package made up of seven gun provisions, in a largely party-line vote of 223-204. One Republican did not vote.The legislation in-part calls for raising the minimum age to buy a semi-automatic weapon from 18 to 21,
  
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• Biden approval rating at all-time low in new poll

  08-06-2022 21:30 via thehill.com
  
  President Biden’s approval rating among Americans has hit an all-time low, according to a new Morning Consult poll. The poll published on Wednesday found that 58 percent of those surveyed disapprove of Biden's performance as president,while 39 percent of respondents approve.Morning Consult noted that Biden’s latest polling numbers are worse than his predecessor, former President Trump, at this time in his presidency four years ago. This was also Biden’s lowest approva
  
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• House Democrats pass resolution condemning ‘great replacement’ theory

  08-06-2022 20:50 via thehill.com
  
  The House on Wednesday passed a resolution that condemns the “great replacement” theory, less than a month after a gunman who reportedly espoused the racist conspiracy fatally shot 10 Black people in Buffalo, N.Y.The resolution passed the House as part of a rule setting up a vote on gun reforms. The vote on the rule was 218-205. Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) joined all Republicans in opposing the rule.The measure is a direct response to the May 14 mass sho
  
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• White House condemns threat against Kavanaugh near his home

  08-06-2022 20:46 via thehill.com
  
  The White House on Wednesday condemned the actions of a man who was arrested near the home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh carrying weapons and threatening to kill the judge."The president condemns the actions of this individual in strong terms and is grateful to law enforcement for quickly taking him into custody," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One."As the president has consistently made clear, public officials, including judges, must be
  
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• Biden adviser: Elections likely to come up in meeting with Brazil's Bolsonaro

  08-06-2022 20:26 via thehill.com
  
  President Biden will likely bring up the issue of maintaining free and fair elections during a one-on-one meeting with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro this week as Bolsonaro has cast doubt on the reliability of elections ahead of his own reelection bid."There are no topics off limits in any bilateral the president does, including with President Bolsonaro," national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters aboard Air Force One. "I do anticipate that the president will discuss open, free,
  
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• Biden to address major labor conference next week

  08-06-2022 20:14 via thehill.com
  
  President Biden next week will travel to Philadelphia to speak at a convention for the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the country.Biden will deliver remarks on Tuesday at the convention, which takes place every four years. It will be a high-profile event for Biden to emphasize his support for organized labor.The AFL-CIO is made up of 57 different labor unions representing more than 12 million workers.The White House has positioned itself as the most pro-union administration in hist
  
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• House GOP mounts media battle in prebuttal to Jan. 6 hearing

  08-06-2022 19:57 via thehill.com
  
  House Republicans are casting Thursday’s prime-time hearing by the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol as a media production aimed at smearing former President Trump.The effort by Republicans to push back at the hearing has started days before the spectacle is set to be carried live by the major networks and news networks — with the notable exception of Fox News Channel, which will air its regular programming.Democrats have set expectations for the hearin
  
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• Biden: Tuesday primaries sent 'clear message' voters want tough-on-crime policies

  08-06-2022 18:38 via thehill.com
  
  President Biden said that Tuesday’s primary results in California, Mississippi and other states sent a message that voters want leaders who will take a tough stance on crime.“I think the voters sent a clear message last night. Both parties have to step up and do something about crime, as well as gun violence,” Biden told reporters on Wednesday before boarding Air Force One to travel to California.He called on states and localities to spend billions of dollars allocated in the A
  
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• White House shifts COVID-19 funds due to stalemate on new money

  08-06-2022 17:58 via thehill.com
  
  The White House said Wednesday it is cutting funds from some areas of its COVID-19 response in order to shift money to vaccines and treatments, given that new funding remains stalled in Congress.  The administration is cutting money from areas like testing and research on next-generation vaccines in order to move that into buying more vaccines and treatments.  In the shift, $5 billion will go towards buying updated vaccines for the fall, $4.9 billion will go towards buyi
  
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• House Dems ask Biden to prioritize oil, humanitarian issues ahead of potential Saudi meeting

  08-06-2022 17:35 via thehill.com
  
  The Democratic chairs of six House panels are asking President Biden to lay out a list of priorities ahead of a potential meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman that include addressing humanitarian issues in the kingdom and accountability in the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.The lawmakers wrote a letter to Biden dated Tuesday that sought to "share our views on the American relationship with Saudi Arabia."The reported meeting between Biden and Mohammad, which has yet to be form
  
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• House Democrats ask Biden to prioritize oil, humanitarian issues ahead of potential Saudi meeting

  08-06-2022 17:35 via thehill.com
  
  The Democratic chairs of six House panels are asking President Biden to lay out a list of priorities ahead of a potential meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman that include addressing humanitarian issues in the kingdom and accountability in the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.The lawmakers wrote a letter to Biden dated Tuesday that sought to "share our views on the American relationship with Saudi Arabia."The reported meeting between Biden and Crown Prince Mohammad, which has y
  
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• Biden lays out new economic vision for Latin America

  08-06-2022 17:13 via thehill.com
  
  The White House on Wednesday unveiled an economic plan for the Western Hemisphere that President Biden will pitch to Latin American leaders and officials at the Summit of Americas in Los Angeles this week.  The blueprint, formally called the “Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity,” is meant to offer a new economic vision for the region to help deepen cooperation on supply chain resilience, climate change and other issues to help countries crawl out of the economic shocks
  
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• Biden administration announces new ocean conservation proposals

  08-06-2022 17:06 via thehill.com
  
  The Biden administration announced a raft of ocean-related conservation efforts on Wednesday, World Oceans Day, including ending the use of single-use plastics on federal lands and a proposed marine sanctuary off the coast of New York. In its announcement, the administration proposed a new sanctuary in the Hudson Canyon, a 7.5-mile-wide underwater canyon off the mouth of the Hudson River.
  The announcement is part of a broader plan by the administration to preserve 30 percent of U.S. lands a
  
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• Live coverage: Uvalde fourth-grader to testify before House panel

  08-06-2022 15:45 via thehill.com
  
  The House Oversight and Reform Committee will hear testimony on Wednesday in the wake of recent mass shootings that killed dozens of people.Among the expected witnesses is a fourth grader who survived a mass shooting just two weeks ago at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.Democrats are hoping that the testimony will aid them in making new gun restrictions a reality.Follow The Hill's live coverage below:Fourth-grade student who survived Uvalde shooting to deliver prerecorded statement
  10:49
  
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• Live coverage: Uvalde fourth grader testifies before House panel

  08-06-2022 15:45 via thehill.com
  
  The House Oversight and Reform Committee will hear testimony on Wednesday in the wake of recent mass shootings that killed dozens of people.Among the witnesses was a fourth grader who survived a mass shooting just two weeks ago at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.Democrats are hoping that the testimony will aid them in making new gun restrictions a reality.Follow The Hill's live coverage below:NYC mayor: 'It is high noon in America'
  11:52 a.m.New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) said during
  
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• Live coverage: House gun violence hearing

  08-06-2022 15:45 via thehill.com
  
  The House Oversight and Reform Committee will hear testimony on Wednesday in the wake of recent mass shootings that killed dozens of people.Among the expected witnesses is a fourth grader who survived a mass shooting just two weeks ago at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.Democrats are hoping that the testimony will aid them in making new gun restrictions a reality.Follow The Hill's live coverage below:Maloney: ‘We are failing our children’
  10:14 a.m.House Oversight Committee C
  
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• Biden readies for balancing act in first late-night sit-down

  08-06-2022 15:00 via thehill.com
  
  President Biden is making his late-night TV debut as commander in chief, but all signs point to his first in-studio appearance not being a typical, lighthearted opportunity to yuk it up. While Biden had been a regular on late-night couches throughout his political career and on the campaign trail, his Wednesday sit-down with Jimmy Kimmel will be the first face-to-face interview of his presidency on one of the comedy shows. He appeared virtually on NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Ji
  
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• Biden to attend G7, NATO meetings in Europe at end of June

  08-06-2022 14:23 via thehill.com
  
  President Biden plans to travel to Europe to attend the Group of Seven (G7) leaders’ summit and a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) gathering later this month, the White House announced Wednesday.  Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has entered its fourth month, is likely to figure high on the agenda for both meetings.  “The President and G7 leaders will discuss a range of the most pressing global issues, including the G7’s unwavering support for a democrati
  
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• Biden to attend G-7, NATO meetings in Europe at end of June

  08-06-2022 14:23 via thehill.com
  
  President Biden plans to travel to Europe to attend the Group of Seven (G-7) leaders’ summit and a NATO gathering later this month, the White House announced Wednesday.  Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has entered its fourth month, is likely to figure high on the agenda for both meetings.  “The President and G7 leaders will discuss a range of the most pressing global issues, including the G7’s unwavering support for a democratic, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine
  
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• Woodward planning audio book with Trump interviews

  08-06-2022 13:56 via thehill.com
  
  Renowned journalist Bob Woodward said in an interview on Wednesday that he intends to “put out an audio book” of never-before-heard interviews with former President Donald Trump.“I’m going through, now, nine hours of Trump interviews I did that were not published. We’re going to put out an audio book, Simon and Schuster, of nine hours of Trump that we have never heard before,” Woodward said during the interview on MSNBC highlighted by Grabien.“And you se
  
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• Why Mike Pence will be a key figure at Thursday’s Jan. 6 panel hearing

  08-06-2022 11:21 via thehill.com
  
  Former Vice President Mike Pence will not be present when the House Jan. 6 committee holds a prime-time hearing on Thursday, but he will be a central figure as the panel makes its first presentation to the public of what unfolded before and during the riot at the Capitol. Pence has not directly cooperated with the committee, but some of his former aides have. In recent months, a steady stream of new details has come out about Pence’s actions on Jan. 6, 2021, and he has publicly rebuke
  
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• House to hear testimony from fourth grade survivor

  08-06-2022 11:15 via thehill.com
  
  The House Oversight and Reform Committee will hear testimony on Wednesday from a fourth grader who survived a mass shooting just two weeks ago at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers died. Democrats hope that the stark stories from 11-year-old Miah Cerrillo, who covered herself in her friend’s blood and pretended to be dead, and the families of the victims in Uvalde as well as of the May 14 mass shooting in Buffalo, N.Y., will aid them in making
  
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• Democrats frustrated by flat-footed White House

  08-06-2022 11:15 via thehill.com
  
  Democrats are growing increasingly frustrated by what they say is a flat-footed White House that is slow to catch up on solving a seemingly never-ending cascade of problems in the face of an unrelenting news cycle.They point to the recent baby formula shortage as the latest example of how President Biden has failed to get ahead of the story, allowing Republicans to set the narrative as yet another failure for the White House. But they also highlighted Biden’s lag on other issues at the top
  
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• Cheney faces pivotal moment with Jan. 6 prime time hearing

  08-06-2022 11:15 via thehill.com
  
  The launch this week of public hearings into last year’s deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol marks a pivotal phase for the investigation, the Congress and the country. And as both parties anxiously await the select committee’s findings — and the public’s reaction to them — few have more on the line than Rep. Liz Cheney.The Wyoming Republican has not only embraced her role as a leading figure in Congress’s expansive examination of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, she&rsqu
  
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• House passes resolution to allow Greater Washington Soap Box Derby on Capitol grounds

  08-06-2022 03:08 via thehill.com
  
  The House passed a resolution on Tuesday allowing the annual Greater Washington Soap Box Derby to take place on Capitol grounds next week.The concurrent resolution passed the lower chamber by voice vote.The measure authorizes the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby Association to hold this year’s soap box derby races — which are scheduled for June 18 — on Capitol grounds. It also directs the event to be free of charge and open to the public.Eligible children are invited to c
  
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• Lawmakers hold moment of silence on House floor to honor Uvalde victims

  08-06-2022 02:08 via thehill.com
  
  Lawmakers held a moment of silence on the House floor on Tuesday to commemorate the individuals who died in last month’s shooting in Uvalde, Texas.Nineteen students and two adults were fatally shot when an 18-year-old gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. The massacre is the second-deadliest school shooting on record.Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), the lawmaker whose district includes Uvalde, led the moment of silence on the House floor. He was surrounded by other members o
  
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• Biden increasingly relies on DPA, drawing GOP scorn

  08-06-2022 00:21 via thehill.com
  
  President Biden is repeatedly turning to the Defense Production Act (DPA), a decades-old law that gives the president broad authority to increase the manufacturing output of critical items in a national emergency.The DPA has been a prong of the pandemic response since the Trump administration, but Biden has turned to it for other uses. Most recently, Biden invoked it five times to boost domestic production of goods used to make solar panels. The move was hailed by environmental groups and c
  
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• White House: Biden will follow Jan. 6 hearing but 'not going to get involved'

  08-06-2022 00:06 via thehill.com
  
  White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that President Biden will likely follow the news from the Jan. 6 select House committee hearing later this week but emphasized he was "not going to get involved" in the proceedings. “Of course, he will be keeping up on the committee’s work as he has been,” Jean-Pierre said, noting that Biden would be on a trip to California for the Summit of Americas when the panel's first public hearing takes place on Thursday. &
  
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• Five questions that hang over the Jan. 6 committee’s public hearings

  08-06-2022 00:04 via thehill.com
  
  The biggest moment of the Jan. 6 House Select Committee’s existence is about to arrive. On Thursday evening, the panel will hold the first of its televised hearings. The event will take place in prime time and be broadcast by almost every major network and news channel. For some, it will be the most dramatic congressional investigation since the Watergate hearings a half-century ago. Others — committed supporters of former President Trump, in particular — will li
  
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