Politics Election category, Page 260
Understanding how Georgia’s Senate runoff elections affect Congress
ATLANTA — The consequences of Georgia’s twin Senate runoffs are well known: They’ll determine which party controls the Senate in the new Congress. Right? Long term, yes, that’s the case. But the circumstances of Georgia’s seats make the near term a bit messy. One of two Georgia races is a...
U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, other Pa. House Republicans pledge to oppose Electoral College tally
In what is almost certain to be another doomed effort to disenfranchise the votes of millions of Pennsylvania residents, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly is taking his unending challenge of the results of the presidential election to the halls of Congress. The Butler Republican, whose 16th Congressional District includes Erie, said...
Trump to return to White House early from Florida vacation
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump is cutting short his Florida holiday vacation and returning to Washington on Thursday, one day earlier than expected for reasons the White House didn’t explain. The White House announced the abrupt change in the president’s schedule late Wednesday, hours after Sen. Josh...
Census Bureau to miss deadline, jeopardizing Trump plan
The Census Bureau plans to announce it will miss a year-end deadline for handing in numbers used for divvying up congressional seats, a delay that could undermine President Donald Trump’s efforts to exclude people in the country illegally from the count if the figures aren’t turned in before President-elect Joe...
Pelosi says Iowa Republican in contested race will be seated
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Majority Democrats in the U.S. House will allow an Iowa Republican to take office while they review her opponent’s contest claiming the six-vote race was wrongly decided, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday. Pelosi said “yes” when asked at a news conference whether Mariannette Miller-Meeks will be...
Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley to contest Biden’s Electoral College winVideo
WASHINGTON — Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said Wednesday he will raise objections next week when Congress meets to affirm President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the election, forcing House and Senate votes that are likely to delay — but in no way alter — the final certification of Biden’s win. President...
Rep. Louie Gohmert sues Mike Pence in far-fetched bid to overturn election results on Jan. 6
DALLAS — Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas is suing Vice President Mike Pence in an improbable bid to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Gohmert and several other Republicans named in the suit, including the Republican slate of electors from Arizona, aim to allow Pence to overturn Trump’s defeat in some...
Trump lashes out at GOP after override vote on defense bill
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump lashed out at congressional Republicans on Tuesday after the House easily voted to override his veto of a defense policy bill. A total of 109 Republicans, including Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, a member of GOP leadership, joined with Democrats on Monday to approve the override,...
Stories of the Year: In a contentious election, Western Pa. again became a focal point for candidates
The presidential election of 2020 proved to be historic, from the unprecedented number of voters who cast ballots to the way they voted to the chaotic court-case aftermath — and Western Pennsylvania held a front-row seat. When the counting was finished, including tens of millions of ballots by mail, former...
House votes to override Trump’s veto of defense bill
WASHINGTON — The Democratic-controlled House voted overwhelmingly Monday to override President Donald Trump’s veto of a defense policy bill, setting the stage for what would be the first veto override of his presidency. House members voted 322-87 to override the veto, well above the two-thirds needed to override. The Senate,...
Biden warns of Trump officials’ ‘roadblocks’ to transitionVideo
WILMINGTON, Del. — President-elect Joe Biden is warning of massive damage done to the national security apparatus by the Trump administration and “roadblocks” in communication between agency officials and his transition team that could undermine Americans’ security. During remarks Monday in Wilmington, Biden said his team has faced “obstruction” from...
Trump signs massive measure funding government, covid reliefVideo
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump signed a $900 billion pandemic relief package Sunday, ending days of drama over his refusal to accept the bipartisan deal that will deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and avert a federal government shutdown. The massive bill includes $1.4 trillion to...
Trump risks legacy of ‘chaos and misery,’ Sen. Pat Toomey saysVideo
President Donald Trump risks being remembered for creating “chaos and misery” at the end of his term if he vetoes the $900 billion stimulus passed by Congress and triggers a government shutdown, Republican Sen. Pat Toomey said. The Trump administration helped negotiate the bill, and if the president believes direct...
Unemployment benefits expire for millions as Trump stands pat
WEST PALM BEACH, — Unemployment benefits for millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet lapsed overnight as President Donald Trump refused to sign an end-of-year covid relief and spending bill that had been considered a done deal before his sudden objections. The fate of the bipartisan package remained in...
Trump’s court appointments will leave decades-long imprint
WASHINGTON — On this, even President Donald Trump’s most fevered critics agree: He has left an imprint on federal courts that will outlast his one term in office for decades to come. He used the promise of conservative judicial appointments to win over Republican skeptics as a candidate. Then as...
Thousands of ballots will be audited as part of Pa.’s post-election review
Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. This article is made possible through Votebeat, a nonpartisan reporting project covering local election integrity and voting access. HARRISBURG — At least 64 counties in Pennsylvania have...
Trump golfs in Florida as covid relief hangs in the balance
PALM BEACH — After tossing a grenade that threatens to blow up a massive covid relief and government funding bill and force a government shutdown in the midst of a pandemic, President Donald Trump spent his Christmas Eve golfing in Florida. Failure to agree on the bill could deny checks...
House Republicans block $2,000 virus checks despite Trump demand
WASHINGTON — House Republicans shot down a Democratic bid on Thursday to pass President Donald Trump’s longshot, end-of-session demand for $2,000 direct payments to most Americans before signing a long-overdue covid-19 relief bill. The made-for-TV clash came as the Democratic-controlled chamber convened for a pro forma session scheduled in anticipation...
Trump pardons former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, Roger Stone
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued pardons and sentence commutations for 29 people, including former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law, in the latest burst of clemency in his final weeks at the White House. The actions bring to nearly 50 the...
Covid relief bill morphs into a test of GOP loyalty to Trump
Threatening to tank Congress’ massive covid relief and government funding package, President Donald Trump’s demand for bigger aid checks for Americans confronts Republicans traditionally leery of such spending with an uncomfortable test of allegiance. On Thursday, House Democrats who also favor $2,000 checks will all but dare Republicans to break...
Trump vetoes defense bill, setting up possible override voteVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday vetoed the annual defense policy bill, following through on threats to veto a measure that has broad bipartisan support in Congress and potentially setting up the first override vote of his presidency. The bill affirms 3% pay raises for U.S. troops and authorizes...
As he seeks to overturn Pa.’s election, Trump invites state’s GOP senators to White House lunch
Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — As he seeks to overturn Pennsylvania’s election results in the courts, President Donald Trump invited Republican members of the...
Trump’s threat plunges covid talks – and GOP – into tumult
The video message that plunged Washington into chaos was filmed in secret. President Donald Trump stood in the White House’s Diplomatic Reception Room, holiday garland and gleaming ornaments draped on the fireplace behind him, and spoke into the camera not to deliver warm Christmas wishes, but to threaten to detonate...
Trump’s presidential legacy, by the numbers
Words matter. But numbers tell stories, too. Presidential historians and others will plumb them as they assess President Donald Trump’s legacy, Trump’s presidency is reflected in a broad range of numbers representing everything from the U.S. death toll during the coronavirus pandemic to the miles of his “big, beautiful wall”...
Trump lashes out at S.D. senator: ‘He will be primaried in 2022’
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — President Donald Trump took to social media to lash out at South Dakota U.S. Sen. John Thune, saying his political career is over. The attack on Thune comes following remarks by the 59-year-old Republican about efforts by some GOP members in the U.S. House to reject...
