Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marjorie-taylor-greene" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marjorie Taylor Greene&#8217;s</a> (R-GA) husband filed for divorce after more than two decades of marriage.
MTG&#8217;s husband, Perry Greene, filed for divorce on Tuesday after 27 years of marriage, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
&#8220;Marriage is a wonderful thing and I&#8217;m a firm believer in it,&#8221; the congresswoman <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2022/09/28/marjorie-taylor-greene-perry-husband-files-divorce-congresswoman-mtg/?adid=share-tw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> TMZ. &#8220;Our society is formed by a husband and wife creating a family to nurture and protect. Together, Perry and I formed our family and raised three great kids. He gave me the best job title you can ever earn: Mom.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ll always be grateful for how great of a dad he is to our children,&#8221; she added.
The couple have separated in the past and it is not clear what led to Perry Greene&#8217;s desire to file for a divorce. MTG has been <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9246917/Marjorie-Taylor-Green-openly-cheated-husband-men-gym.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> of having affairs in the past.
A petition was <a href="https://fox5sandiego.com/news/national-news/marjorie-taylor-greenes-husband-files-for-divorce/">filed</a> to seal the divorce proceedings, citing &#8220;confidential and sensitive information&#8221;. The petition stated that &#8220;the parties’ significant privacy interest in sealing the records outweighs the public’s minuscule interest in access to said records.&#8221;
The filing stated that “sensitive personal and financial information” would be revealed throughout the course of the divorce proceedings which would “negatively impact the parties’ privacy interests.”
This is a developing news story; refresh the page for updates.

Congress Continues Work on Capital Hill

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Husband Files For Divorce

Congress

Georgia

Marjorie Taylor Greene

Marriage

Republican Party

Agricultural leaders in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/missouri" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Missouri</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kansas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kansas</a> are pressing their senators to greenlight legislation that could help them with the current labor shortage.
According to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/farmers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">farmers</a>, the midwest and Missouri are struggling with a labor shortage of workers in the agricultural sector, leading some top members of the industry to push senators to pass the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1603" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Farm Workforce Modernization Act</a>.
The bill would change the H-2A temporary worker program, and would reportedly make it easier to hire people from out of the country to work in U.S. farming throughout the year, per <a href="https://www.kbia.org/news/2022-09-08/missouri-and-kansas-agriculture-leaders-urge-u-s-senate-to-approve-changes-to-temporary-labor-visa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KBIA</a>. It would also expand the program to allow it to be used for agricultural labor that is not only “temporary or seasonal.” The House of Representatives passed the measure last year and the Senate is still discussing its contents.
The program is incredibly <a href="https://modernfarmer.com/2022/09/farm-workforce-modernization-act/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">popular</a>, even in its current form. The amount of H-2A visas increased from 16,000 to 89,000 from 1997 to 2014, according to <a href="https://agamerica.com/blog/the-impact-of-the-farm-labor-shortage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AgAmerica</a> Lending.
The current agricultural labor shortage could result in higher food costs for the area. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said that for the first time in U.S. history, the United States will bring in more farm items next year than it exports, according to <a href="https://fox4kc.com/news/groups-push-reforms-to-ease-farm-labor-shortages/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox4</a>.
Enrique Sanchez, the intermountain state director of American Business Immigration Coalition Action (ABIC-Action), said the labor shortages have been harming farmers, making it hard to get food into stores. He said if there is not as much food available, this can result in food costing more money. There are more pressing consequences, too.
&#8220;This is not just about cost. These are national security issues as well. Food security is national security. A nation that cannot feed itself is not a nation that is secure,&#8221; Sanchez said, according to KBIA.
He added that the possible alterations to the program would create more security for farmers and employees.
During a press conference, people spoke about how the regulations for the H-2A program are restrictive for the farm sector in Missouri and around the region.
Lyndsi Oestmann is the owner of Loma Vista nursery in Kansas, and is in the American Business Immigration Coalition, which is trying to get the legislation through the Senate. She said it’s difficult to get enough U.S. workers.
&#8220;The horticulture industry faces challenges obtaining sufficient domestic workers, and we consistently report shortages of seasonal and production workers,&#8221; she said.
Oestmann has also <a href="https://fox4kc.com/news/groups-push-reforms-to-ease-farm-labor-shortages/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that she is leaving large swaths of land uncultivated because she doesn’t have enough people to work it.
“It’s urgent that we get that passed so that farmers like me and other farmers in Kansas can get the labor that we need,” Oestmann said. “So we don’t have to worry day-to-day and week-to-week if we are going to have enough labor to get the job done that we need to get done.”

4387D29D-A608-4A1C-B2D0-D61E6CC91112_1_201_a

Agricultural Leaders Press Senators To Pass Legislation To Ease Farm Labor Shortage

Agricultural Leaders Press Senators To Pass Farm Workforce Modernization Act

Agriculture

Farming

Kansas

Missouri

Members of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Congress</a> are deliberating over a bill that would limit the amount of data that <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">technology</a> companies are able to procure from users.
The <a href="https://docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF00/20220720/115041/BILLS-117-8152-P000034-Amdt-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American Data Privacy and Protection Act</a> would adopt a “data minimization” approach toward firms’ collection of user information such that only the data points “reasonably necessary and proportionate” to specific applications — including user authentication, fraud prevention, and transaction execution — are procured. The bill advanced out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee by a vote of 53-2 at the end of July.
The legislation “puts people back in control of their online data,” according to a <a href="https://energycommerce.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/bipartisan-ec-leaders-hail-committee-passage-of-the-american-data-privacy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joint statement</a> from Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), and Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL). “It creates a strong national standard that will finally minimize the amount of Americans’ information companies are allowed to collect, process, and transfer. This will rein in Big Tech’s power and establish clear, robust protections for people, especially children.”
According to an <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/american-data-privacy-protection-act-adppa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from Wired, the American Data Privacy and Protection Act would differ from the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), under which users must consent to the use of cookies — files created by websites to track an individual’s online behavior. While the legislation does not entirely ban online targeted advertising — which is often the impetus behind sites’ collection of user data — it prohibits such advertising that is directed toward children or based upon “sensitive covered data,” including health information, precise geolocation, and private messages.
The American Data Privacy and Protection Act, however, is facing opposition from California lawmakers over fears that the legislation would override the state’s stricter standards. “It is imperative that California continues offering and enforcing the nation’s strongest privacy rights,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said, according to a <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2022-09-06/congress-mulls-data-privacy-bill-that-would-void-california-tougher-protections" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Los Angeles Times, noting that she would work with Pallone to address the state’s concerns. Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and the California Privacy Protection Agency also oppose the bill in its current form.
President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/03/01/remarks-of-president-joe-biden-state-of-the-union-address-as-delivered/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called for similar legislation</a> in his most recent State of the Union address. “As Frances Haugen, who is here with us tonight, has shown, we must hold social media platforms accountable for the national experiment they’re conducting on our children for profit,” the commander-in-chief said. “It’s time to strengthen privacy protections, ban targeted advertising to children, demand tech companies stop collecting personal data on our children.”
Haugen, who has an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/facebook-whistleblower-leftist-activist-lawyer-ukraine-impeachment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extensive history</a> of donating to Democratic campaigns, released a series of files last year regarding Facebook’s practices surrounding election integrity and advertising to children on Instagram. The whistleblower report <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/after-controversial-whistleblowers-documents-state-attorneys-general-look-into-instagrams-effect-on-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">provoked</a> multiple state attorneys general to investigate Instagram for its effects on young consumers.
“Facebook, now Meta, has failed to protect young people on its platforms and instead chose to ignore or, in some cases, double down on known manipulations that pose a real threat to physical and mental health — exploiting children in the interest of profit,” Attorney General Maura Healey (D-MA) said last year.
Lawmakers have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/as-senate-weighs-antitrust-bills-apples-ceo-called-ted-cruz-with-significant-concerns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">repeatedly debated</a> antitrust and data privacy regulation in recent months. However, proposals such as the Open App Markets Act and the American Innovation and Choice Online Act have failed to become law.

Speaker Pelosi Holds Weekly News Conference On Capitol Hill

Congress Weighs Data Privacy Bill That Would Regulate Targeted Ads Online

Congress Considers New Bill That Would Tighten Data Privacy Standards

Big Tech

California

Technology

The White House asked <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/congress">Congress</a> for another $47 billion Friday to address what it considers “immediate needs,” including the spread of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/monkeypox">monkeypox</a> at home and abroad, the never-ending fight against <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/covid-19">COVID</a>, and the defense of Ukraine.
President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>’s request to Congress is aimed at keeping the government open beyond the September 30 expiration of the 2022 fiscal year, according to administration officials, Politico <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/02/white-house-requests-47-billion-in-aid-for-ukraine-covid-monkeypox-and-natural-disasters-00054689">reported</a>. The requested $47 billion includes $6.5 billion to address the recent flooding in Kentucky and wildfires in California, but that’s just a little over half of the $11.7 billion Biden wants to send to Ukraine.
“This Administration will continue to work with members of both parties in Congress to meet these critical needs for the American people, and we look forward to reaching a bipartisan funding agreement that advances national priorities in the coming fiscal year,” Shalanda Young, the director of the Office of Management and Budget <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/briefing-room/2022/09/02/meeting-critical-needs-for-the-american-people-in-the-new-fiscal-year/">wrote</a> Friday.
While the administration carved out some funding to address natural disasters at home, there was no mention of Biden wanting Congress to send money to address the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mississippi-water-crisis-drags-into-fifth-day">water crisis</a> in Jackson, Mississippi, that has now dragged on for five days. Instead, the president set his short-term priorities on throwing more money toward combatting the already slowing spread of viruses and aiding the war defense of a foreign nation.
Biden’s request for more money to be sent to fund Ukraine&#8217;s defense during Russia’s invasion comes on top of $40 billion the country is set to receive from the U.S. from a package <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-advances-massive-40-billion-ukraine-spending-package-11-republicans-oppose">approved</a> by Congress in May.
The largest chunk of money in the request, $22.4 billion, would go to the continued fight against COVID, while the administration is asking for $3.9 billion to address monkeypox in the U.S. and another $600 million to be spent around the globe to “fight monkeypox.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the spread of monkeypox is slowing, but the agency warned that it still poses a risk if not contained, Politico reported. The White House reaffirmed its commitment to spending billions of dollars to “fight” the disease that <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-health-and-wellness/sex-men-not-skin-contact-fueling-monkeypox-new-research-suggests-rcna43484">experts say</a> is mostly spread through the sexual intercourse of gay men.
“While we have accelerated the distribution of hundreds of thousands of vaccines, made testing more available, and expanded access to tens of thousands of courses of treatment to reach the highest-risk population, we cannot let up until we end the current outbreak and are prepared for future monkeypox or smallpox outbreaks,” the White House said.
Congress will now have to consider Biden’s request and come to an agreement on a short-term spending bill before discussing the longer-term government funding that will begin with a new fiscal year on October 1.

Joe Biden

Ukraine, COVID, And Monkeypox: Biden Asks Congress For Another $47 Billion To Address ‘Critical Needs For The American People’

Biden Asks Congress For Another $47 Billion To Address Ukraine, COVID, And Monkeypox

COVID

Monkeypox

spending

Ukraine

Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/nancy-pelosi">Nancy Pelosi</a> (D-CA), cut his losses in software company Nvidia before the United States placed new restrictions on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/technology">computer chip</a> sales to China and Russia.
As noted by an <a href="https://moneywise.com/investing/stocks/paul-pelosis-sale-of-nvidia-may-have-worked-in-his-favor">analysis</a> from MoneyWise, Pelosi sold 25,000 shares of Nvidia on July 26 at an average price of $165.05 — causing a loss of $341,365, according to a set of <a href="https://disclosures-clerk.house.gov/public_disc/ptr-pdfs/2022/20021438.pdf">disclosures</a>. One month later, Nvidia revealed that the federal government imposed export restrictions on the company’s A100 and forthcoming H100 circuits. The new regulations will “address the risk that the covered products may be used in, or diverted to, a ‘military end use’ or ‘military end user’ in China and Russia,” Nvidia said in a <a href="https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0001045810/000104581022000146/nvda-20220826.htm">filing</a> with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Shares in Nvidia fell 7.7% on the news and a total of 16% since Pelosi sold shares on July 26. Pelosi — who was arrested after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nancy-pelosis-husband-finally-charged-with-dui">alleged drunk driving</a> earlier this year — formerly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nancy-pelosis-husband-makes-huge-stock-move-ahead-of-key-vote-on-chip-subsidies">exercised</a> 200 call options on their expiration date of June 17 at a strike price of $100, according to more federal <a href="https://disclosures-clerk.house.gov/public_disc/ptr-pdfs/2022/20021374.pdf">filings</a>.
Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Speaker Pelosi, said in a <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/paul-pelosi-dodged-extra-20-loss-selling-nvidia-stock-july-august-us-restrictions">statement</a> to Fox News that the lawmaker had no knowledge of her husband’s transactions.
“As always, he does not discuss these matters with the speaker until trades have been made and required disclosures must be prepared and filed,” Hammill told the outlet. “Mr. Pelosi decided to sell the shares at a loss rather than allow the misinformation in the press regarding this trade to continue.”
Pelosi, however, has frequently placed large bets at the height of raging policy debates in Congress. Last year, he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pelosis-husband-makes-big-tech-stock-moves-again-places-6-million-bet-as-congress-looks-to-rein-in-silicon-valley">purchased</a> over $6 million in options contracts related to technology stocks while lawmakers worked on antitrust legislation.
Speaker Pelosi has rejected the notion that members of Congress should be banned from trading individual stocks. “Because this is a free market … we are a free market economy,” Pelosi <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pelosi-on-why-congress-should-be-allowed-to-trade-stock-after-dozens-broke-law-we-should-be-able-to">told</a> a reporter last year, “they should be able to participate in that.”
President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-signs-52-billion-semiconductor-bill-in-latest-push-to-fight-inflation">signed</a> the $52.7 billion CHIPS and Science Act into law on August 9 — a move he characterized as an effort to combat supply-driven inflationary pressures. Multiple key Asian manufacturing economies enforced harsh lockdown measures two years ago in response to the spread of COVID, creating bottlenecks in the global semiconductor supply chain that persist to the present day.
The new law provides $39 billion in manufacturing incentives for semiconductors — a major component behind rising price levels for automobiles and other consumer goods — as well as $13.2 billion for research and development and a 25% investment tax credit for semiconductor production. “America invented the semiconductor,” Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/08/09/remarks-by-president-biden-at-signing-of-h-r-4346-the-chips-and-science-act-of-2022/">said</a> during a signing ceremony, “and this law brings it back home. It’s in our economic interest and it’s in our national security interest to do so.”
A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sat-members-of-congress-and-their-families-traded-over-630-million-in-stocks-this-year">report</a> from The New York Times’ DealBook revealed that asset purchases from members of Congress and their immediate families amounted to $267 million in 2021, while sales amounted to $364 million. Top officials working at the Federal Reserve have also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/after-ethics-review-fed-bars-top-officials-from-trading-individual-stocks">faced criticism</a> for purchasing individual stocks amid their work to chart the nation’s monetary policy.

Paul Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi

Paul Pelosi Sold Computer Chip Stock In Time To Avoid Heavy Losses

Nancy Pelosi's Office Denies Claim That Her Husband Cut Losses On Tech Stock Just In Time

Democratic Party

Nancy Pelosi

Stock Market

Former 2008 vice presidential candidate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/sarah-palin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sarah Palin</a>, who ran for Alaska&#8217;s lone U.S. House seat, condemned the special election results Thursday, which used ranked-choice voting to declare her Democrat opponent Mary Peltola the victor.
&#8220;Ranked-choice voting was sold as the way to make elections better reflect the will of the people,&#8221; Palin said in a statement. &#8220;As Alaska — and America — now sees, the exact opposite is true.&#8221;
Palin&#8217;s loss became clear Wednesday night, two weeks after voters went to the polls in the first-ever ranked-choice voting election in the state, which uses an electoral system that allows voters to rank candidates by preference on their ballots in rounds. A candidate can win outright with more than 50% of the vote in the first round.
If no candidate receives at least half of the votes, the lowest-ranking candidate is eliminated. Voters who chose the lowest-ranking candidate as their top pick have their votes count for their second-ranked choice. The rounds continue until two candidates remain, with the victory going to the candidate with the most votes in the final rank.
Palin argues the voting system effectively disenfranchised 60% of Alaska voters, considering Peltola won the state&#8217;s House special election with only 40% of first-place votes in the initial count.
&#8220;The people of Alaska do not want the destructive democrat agenda to rule our land and our lives, but that&#8217;s what resulted from someone&#8217;s experiment with this new crazy, convoluted, confusing ranked-choice voting system,&#8221; Palin said.
On Thursday morning, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/sarah-palins-election-loss-sen-tom-cotton-calls-ranked-choice-voting-s-rcna45834">reports</a> that Peltola defeated Palin 51.5% to 48.5%, with 93% of votes counted in the ranked-choice results.
Alaska Division of Elections website said the system benefits voters.
&#8220;By ranking multiple candidates, you can still have a voice in who gets elected even if your top choice does not win,&#8221; according to the division&#8217;s <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.elections.alaska.gov/RCV.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>. &#8220;Ranking multiple candidates ensures your vote will go toward your second, third, fourth, or fifth choice if your top choice is eliminated, giving you more voice in who wins.&#8221;
Political consultant Sarah Erkmann Ward pointed to Wednesday&#8217;s results as a &#8220;big wake-up call to Republicans&#8221; for how they should vote under the new ranked-choice system.
&#8220;Today&#8217;s reels should illustrate to Republicans very clearly that when they choose not to rank, there&#8217;s a good possibility that when their favorite candidate is eliminated, then their vote will no longer be in the mix,” she said, according to the Anchorage Daily News. &#8220;That appears to be what happened here.&#8221;
&#8220;A certain segment of Republicans elected not to rank,&#8221; she added. &#8220;That&#8217;s the consequence of not continuing on down your ballot.&#8221;
Peltola&#8217;s victory comes after Rep. Don Young, a Republican who filled the state&#8217;s only seat for nearly 50 years, died in March. While Peltola defeated Palin in the special House race to immediately fill the congressional seat left open, the two will meet again in November for an election that will determine who gets the position for the full two-year term.
&#8220;Though we&#8217;re disappointed in this outcome, Alaskans know I&#8217;m the last one who&#8217;ll ever retreat,” Palin said. &#8220;Instead, I&#8217;m going to reload.&#8221;
The Trump-endorsed candidate said she would learn from the &#8220;voting system mistake&#8221; in the next election to bolster the America First conservative movement and &#8220;clean up the mess that Joe Biden and the radical democrats&#8221; created.
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<a href="https://t.co/qQFfZQAlni">pic.twitter.com/qQFfZQAlni</a>
&mdash; Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SarahPalinUSA/status/1565423307087757313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Dillon Burroughs and Zach Jewell contributed to this report.

Former President Trump Campaigns With House Candidate Sarah Palin And Senate Candidate Kelly Tshibaka In Anchorage, Alaska

‘I’m The Last One Who’ll Ever Retreat’: Sarah Palin Condemns Ranked Choice Voting System Following Election

Sarah Palin Condemns Ranked Choice Voting System Following Special Election

2022 Midterms

Alaska

Sarah Palin

U.S. House of Representatives

Arkansas GOP Senator Tom Cotton responded to Attorney General Merrick Garland’s apparent attempt to prevent anyone from leaking information about his department after he told DOJ employees to obey restrictions about speaking to members of Congress.
Garland wrote that he was reminding “all Department personnel of our existing policies regarding communications between the Justice Department and Congress,” citing the central Justice Manual provision (JM 1-8 200.) That provision <a href="https://www.justice.gov/jm/jm-1-8000-congressional-relations#1-7.120">states</a>, “Communications between the Department and Congress &#8230; will be managed or coordinated by OLA (Office of Legislative Affairs.)”
The provision continues, “Except as provided in this chapter, no Department employee may communicate with Senators, Representatives, congressional committees, or congressional staff without advance coordination, consultation, and approval by OLA.”
Cotton fired off a message to DOJ employees countering Garland’s memo.
“DOJ employees, take notice: No matter what this memo says, you are protected by federal law if you contact my office to blow the whistle on the improper politicization of the Department of Justice by Merrick Garland and Joe Biden,” he asserted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
DOJ employees, take notice: No matter what this memo says, you are protected by federal law if you contact my office to blow the whistle on the improper politicization of the Department of Justice by Merrick Garland and Joe Biden. <a href="https://t.co/agu5RJwos8">https://t.co/agu5RJwos8</a>
&mdash; Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomCottonAR/status/1564772112547594246?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
In October 2021, Cotton <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/watch-tom-cotton-rips-ag-merrick-garland-over-school-boards-memo-you-should-resign-in-disgrace/">blasted</a> Garland, telling him he should “resign in disgrace” for directing the FBI to investigate and potentially target “parents at school board meetings.”
Cotton ripped Garland over the basis for a Justice Department memo, which Garland had justified by pointing to “news reports” and a letter from the National School Boards Association.
“You keep citing news reports and that’s the most prominent news report that anyone in America has seen. That refers to Scott Smith, whose 15-year-old daughter was raped. She was raped in a bathroom by a boy wearing girl’s clothes and the Loudoun County school board covered it up because it would’ve interfered with their transgender policy during Pride Month,” Cotton said.
“And that man, Scott Smith, because he went to a school board and tried to defend his daughter’s rights, was condemned internationally. Do you apologize to Scott Smith and his 15-year-old daughter, judge?” Cotton asked.
Garland responded: “Senator, anyone whose child was raped – the most horrific crime I can imagine – is certainly entitled and protected by the First Amendment to protest to their school board about this.”
Garland repeatedly denied that the “news reports” that served as the basis for the October 4 memo were not the same news reports referenced in the NSBA letter, despite also referring to the letter to justify the directive to the FBI.
“But he was cited by the school board association as a domestic terrorist which we now know that letter and those reports were the basis for your directive,” Cotton pressed, though the letter uses Smith as just one example of individual behavior that could give rise to actions resembling &#8220;domestic terrorism&#8221; or &#8220;hate crimes.&#8221;
Garland denied Cotton again: “No, senator. That’s wrong.”
“This is shameful. Judge, this is shameful,” Cotton said, ending his period of questioning. “This testimony, your directive, your performance is shameful. Thank God you are not on the Supreme Court. You should resign in disgrace, judge.”
Tim Pearce contributed to this report.

Collage Maker-31-Aug-2022-08.21-AM

‘You Are Protected By Federal Law’: Tom Cotton Counters Garland’s Warning To DOJ About Speaking To Congress

Tom Cotton Counters Garland’s Warning To DOJ About Speaking To Congress

Department of Justice

Leak

Merrick Garland

Tom Cotton

Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marjorie-taylor-greene" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marjorie Taylor Greene</a> (R-GA) has now repeatedly been the target of “swatting” police calls claiming that someone was shot at her house.
The Rome, Georgia, Police Department said that they responded to false reports of shootings at the Georgia Republican&#8217;s home early Thursday morning, as well as early Wednesday morning, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/24/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-police-response/index.html">according to CNN</a>. The local authorities are working in conjunction with the Capitol Police Department on the investigation, according to the publication.
“For safety reasons, the USCP does not discuss potential security measures for Members or any potential investigations,&#8221; the United States Capitol Police told The Daily Wire.
Thursday&#8217;s call was &#8220;received on what appeared to be a suicide crisis line from an internet chat,&#8221; the police statement said, noting that this second report was also confirmed to be false. The Rome Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Daily Wire.
“With those phone calls, they were setting up a very serious, very dangerous scenario,” Greene <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/police-investigating-fake-shooting-report-that-prompted-armed-response-to-rep-greenes-home_4686383.html?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=digitalsub">said</a> in a media appearance earlier this week. “Not only did they put my life and my family’s life in danger, they also put the police officers’ lives in danger. And so whoever this person is, they deserve to be locked up.”
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Swatted again last night.
&mdash; Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMTG/status/1562789870271025155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The false reports constitute swatting, which is when a person prank calls authorities about a horrifying crime to lure a dramatic police or SWAT response to a location.
The Wednesday morning swatting caller lured police to the congresswoman&#8217;s home a little after 1 a.m., claiming that a subject had been shot multiple times, according to Rome Police assistant chief Debbie Burnett, who told CNN that police arrived at the address and &#8220;discovered this was the home of Marjorie Taylor Greene,&#8221; who &#8220;assured the officers there was no issue.&#8221;
Shortly afterwards, the Rome/Floyd County 911 dispatch &#8220;received a second call from the suspect who was using a computer generated voice stating that he/she was upset about Mrs. Greene&#8217;s political view on transgender youth rights,&#8221; the police told CNN.
This call likely referred to Greene’s Protect Children&#8217;s Innocence Act, which prohibits &#8220;gender affirming care on minors,&#8221; defining &#8220;gender affirming care&#8221; as &#8220;performing any surgery for the purpose of changing the body of such individual to correspond to a sex that differs from their biological sex.&#8221;
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The Protect Children’s Innocence Act has been introduced.
Thanks to all of the original cosponsors.<a href="https://twitter.com/RepMaryMiller?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepMaryMiller</a><a href="https://twitter.com/RepJeffDuncan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJeffDuncan</a><a href="https://twitter.com/RepBobGood?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepBobGood</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRalphNorman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepRalphNorman</a><a href="https://twitter.com/RepMattGaetz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepMattGaetz</a><a href="https://twitter.com/RepTonyGonzales?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepTonyGonzales</a><a href="https://twitter.com/RepClayHiggins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepClayHiggins</a><a href="https://twitter.com/RepBurgessOwens?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepBurgessOwens</a><a href="https://twitter.com/RepTenney?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepTenney</a><a href="https://twitter.com/Rep_Clyde?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Rep_Clyde</a><a href="https://twitter.com/RepHarshbarger?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepHarshbarger</a><a href="https://twitter.com/Lancegooden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Lancegooden</a> <a href="https://t.co/8P69HlQMbP">pic.twitter.com/8P69HlQMbP</a>
&mdash; Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMTG/status/1560653989519441920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2022</a></blockquote>
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It also includes &#8220;any plastic surgery that feminizes or masculinizes the facial features&#8221; to correspond to a sex that is not their biological sex, &#8220;any placement of chest implants to create feminine breasts&#8221; for biological males, and &#8220;any placement of fat or artificial implants in the gluteal region&#8221; in attempts to change someone&#8217;s sex.
The legislation also bans the use of puberty blocking drugs, testosterone, and estrogen &#8220;for the purpose of changing the body of such individual to correspond to a sex that differs from their biological sex.&#8221;
Greene did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Daily Wire.

Screen Shot 2022-08-25 at 12.58.05 PM

Marjorie Taylor Greene Targeted With Fake Shooting ‘Swatting’ Calls, Police Say

Authorities Investigating After Marjorie Taylor Greene Targeted With 'Swatting' Calls

Capitol Police

Police

Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/rand-paul">Rand Paul</a> (R-KY) called on the National Institutes of Health, demanding that the organization retain all communications and any other documents in Dr. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/anthony-fauci">Anthony Fauci</a>&#8216;s possession as his retirement looms closer.
Paul issued a letter — the contents of which were first <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2022/08/23/rand-paul-letter-nih-preserve-documents-communications-anthony-fauci-possession/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> by The Daily Caller — to the NIH, asking that they preserve all records, e-mails, electronic documents, and data that Fauci may have created or shared while at the NIH. Paul asked that they take special care to preserve any data or communications relating to COVID or to any coronavirus-related research conducted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) while Fauci held the top spot.
&#8220;In light of this announcement, I formally request you ensure the preservation of all documents and communications within Dr. Fauci’s possession related to his tenure at the National Institutes of Health (NIH),&#8221; Paul wrote upon learning of Fauci&#8217;s upcoming retirement from government employ.
&#8220;This information is critical to ensure that Congress has access to information necessary to conduct proper oversight regarding events that took place during Dr. Fauci’s tenure with the agency. Specifically, I request you preserve all records, e-mail, electronic documents, and data created by or shared with Dr. Fauci during his tenure at NIH that relate to COVID-19 including, but not limited to, NIAID-funded coronavirus research. This preservation request also includes all records of official business conducted on non­ official accounts,&#8221; he added.
Paul and Fauci have consistently <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/go-ahead-fauci-dares-rand-paul-to-make-good-on-threats-to-investigate-him/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">been at odds</a> over the federal government&#8217;s response to the pandemic — and Fauci&#8217;s role in supporting and potentially funding the kind of <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/in-damning-capitol-hill-testimony-scientists-contradict-faucis-claim-that-nih-never-funded-gain-of-function-research/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gain-of-function</a> research that Paul and a number of others believe may have sparked the spread of COVID via a lab leak.
Once Fauci announced his plan to leave the federal government later this year, Paul <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/rand-paul-faucis-resignation-wont-protect-him-from-investigation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made it clear</a> that he was not finished seeking answers from the nation&#8217;s top doc — and he said that retirement would not &#8220;protect&#8221; Fauci from investigation, should it come to that.
Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) appears to be on the same page as Paul, telling Fox News host Sean Hannity on Monday that if Republicans take back either the House or the Senate in 2022, Fauci is likely to face some questions.
As Kennedy put it, Fauci was likely to spend &#8220;a lot of time in front of a congressional committee&#8221; unless he were to &#8220;seek asylum in some foreign country whose Powerball jackpot is 287 chickens and a goat.&#8221;
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Sen. John Kennedy says that if Republicans take back Congress, unless Fauci &quot;decides to seek asylum in some foreign country whose Powerball jackpot is 287 chickens and a goat,&quot; he will &quot;be spending a lot of time in front of a Congressional committee.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/E3RbOAA9mk">pic.twitter.com/E3RbOAA9mk</a>
&mdash; The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1561892359503286275?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Top Health Officials Testify Before Senate Hearing

Rand Paul Warns NIH Not To Destroy Documents Ahead Of Potential Fauci Grilling

Anthony Fauci

Rand Paul

Republicans

The Architect of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/congress">Capitol&#8217;s</a> (AOC&#8217;s) director of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-dei">Diversity</a>, Inclusion and Dispute Resolution, Elizabeth Buday, violated government ethics and policies when seeking &#8220;training for the entire AOC workforce,&#8221; an inspector general (IG) report released Tuesday found.
The AOC employs a largely blue-collar and minority workforce of janitors, construction workers, and engineers that maintain the U.S. Capitol complex. &#8220;Employees in various trades such as electricians, plumbers, masons and carpenters maintain the facilities and infrastructure in optimal condition. Gardeners and grounds keepers create colorful displays and care for hundreds of acres of lawns and plantings,&#8221; its <a href="https://www.aoc.gov/about-us/work-with-us/careers">website</a> says.
The investigation began after a whistleblower said that Buday had broken rules and &#8220;abused her authority by placing subordinates in uncomfortable positions and described one specific contract acquired by the AOC pertaining to Agency wide training,&#8221; the IG report <a href="https://www.oversight.gov/sites/default/files/oig-reports/AOC/2020-0013-INVI-Updated-Oversight-Post-Final.pdf">said</a>.
The employee insisted on being a &#8220;confidential source&#8221; because he or she believed the director of inclusion would &#8220;seek retribution if she found out a complaint was filed with the OIG [Office of Inspector General].&#8221;
The report found that Buday violated rules by trying to negotiate with contractors directly even though she was not a trained contract officer, including attempting to award a &#8220;sole source&#8221; contract rather than using competition. &#8220;The contract was not eligible for a sole source award and would have to be offered to multiple vendors prior to selection,&#8221; the report said.
Buday told investigators she didn&#8217;t realize she was violating the rules, and she found it necessary to hire a specific firm because &#8220;not all companies or trainers would be able to relate to the blue collar employees of the AOC,&#8221; the report said.
&#8220;She was in violation of the AOC&#8217;s Contracting Manual when she attempted to coordinate a sole source contract with the vendor,&#8221; the report said. The IG report said Buday retired from the AOC on July 31 and the case was closed.
<a href="https://conferences.shrm.org/presenter/liz-buday">Buday</a> is a white woman who previously worked in diversity roles at the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Department of Veterans Affairs. A photo in an AOC report shows her lecturing a mostly-minority audience.
<div id="attachment_427712" style="width: 970px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-427712" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-427712 size-large" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/buday-960x576.png" alt="" width="960" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/buday-960x576.png 960w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/buday-300x180.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/buday-768x461.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/buday.png 1018w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />Architect of the Capitol</div>
A spokesperson for the AOC did not immediately return a request for comment, including for information about the nature of the training that the AOC workforce must take.
The U.S. Congress&#8217; traditionally nonpartisan administrative arms have become increasingly politicized. The House of Representatives also now has its own <a href="https://diversity.house.gov/media/in-the-news/head-house-office-diversity-and-inclusion-urges-more-staff-diversity">Office of Diversity and Inclusion</a>.
The Capitol Police are currently looking to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/capitol-police-seek-to-hire-their-own-prosecutor-overseeing-allegations-against-congressmen-and-trespassers">hire a criminal prosecutor</a> that would report to the police, even though prosecutors typically work for the executive branch and police are subordinate to prosecutors. The prosecutor would be in charge of prosecuting alleged January 6 rioters and handling allegations of misconduct by members of Congress.
The Architect of the Capitol, J. Brett Blanton, is one of three members of the <a href="https://www.uscp.gov/the-department/oversight/capitol-police-board">Capitol Police Board</a>.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/national-archives-museum-now-a-shrine-to-hard-left-thanks-to-bureaucrat-behind-fbis-trump-raid">National Archives Museum Now A Shrine To Hard Left, Thanks To Bureaucrat Behind FBI’s Trump Raid</a>
&nbsp;

Architect of the Capitol

Congress’ Diversity Czar Broke Rules When Forcing Its ‘Blue Collar’ Janitors To Take Training

Congress' Diversity Czar Broke Rules When Forcing Its 'Blue Collar' Janitors To Take Training

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

The left quickly turned on recently-ousted Republican Congresswoman <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/liz-cheney-says-shell-support-dems-in-races-against-some-republicans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Liz Cheney</a> (WY) after her reelection bid failed to make it past the Republican primary last week.
For weeks, left-leaning Twitter accounts — and even media pundits and elected Democrats —championing the former Republican leader for her work on the January 6th Committee and her opposition to former President Donald Trump. But once she had lost her primary — to Trump-backed <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/breaking-liz-cheney-destroyed-in-wyoming-gop-primary-trump-responds/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Harriet Hageman</a> — and hinted at a possible 2024 presidential run, the left began to abandon her.
Larry Middleton (@l78lancer)made it clear that Cheney&#8217;s efforts with regard to the January 6th Committee were appreciated — but that did not mean that he trusted her with anything beyond that. He <a href="https://twitter.com/l78lancer/status/1561756297543942145">tweeted</a>, &#8220;Remember folks, Liz Cheney voted with Trump 93% of the time. So, while her work on the 1/6 Committee is purportedly to save democracy, her goal is NOT to save the democrats. Don&#8217;t get it twisted.&#8221;
&#8220;Never ever will you catch me cheering on someone who applauded the removal of reproductive rights of women and voted with Trump 93% of the time,&#8221; @_TheLadyGrey <a href="https://twitter.com/_TheLadyGrey/status/1561698557802971136">added</a>. &#8220;I’ll hold my praise for someone worthy of it. A Republican is still a Republican. Cheney’s not a f***ing hero.&#8221;
USA Today opinion columnist Michael J. Stern <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelJStern1/status/1561738211701018624">explained</a>, &#8220;Liz Cheney put country over party when Trump ignited an insurrection in an effort to take over American Democracy. She gets credit for that. But, she voted with Trump 93% of the time. She celebrated the end of Roe. Quit saying you&#8217;ll vote for her if she runs for president.&#8221;
&#8220;I seriously can&#8217;t understand lifelong &#8216;Democrats&#8217; &amp; &#8216;resisters&#8217; who would vote for Liz Cheney if she ran in 2024,&#8221; another added. &#8220;She Voted against the Voting rights act, giving a boost to voter suppression. Bragged when Roe vs Wade was overturned, voted with Trump 93% and look at this gem &#8230;&#8221;
What followed was a screenshot of a 2016 tweet from Cheney that read, &#8220;Hillary Clinton is a serial liar guilty of criminal behavior &amp; must never again have access to classified material.&#8221;
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I seriously can&#39;t understand lifelong &quot;Democrats&quot; &amp; &quot;resisters&quot; who would vote for Liz Cheney if she ran in 2024. She Voted against the Voting rights act, giving a boost to voter suppression. Bragged when Roe vs Wade was overturned, voted with Trump 93% and look at this gem&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/6WW3vsGtRJ">https://t.co/6WW3vsGtRJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/CfB0ErlnO2">pic.twitter.com/CfB0ErlnO2</a>
&mdash; *GMQ* SUSAN 🇺🇲♀️🇺🇦 (@ifudontlike2bad) <a href="https://twitter.com/ifudontlike2bad/status/1561543780674576384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Don’t forget who Liz Cheney*actually* is. Liz Cheney has voted with Trump for 93% of her career. Donations she has received for the 2022 election cycle: Oil/Gas: $142K Pharmaceutical: $93K Women’s Issues (Pro-&#8216;Life&#8217;): $130K Real Estate: $394K Securities/Investment: $637K,&#8221; @darafaye <a href="https://twitter.com/darafaye/status/1559962766491824129">said</a>.
&#8220;If you&#8217;re a self-described liberal who wants Liz Cheney to run for president, you are loudly telling on yourself about how little you actually care about reproductive rights, economic justice and climate change,&#8221; David Sirota <a href="https://twitter.com/davidsirota/status/1561547007444992001">added</a>.
Twitchy&#8217;s @politibunny (Sam Janney) <a href="https://twitter.com/PolitiBunny/status/1561757848354406400">said</a> that most conservatives had seen the 180-degree turn coming from a mile away: &#8220;Knew this was going to happen after @Liz_Cheneywas no longer useful to our pals on the Left.&#8221;

GOP Congressional Candidate Liz Cheney Holds Election Night Event

‘Not A F***ing Hero’: The Left Turns On Liz Cheney After Primary Loss

The Left Turns On Liz Cheney After Primary Loss

Donald Trump

January 6 Committee

Liz Cheney

Wyoming

In late June, Israel’s parliament<a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/israeli-parliament-votes-to-dissolve-itself-triggering-fifth-election-in-under-four-years"> voted</a> to dissolve itself, triggering the country’s fifth election in just three years. This forced Yair Lapid into the role of interim prime minister as yet another legislative election is scheduled for November 1. <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/poll-indicates-netanyahu-led-bloc-inching-toward-majority-with-60-seats/">Polls</a> indicate an uphill battle for Lapid as he is set to face off with the veteran former Prime Minister, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-130-benjamin-natanyahu">Benjamin Netanyahu</a>.
Just over a year ago, Lapid was the architect of a coalition government consisting of eight different parties which joined forces to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/06/13/world/israel-knesset-bennett-lapid-netanyahu">end</a> the 12-year reign of Netanyahu, who was Israel’s longest-serving prime minister.
For those not familiar with the parliamentary system of democracy, it differs from the American system. A parliamentary nation is led by a prime minister, who is the elected head of the legislative branch, instead of a separately elected executive like our president. This system was created primarily by nations with monarchies, such as Great Britain, Norway, or Spain, or who were formerly controlled by them. And while America has a two-party system, there are a myriad of parties in a parliamentary system, so deals have to be carefully crafted between multiple groups with differing policies.
Thus, it would be like a coalition of congressional members electing a speaker, and that person running the nation as opposed to having the checks and balances of a separate executive branch.
The majority of European nations are parliamentary democracies. Yet, thanks to political infighting, some of the world’s most stable parliamentary democracies have recently had their entire governments <a href="https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2019/democracy-retreat">upended</a>. Amid <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/as-america-sleeps-a-dangerous-axis-develops">growing threats</a> from the axis of China, Russia, and Iran, this instability projects a frightening level of western weakness to our enemies on the world stage.
<h4>Great Britain, France, and Italy</h4>
Last month, Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wlwt.com/article/whats-next-for-uk-boris-johnson/40549219">Boris Johnson</a> resigned as Conservative Party leader &#8212; and thus, as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom – after an internal revolt. Now his party must choose his <a href="https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/world/boris-johnsons-successor-will-have-a-huge-mess-on-their-hands/">successor</a>.
Just across the channel, <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/france-learns-parliamentary-democracy-the-hard-way/">France</a> is having to relearn parliamentary democracy, and initial signs indicate that as a nation averse to compromise, it isn’t enjoying the experience. For the first time in a long time, French President Macron is ruling without a legislative majority in the National Assembly his favor. In June, his party <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/06/20/french-president-macron-loses-absolute-parliamentary-majority/">suffered losses</a> in their legislative elections.
For six decades, the French parliament served largely as an echo chamber for each party’s lofty policy goals. As the various opposition parties had little influence, these legislators were treated as “yes men” who created laws for the ruling party to implement. That changed after PM Macron failed to build a <a href="https://theconversation.com/german-election-explained-why-is-it-always-so-hard-to-form-a-government-168040">German-style coalition</a> based on a negotiated policy program, giving opposition groups scope to propose amendments and negotiate article-by-article on each bill. This instability is felt across France’s eastern border as well.
In February, Italian PM <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/26/italians-fear-return-of-instability-if-mario-draghi-quits-to-become-president">Mario Draghi</a> tried to run for President to shield his rule from feuding coalitions in parliament, and was <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/anyone-draghi-how-an-italian-presidential-bid-fell-flat-2022-02-02/">not successful</a>. Since the presidential vote, Draghi pushed back on calls by various political parties to expand the gaping Italian budget deficit, in order to address spiraling <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-30/italy-approves-energy-relief-as-draghi-battles-spike-in-prices">energy prices</a>. Draghi, the former European Central Bank (ECB) president, is determined<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-19/mario-draghi-is-putting-pressure-on-his-coalition-partners-after-missing-out-on-the-italian-presidency"> to re-establish his authority</a> and pull his fractious coalition into line at a time when the ECB is shifting toward <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-14/all-crisis-scenarios-lead-to-rome-as-ecb-starts-raising-rates">tightening monetary policy</a>, pushing up the cost of borrowing for the Italian state.
<h4>Pakistan and Tunisia</h4>
This shaking of the world’s most popular system of democracy also has major implications on global security.
Following the United States&#8217;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/one-year-later-bidens-botched-withdrawal-from-the-the-graveyard-of-empires"> botched withdrawal</a> from Afghanistan in 2021, neighboring Pakistan&#8217;s parliament held a <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2022/07/as-imran-khan-seeks-a-comeback-all-eyes-on-by-elections-in-pakistans-punjab/">no-confidence vote</a> in 2022 against its then-Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). A popular former cricket star, Khan continues to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/02/world/asia/imran-khan-pakistan-no-confidence.html">speak out</a> against his country’s military leadership for its alleged role in orchestrating the no-confidence vote.
Now under <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/as-default-looms-pakistan-army-chief-bajwa-seeks-us-help-on-release-of-imf-loan/ar-AA10aUT3">questionable</a> military rule and <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-in/money/topstories/no-progress-in-resuming-trade-with-pakistan-centre-tells-parliament/ar-AA1041CD">fraying economic ties</a> with its neighbors, Pakistan &#8212; arguably the world&#8217;s most unstable nuclear power – now shares a border with a hardline Taliban government. Undeterred, Khan continues his plea <a href="https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2022/07/18/pakistan-imran-khan-elections/9741658158285/">for elections</a> for 20 seats in the Punjab provincial assembly.
Meanwhile, in the terrorist hot-bed of North Africa, formerly French-controlled <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20220702-tunisia-s-draft-constitution-ending-the-parliamentary-regime-or-undoing-democracy">Tunisia</a> may be ending their parliamentary system all together. Tunisian President Kais Saied delivered his draft for a new constitution to the public in February to decide the fate of the only democracy emerging from the 2014 <a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/tunisia-was-the-only-democracy-to-blossom-from-the-arab-spring-now-its-a-mess/">Arab Spring</a>.
<a href="https://www.france24.com/en/tag/tunisia/">Tunisia</a>’s political crisis started on <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/tunisian-president-relieves-prime-minister-his-post-2021-07-25/">July 25, 2021</a>, when a poor response to the coronavirus, collapsing healthcare, and economic decline produced rampant protests. 
According to France24.com, the Tunisian president began with <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/tag/kais-saied/">sweeping moves</a>, “ invoked emergency powers under Article 80 of the Constitution to remove the prime minister, suspend parliament for a month, revoke parliamentary immunity, and do away with most of the constitution itself.”
<h4>Democracy in The Middle East</h4>
This brings us back to Israel, arguably America’s biggest intelligence ally and the only true democracy in the Middle East. In recent months legacy Western media outlets have tried to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/04/27/israel-report-apartheid/">paint the Israeli government as an apartheid state.</a> While it’s clear that Israel’s democracy is <a href="https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-712746">under attack</a>, it is certainly not an apartheid state. Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East with both a Jewish and an <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/new-israeli-government-ousts-longtime-prime-minister-netanyahu">outgoing coalition</a> which includes an Arab party.
Regardless, Israelis are going back to the polls in November for the fifth time in three and a half years because, under its broken parliamentary system, the populous leader of the country was unable to form a coalition of numerous parties to run the government. This is because in previous elections, the <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/netanyahu-facing-ouster-claims-his-potential-replacement-cant-stand-up-to-biden">Benjamin Netanyahu</a>-led Likud party received the most votes from the public, but was boycotted by smaller parties in parliament, resulting in <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/03/23/israel-election-netanyahu/">political deadlock.</a>
After a year of disagreements, and while COVID was locking down world economies, Netanyahu formed a coalition government with Benny Gantz in May of 2020. Netanyahu’s Likud Party won with 36 seats and Gantz brought another 15.
But the political peace was short lived. Israel held another round of elections in March of 2021.
So in the context of recent arguments over America’s <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/many-liberal-pundits-hate-electoral-163306559.html">Electoral College</a>, imagine how Israelis feel. In recent elections, the Likud party won 30 seats, almost twice as many as the current prime minister’s left-wing party, who received 17 seats. Nonetheless, Lapid <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/report-bennett-lapid-reach-agreement-on-forming-coalition-to-oust-netanyahu/">formed a coalition</a> with former Prime Minister <a href="https://www.allisrael.com/israeli-pm-naftali-bennett-losing-political-altitude-his-chief-of-staff-resigns-amidst-growing-coalition-defections-turbulence">Naftali Bennett</a>, who resigned as PM just<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/bennett-reportedly-turned-down-offer-from-lapid-to-serve-as-interim-foreign-minister/"> weeks ago</a>, and whose party received only seven seats and appointed the current prime minister of Israel. This resulted in the election of a prime minister with under 5% popularity and the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/06/13/netanyahu-ousted-after-12-years-as-israels-prime-minister/?sh=1882efea4925">ouster of Netanyahu,</a> which seems to have been the overriding and perhaps only objective of the outgoing government.
In 2009, when Netanyahu’s Likud party received 27 seats and created a coalition with the Kadima party’s 28 seats, a movement reportedly <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Israel-Elections/Report-Senate-panel-probing-Obama-administration-ties-to-effort-to-unseat-Netanyahu-393905">funded by</a> left wing American and European interests began to undermine Netanyahu’s populist reign. One of the major reasons for the endless rounds of elections over the past three years is what many perceive to be a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/obama-linked-nonprofit-filed-for-new-irs-status-after-accusation-of-meddling-in-israeli-election">politically motivated</a> legal witch hunt against Netanyahu, which included an <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/unprecedented-netanyahu-indictment-roils-israeli-election">indictment</a> against him filed on the eve of elections. The allegations, revised four times, <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/topic/netanyahu-trial/">remain in court</a>.
Now, amid rising <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/04/middleeast/iran-nuclear-talks-doha-mime-intl/index.html">Iranian</a> aggression and <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinian-charged-with-terror-for-paving-stone-attack-that-seriously-injured-man/">Palestinian</a> terror attacks; recent polls show that voters want Netanyahu to <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/06/21/israel-government-dissolves-bennett-netanyahu-lapid-elections/">return</a> to office alongside a strong majority in parliament in upcoming elections. This is why it is imperative that Israel repair its parliamentary system by enacting a system similar to that more closely resembles the American system, where Israelis get to elect the leader of their choice in two-to-four year terms. This way, similar to our midterm congressional elections that offset our Presidential elections, Israelis may vote for representatives who can complement or balance the power of the elected prime minister, solidifying Israeli democracy in a time of great regional instability.
A. Benjamin <a href="https://abmannes.com/">Mannes</a>, MA, CPP served in both municipal and federal law enforcement, leading to his designation as a nationally recognized subject matter expert in security, public integrity, and criminal justice reform. He has served as a consultant and expert witness and as the Director, Office of Investigations for the American Board of Internal Medicine from 2008-2017.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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