A top Democrat urged the House&#8217;s new panel dedicated to investigating the &#8220;weaponization&#8221; of the federal government to turn its focus on special counsel <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/john-durham" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Durham</a>&#8216;s investigation into potential misconduct in the Trump-Russia probe.
In making his plea to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) on Thursday, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) seized on a recent report by The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/26/us/politics/durham-trump-russia-barr.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">detailing alleged</a> problems in Durham&#8217;s endeavor, which began in 2019 at the behest of then-Attorney General William Barr.
&#8220;After four years and millions of dollars spent, the Durham investigation closed as a total flop without unearthing anything like the deep-state conspiracy that Republicans have been denouncing around here for years,&#8221; Raskin said.
Durham&#8217;s team &#8220;couldn’t find anything of substance to it,&#8221; Raskin added. &#8220;Yet Barr and Durham kept pressing in clearly abusive ways. I hope your subcommittee will investigate.&#8221;
Raskin spoke as a witness during the first hearing of the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, arguing the panel should let go of &#8220;conspiracy theories&#8221; and warning there is a &#8220;weaponized MAGA campaign&#8221; focused on &#8220;restoring&#8221; former President Donald Trump to the White House. Despite Raskin&#8217;s assertion that Durham&#8217;s inquiry is &#8220;closed,&#8221; there is no sign publicly that the prosecutor has completed his probe or given a final report to Attorney General Merrick Garland.
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Raskin goes hard on the failed Durham investigation as a clear example of real weaponization of the government <a href="https://t.co/HRVi1WYlfs">pic.twitter.com/HRVi1WYlfs</a>
&mdash; Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) <a href="https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1623751031883538434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/26/us/politics/durham-trump-russia-barr.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times article</a> published last month claimed a monthslong review found &#8220;flaws&#8221; in Durham&#8217;s inquiry as well as &#8220;internal dissent and ethical disputes&#8221; that led to resignations by some dissatisfied prosecutors on the team.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/barr-slams-new-york-times-reporting-on-durham-probe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barr condemned the report</a>, saying the New York Times&#8217; reporters &#8220;ignored some fundamental facts as to why some of the information that Durham was seeking was very important information.&#8221; He also said the article missed &#8220;obvious reasons&#8221; for Durham&#8217;s investigation, according to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-02-01/bill-barr-says-he-didnt-overstep-in-his-involvement-in-the-durham-probe-of-mueller-investigation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles Times</a>.
Still, the report by The New York Times gave fuel to Durham&#8217;s detractors in Congress. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-democrats-threaten-hard-look-at-durham-inquiry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">threatened an investigation</a> and House Democrats pressed the Justice Department inspector general to <a href="https://int.nyt.com/data/documenttools/Lieu%20and%20Goldman%20letter%20requesting%20inspector%20general%20investigation%20into%20Barr%20and%20Durham/d1a1af56f980a928/full.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">start a review</a> to determine whether Barr or Durham “violated any laws, DOJ rules or practices, or canons of legal ethics.”
One particularly explosive part of the article claimed Durham expanded his inquiry in the fall of 2019 to include a criminal investigation into &#8220;suspicious financial dealings&#8221; tied to Trump in response to a tip from Italian officials. However, the report asserted the details were largely unclear and said this line of inquiry did not result in Durham bringing charges.
In response, Barr insisted the tip &#8220;was not directly about Trump&#8221; and argued it was appropriate to rope it into Durham&#8217;s investigation because “it did have a relationship to the Russiagate stuff. It was not completely separate from it. And it turned out to be a complete non-issue.&#8221;
Seemingly unaware of Barr&#8217;s comments, Raskin said the inquiry into the Italian tip &#8220;mysteriously disappeared without a trace.&#8221; Ultimately, he argued House Republicans want to &#8220;pick up the baton from the defeated and demoralized Durham team and keep the wild goose chase going today.&#8221;

Jamie Raskin

Raskin Calls For ‘Weaponization’ Inquiry Into Durham Probe

Congress

Jim Jordan

John Durham

U.S.

Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alexandria-ocasio-cortez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez</a> (D-NY) appears to be at the top of the shortlist for a key spot on the powerful House Oversight Committee.
The leftist firebrand <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/27/rep-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-could-become-number-two-democrat-on-oversight-panel-00079938" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told POLITICO</a> on Friday there have been &#8220;conversations&#8221; about her being picked as vice ranking member, but she stressed &#8220;nothing&#8217;s been finalized.&#8221;
If she were chosen for the No. 2 position, Ocasio-Cortez would become the lieutenant to ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and play a leading role in setting the course for Democrats to counter GOP plans to investigate various aspects of the Biden administration.
Because Raskin is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democratic-rep-jamie-raskin-announces-cancer-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">undergoing cancer treatment</a>, his deputy could take on more responsibility, including sitting in for the ranking member for hearings during any absences. However, a Democratic aide insisted to POLITICO that any member can sit in for the ranking member.
“I have the greatest admiration for her skill, and I’m sure we’re going to be able to deploy her to maximum effect on the committee, along with all these other amazing new members,” Raskin said of Ocasio-Cortez, who is in her third term.
Party aides told the news outlet that Democrats on the panel are expected to meet on Monday to hash out their plan for the next two years. The report said the meeting could be used to finalize leadership positions. It also noted how Ocasio-Cortez previously served as Raskin&#8217;s vice chairwoman on the oversight subcommittee on civil rights issues, which fostered a &#8220;close relationship&#8221; that &#8220;fueled some speculation among some Democrats&#8221; about such a dynamic being repeated as Raskin ascended to the top minority party spot on the full committee.
Already there are hearings being scheduled for next week. <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/chairman-comer-announces-hearing-on-waste-fraud-and-abuse-in-pandemic-recovery-programs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One is set to take place on Wednesday</a> and is titled, “Federal Pandemic Spending: A Prescription for Waste, Fraud, and Abuse.&#8221;
Among the other Democrats <a href="https://twitter.com/maxpcohen/status/1618731849257451522" target="_blank" rel="noopener">picked to be on the House Oversight Committee</a> for this nascent session of Congress are Reps. Ro Khanna (CA), Katie Porter (CA), Cori Bush (MO), and Dan Goldman (NY).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“I’m very excited to welcome these extraordinary new members of our Committee, whose remarkable experiences and gifts will soon be known to the whole country.”
—RM <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRaskin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepRaskin</a> welcoming the newest <a href="https://twitter.com/OversightDems?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OversightDems</a> 
Full statement: <a href="https://t.co/CI7CHO0Z0q">https://t.co/CI7CHO0Z0q</a> <a href="https://t.co/HO0R6PF0jn">pic.twitter.com/HO0R6PF0jn</a>
&mdash; Oversight Committee Democrats (@OversightDems) <a href="https://twitter.com/OversightDems/status/1618741893755719680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The Republicans are led by Chairman James Comer (R-KY). Their members will include Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA) and Paul Gosar (AZ), both of whom were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marjorie-taylor-greene-set-to-make-comeback-with-new-committee-assignments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">selected this month for committee assignments</a> after being removed from their seats in flashes of controversy during the last session of Congress, as well as Lauren Boebert (CO).
In anticipation of fiery confrontations with his Democratic counterparts over the next couple of years, Comer told Axios that the oversight panel is &#8220;<a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/25/house-oversight-committee-exciting-comer-members" target="_blank" rel="noopener">probably the most exciting committee</a>&#8221; in congressional history.
Ocasio-Cortez told reporters on Friday that she thinks she is going to &#8220;have a lot of fun on this committee.” Democrats will have the &#8220;opportunity and platform to de-legitimize a lot of the disinformation that they&#8217;ve been advancing,&#8221; she added.

Jamie Raskin and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

AOC May Get Key Spot On Oversight Committee: Report

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Politics

U.S. House of Representatives

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) announced he has been diagnosed with lymphoma and will soon start chemo-immunotherapy.
The 60-year-old congressman, a former constitutional law professor who became a star in the Democratic Party leading the second impeachment effort against former President Donald Trump and working as a member of the January 6 Committee, <a href="https://raskin.house.gov/press-releases?ID=DFBEC38A-AF04-4D40-80BE-1F18B2ABE870" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released a statement</a> about his health on Wednesday, stressing that he expects to keep working even as he receives intensive treatment.
“After several days of tests, I have been diagnosed with Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma, which is a serious but curable form of cancer,&#8221; Raskin said. &#8220;I am about to embark on a course of chemo-immunotherapy on an outpatient basis at Med Star Georgetown University Hospital and Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Prognosis for most people in my situation is excellent after four months of treatment.&#8221;
“I expect to be able to work through this period but have been cautioned by my doctors to reduce unnecessary exposure to avoid COVID-19, the flu and other viruses,&#8221; he added. &#8220;In addition to destroying cancer cells, chemotherapy impairs natural antibodies and undermines the body’s immune system. I am advised that it also causes hair loss and weight gain (although I am still holding out hope for the kind that causes hair gain and weight loss).&#8221;
Raskin, first elected to the House in 2016, represents Maryland&#8217;s 8th Congressional District, which will now only contain Montgomery County after redistricting nixed portions of Frederick and Carrol counties. Just last week, House Democrats <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/22/politics/jamie-raskin-house-oversight-committee/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">picked Raskin to be the ranking member on the Oversight Committee</a>, which next term under the leadership of Republicans is expected to take on investigations into President Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
The congressman lost his 25-year-old son, Tommy, to suicide in late 2020, and wrote a memoir about working through the &#8220;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/01/04/1069793647/rep-jamie-raskin-searches-for-answers-in-unthinkable-journey-of-trauma-and-grief" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unthinkable trauma and loss</a>&#8221; that followed Tommy&#8217;s death and the Capitol riot. Raskin is also no stranger to cancer. More than a decade ago, when Raskin was a state senator, <a href="https://raskin.house.gov/2019/4/raskin-recalls-battle-cancer-plea-medicare-all" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he was diagnosed</a> with stage 3 colon cancer, for which he underwent radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery.
This time around, Raskin said, &#8220;With the benefit of early detection and fine doctors, the help of my extraordinary staff, the love of Sarah and our daughters and sons-in-law (actual and to-be) and family and friends, and the support of my beloved constituents and my colleagues in the House, I plan to get through this and, in the meantime, to keep making progress every day in Congress for American democracy.&#8221;
He concluded: &#8220;My love and solidarity go out to other families managing cancer or any other health condition in this holiday season — and all the doctors, nurses and medical personnel who provide us comfort and hope.&#8221;

Rep. Jamie Raskin

Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin Announces Cancer Diagnosis

Cancer

Health

Congressman <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/raskin-channels-schiff-insists-to-cnn-he-has-evidence-republicans-begged-trump-for-january-6-pardons/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jamie Raskin</a> (D-MD) took issue on Friday with the constitutionally-mandated manner in which presidents are elected, calling the Electoral College &#8220;an accident waiting to happen.&#8221;
<a href="https://dailywire.com/news/next-question-democrat-rep-refuses-to-say-how-inflation-reduction-act-will-lower-inflation-video/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raskin</a>, who was a constitutional law professor prior to his time in Congress, told MSNBC host Chris Hayes that the system as a whole was &#8220;vulnerable&#8221; and that the Electoral College had allowed room for &#8220;strategic bad faith actors&#8221; like former President Donald Trump.
WATCH:
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Former Constitutional law professor and sitting congressman has a problem with the constitutional manner in which presidents are elected: &quot;The Electoral College is *an accident waiting to happen* and we have to deal with that at some point in American history.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/pF5scFAuiU">pic.twitter.com/pF5scFAuiU</a>
&mdash; Virginia Kruta (@VAKruta) <a href="https://twitter.com/VAKruta/status/1569067830653378565?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
&#8220;Final question for you. You were a constitutional law professor before you were a United States Congressman. I wanted to hear you talk about these different aspects of an inquiry or making the case here,&#8221; Todd began, noting that the January 6th Committee — of which Raskin is part — did not have the power to prosecute former President Trump.
&#8220;Your committee doesn’t have criminal prosecutorial power, and nor should it, it’s a congressional committee,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;There’s a difference between what I would call the great crime of Donald Trump, which was a frontal assault on the core of American democracy, and whatever statutory violation of the U.S. code he may have committed. Sometimes, it can feel a little bit like a mismatch there, and I wanna know what you think about those two lanes.&#8221;
&#8220;Obviously, we’re gonna need some legislative changes to the criminal code, to account for, now the possibility of presidents taking a headlong rush at seizing the Presidency,&#8221; Raskin replied. &#8220;But there are federal statutes out there that will do the job. We have course have seditious conspiracy. We have conspiracy to interfere with the federal proceeding, which I think everybody can agree took place here. After, all the whole chant was &#8216;stop the steal.'&#8221;
Raskin went on to insist that the riot that took place on Capitol Hill had been planned out beforehand.
&#8220;So, yeah, I think that we will have to look at some new federal statutory changes,&#8221; Raskin continued. &#8220;And we have to look at the way that the electoral system itself is vulnerable to strategic bad faith actors like Donald Trump. The Electoral College is an accident waiting to happen and we have to deal with that at some point in American history. Why not now?&#8221;

House Select Committee On January 6th Holds Its 7th Hearing

Sitting Congressman Says U.S. Constitution Is ‘An Accident Waiting To Happen’

Sitting Congressman Jamie Raskin Says U.S. Constitution Is 'An Accident Waiting To Happen'

Chris Hayes

Constitution

Donald Trump

Electoral College

MSNBC

Congressman <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/raskin-channels-schiff-insists-to-cnn-he-has-evidence-republicans-begged-trump-for-january-6-pardons/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jamie Raskin</a> (D-MD) defended President Joe Biden&#8217;s recent remarks during a Sunday appearance on CBS&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; claiming that failure to accept the result of a free and fair election was one of the &#8220;hallmarks&#8221; of a fascist party.
<a href="https://dailywire.com/news/shapiro-joe-biden-is-the-real-semi-fascist/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden</a> took some heat earlier in the week — for asserting that some Republicans had embraced &#8220;semi-fascism&#8221; and that so-called &#8220;MAGA Republicans&#8221; were a threat to American democracy — as critics argued that the president who ran on uniting the country was only dividing the American people further. Raskin doubled down on Biden&#8217;s comments.
WATCH:
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Jamie Raskin on CBS: &quot;Two of the hallmarks of a fascist political party are, one, they don&#39;t accept the results of elections that don&#39;t go their way, and two, they embrace political violence. And I think that&#39;s why President Biden was right to sound the alarm this week.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/9S13L7ZG3D">pic.twitter.com/9S13L7ZG3D</a>
&mdash; Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) <a href="https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1566437703427792896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://dailywire.com/news/next-question-democrat-rep-refuses-to-say-how-inflation-reduction-act-will-lower-inflation-video/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raskin</a>, responding to former President Donald Trump&#8217;s repeated claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent, argued first that every case Trump&#8217;s attorneys had put forth had failed.
&#8220;Two of the hallmarks of a fascist political party are, one, they don&#8217;t accept the results of elections that don&#8217;t go their way, and two, they embrace political violence. And I think that&#8217;s why President Biden was right to sound the alarm this week,&#8221; he added.
But Raskin hasn&#8217;t always been so accepting of election results himself. In January of 2017 — when it came time for Congress to certify the results of the 2016 election — Raskin was among those who argued that the votes cast by electors from the state of Florida should not stand.
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Flashback 📸 : Trump lawyers show video of Democrats objecting to certifying his election in 2017. <a href="https://t.co/VlT7z8v2lm">https://t.co/VlT7z8v2lm</a> <a href="https://t.co/EiJQh0x5Kh">pic.twitter.com/EiJQh0x5Kh</a>
&mdash; Newsmax (@newsmax) <a href="https://twitter.com/newsmax/status/1360282519954804738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Then Vice President Joe Biden struck down the move, saying, &#8220;Please come to order. The objection cannot be received.&#8221; Raskin dismissed criticism of his objection by saying that in 2017, no one had stormed the Capitol.
Raskin also objected to the 2000 presidential election, stating in a video unearthed by the Republican National Committee that former President George W. Bush had effectively been appointed by the Supreme Court rather than elected by the American people.
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Incredible work by the RNC to find a 2003 (!) clip of Jamie Raskin saying that the 2000 presidential election was stolen. <a href="https://t.co/r7hXAj6KVl">https://t.co/r7hXAj6KVl</a> <a href="https://t.co/0uo57szWWM">pic.twitter.com/0uo57szWWM</a>
&mdash; max (@MaxNordau) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaxNordau/status/1566778967926898690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2022</a></blockquote>
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And Raskin was not the only one. Former Secretary of State — and failed presidential candidate — Hillary Clinton claimed that the 2016 election was &#8220;stolen&#8221; from her. President Joe Biden, after an audience member at a rally referred to Trump as an &#8220;illegitimate president,&#8221; jokingly asked the person to be his vice presidential candidate.
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Here is ten straight minutes of Democrats denying election results.<a href="https://t.co/bJRbzEcIO2">pic.twitter.com/bJRbzEcIO2</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1566463210957455364?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Nancy Pelosi Holds Bill Enrollment Event For Inflation Reduction Act

Democrat Election-Denier Claims Denying Elections Is One Of The ‘Hallmarks’ Of Fascism

Jamie Raskin, Election-Denier, Claims Denying Elections Is One Of The 'Hallmarks' Of Fascism

2016 Election

2020 Election

Fascism

Joe Biden

Congressman <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/topic/jamie-raskin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jamie Raskin</a> (D-MD) was more than happy to talk about the recently-passed <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/topic/inflation-reduction-act/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inflation Reduction Act</a> — until a reporter dared to ask him what specifically the package might do to lower inflation and thus reduce the strain on Americans&#8217; budgets.
Raskin spoke to reporters, touting the passage of the act and saying that the sooner its provisions could be implemented, the sooner Americans would start seeing some relief — but when a reporter asked him to point to a specific provision that would act to lower inflation, Raskin made it clear that he was no longer interested in continuing the conversation.
WATCH:
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&quot;What parts of the bill do you think will put to work on [lowering inflation] specifically?&quot;
Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin: &quot;Next question.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/88O5sWNgJP">pic.twitter.com/88O5sWNgJP</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1559210178561642499?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;As soon as the act goes into effect, I hope that all of the provisions will begin to work,&#8221; he began. &#8220;I&#8217;m — I know that those who have been blaming President Biden for the inflation going up are now giving President Biden all the credit for inflation going down. So we&#8217;re moving things in the right direction already.&#8221;
&#8220;And what parts of the bill do you think will put — will work on that specifically?&#8221; a reporter challenged Raskin, who stumbled over his words briefly before offering a very definitive answer.
&#8220;Next question,&#8221; he said, shaking his head.
The <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/house-passes-inflation-reduction-act-as-gop-plots-bills-demise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inflation Reduction Act</a> passed both the Senate and the House along party lines late last week — which has been touted as a <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/inflation-reduction-act-passes-house-224625452.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate, health, and tax bill</a> that will massively inflate the size of the <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/guns-body-armor-spy-gear-heres-what-bidens-beefed-up-irs-investigation-unit-will-pack/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Internal Revenue Service</a> — but very few Biden surrogates have been able to explain how exactly it&#8217;s passage and the billions in new spending it represents will work to bring down inflation.
White House Press Secretary <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/isnt-it-almost-orwellian-abc-anchor-spars-with-wh-press-sec-over-whether-inflation-reduction-act-reduces-inflation/">Karine Jean-Pierre</a> struggled with a similar question over the weekend while speaking to Jonathan Karl on ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week.&#8221;
After she claimed that the bill would lower costs for Americans, Karl pushed back: &#8220;But let me ask you, it’s called the ‘Inflation Reduction Act,’ but the Congressional Budget Office, which is nonpartisan, said that there would be a negligible impact on inflation this year and barely impact inflation at all next year, isn’t it almost Orwellian? How can you call it inflation reduction when the nonpartisan experts say it’s not gonna bring inflation down?&#8221;
&#8220;Look, here’s the thing. We have 126 economists, both Republicans, both Democrats who have said it’s going to fight inflation, five former secretaries of treasury,&#8221; Jean-Pierre claimed.
&#8220;So you disagree with the assessment of the CBO?&#8221; Karl pressed again, but Jean-Pierre didn&#8217;t budge.
&#8220;Well, there’s more to it than that,&#8221; she said, arguing that Republicans were just framing the issue in such a way that it looked like it wouldn&#8217;t work.
According to the Penn Wharton Budget Model, an <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/inflation-reduction-act-may-not-lower-inflation-penn-wharton/">analysis</a> compiled by a group of economists and data analysts at the University of Pennsylvania, the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act will likely be &#8220;statistically indistinguishable from zero.&#8221;

‘Next Question’: Democrat Rep. Refuses To Say How ‘Inflation Reduction Act’ Will Lower Inflation (VIDEO)

Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin Refuses To Say How 'Inflation Reduction Act' Will Lower Inflation

Economy

Inflation

Inflation Reduction Act

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/january-6-committee">January 6 Committee</a> unveiled its surprise star witness on Tuesday — Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to then-<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/white-house">White House</a> Chief of Staff Mark Meadows — yet committee member Rep. Jaime Raskin (D-MD) admitted that her testimony was only hearsay.
Hutchinson testified before the committee that Secret Service agent Anthony Ornato told her that on January 6, 2021, then-President Donald Trump attempted to grab the steering wheel of the presidential limo &#8220;The Beast&#8221; and commandeer the vehicle to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/capitol-hill">U.S. Capitol</a> to join protesters upset about the 2020 presidential election results. She added that the president was rebuffed by the head of Trump&#8217;s Secret Service detail, Robert Engel, who grabbed the president&#8217;s wrist. She then claimed that Ornato told her that Trump reached for Engel&#8217;s clavicle with his free hand.
While told vividly, the story seemed to lack any hard evidence and was only a second-hand account. CNN&#8217;s Jake Tapper pressed Raskin on that point Tuesday evening and asked for any subsequent corroboration from previous testimony.
&#8220;She did not see it happen,&#8221; Tapper said to Raskin Tuesday evening. &#8220;Do you have any corroborating evidence? You have interviewed both Ornato, or the committee has interviewed both Engle and Ornato, two Secret Service agents. Do you have any corroborating evidence that that story is true or do you only have it from Cassidy Hutchinson?&#8221;
Raskin could not provide any solid proof besides implying that it sounded true.
&#8220;Well, um, the story that she told is the evidence that I&#8217;m aware of, at least within her story, and I&#8217;ve not seen anything to contradict it,&#8221; Raskin answered. &#8220;And then, of course, it&#8217;s corroborated by everything else we know about Donald Trump&#8217;s eagerness to not just incite this march and assemble the march and form the march and exhort the people in the march but also to participate in it, he wanted to go into it.&#8221;
Raskin then recounted how Hutchinson testified that White House counsel told her not to let Trump enter the rally at the Capitol for various legal and safety reasons.
Tapper pressed forward, asking again if Raskin had any evidence.
&#8220;What I&#8217;m saying is, your committee interviewed Tony Ornato and [Robert] Engel, who supposedly told her this story, and I don&#8217;t doubt her. I&#8217;m sure Ornato told her the story but your committee interviewed them. Did you ask about this story?&#8221; Tapper asked. &#8220;It is a shocking story.&#8221;
&#8220;I was not involved in either of those interviews. So I can&#8217;t say and I don&#8217;t have any knowledge of that. I will just say I&#8217;m not aware of anything that contradicts the account,&#8221; Raskin responded.
Raskin added that he would encourage any other material witness to come forward with information that could prove or disprove Hutchinson&#8217;s testimony.
Tapper again lamented the fact that there was no actual evidence of her claims.
&#8220;It is just an incredibly damning and dramatic story. I would just, as a journalist and as an American, appreciate more corroboration for the story, since as of now, it is hearsay,&#8221; Tapper said before Raskin interjected, &#8220;Oh, sure.&#8221;
&#8220;And of course, we&#8217;re not in a court of law and we&#8217;re not charging anybody with any particular offense,&#8221; Raskin continued. &#8220;Our job under House Resolution 503 is to assemble the most meticulous and comprehensive account of the details of that day that we can as well as the causes of these events, as well as making recommendations as to how to fortify democratic institutions against coups, and insurrections and political violence or attacks on our election. So that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re working on.&#8221;
Raskin added that Hutchinson&#8217;s account is just &#8220;one detail out of many details&#8221; while claiming that he was &#8220;not aware of a single fact that the committee has put forward that has been contradicted or debunked by anybody, but that&#8217;s not to say it couldn&#8217;t happen.&#8221;
The interview can be seen here:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
CNN’s <a href="https://twitter.com/jaketapper?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jaketapper</a> asks <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRaskin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepRaskin</a> about corroborating the shocking story, told by ex-aide of Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, about Trump’s physical attack on Secret Service detail to drive to the US Capitol on January 6. <a href="https://t.co/z2ul9WvFcc">pic.twitter.com/z2ul9WvFcc</a>
&mdash; CNN (@CNN) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1541894982780469248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Cassidy Hutchinson

January 6 Committee Member Admits Star Witness’ Evidence Is Hearsay, No Corroborating Evidence

January 6 Committee Member Jamie Raskin Admits Cassidy Hutchinson's Evidence Is Hearsay And Lacking Corroborating Evidence

Capitol Riot

Jake Tapper

January 6 Committee

Mark Meadows

Secret Service

Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD) appeared to take a page from Congressman Adam Schiff&#8217;s (D-CA) playbook when he repeatedly told CNN anchor Dana Bash that he had &#8220;evidence&#8221; that a number of Republicans begged former President Donald Trump to pardon their <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/real-bullst-fox-news-segment-goes-off-the-rails-when-guest-brings-up-january-6th-hearings/">January 6th</a> activities.
Raskin made an appearance Sunday on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; to discuss the ongoing public January 6th Committee hearings, which began last Thursday and will carry into the coming week. Bash made a note of the claim that Republicans had asked Trump for pardons, and pressed Raskin on it several times to no avail.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Jamie Raskin takes a page from Adam Schiff&#39;s playbook — insists there is &quot;evidence&quot; Republicans begged Trump for pardons over <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/January6th?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#January6th</a> but won&#39;t reveal what it is. <a href="https://t.co/bEqtT3F7C6">pic.twitter.com/bEqtT3F7C6</a>
&mdash; Virginia Kruta (@VAKruta) <a href="https://twitter.com/VAKruta/status/1536162455738621952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I want to ask you about pardons,&#8221; Bash began. &#8220;You revealed this week that multiple Republican members of Congress sought pardons from President Trump after the insurrection. How many of your colleagues in Congress did that? And what evidence do you have? Because you know that congressman Scott Perry is denying it.&#8221;
<a href="https://dailywire.com/news/jamie-raskin-second-trump-impeachment-a-dramatic-success-trumps-lawyers-explosive-and-deranged/">Raskin</a> appeared to evade Bash&#8217;s questions — namely how many Republicans he was accusing and what kind of evidence he had against them. Instead, he argued that if Republicans had done such a thing, it was an indicator that they were guilty of a crime and knew that.
&#8220;The seeking of pardons is powerful demonstration of the consciousness of guilt, or at least the consciousness you may be in trouble,&#8221; he said. &#8220;That’s what’s so shocking about this. It’s not just one.&#8221;
&#8220;You have evidence that this happened?&#8221; Bash asked again.
&#8220;It is multiple members of Congress, as the vice chair said at our opening period,&#8221; Raskin said, still not giving a firm number and saying only that the truth would come out in time. &#8220;And all in due course. The details will surface.&#8221;
&#8220;So, yes, there’s evidence?&#8221; Bash tried a third time.
&#8220;Everything we’re doing is documented by evidence,&#8221; Raskin insisted. &#8220;Unlike the big lie, which is based on nonsense, as former Attorney General Barr said. Everything that we’re doing is based on facts and this is a bipartisan investigation, which is determined to ferret out all the facts of what happened.&#8221;
The Washington Examiner&#8217;s Byron York made it clear that he was not impressed with Raskin&#8217;s answers. &#8220;I&#8217;m not saying the J6 committee does not have evidence on this topic,&#8221; he tweeted. But to make a serious charge and then, when asked for proof, say, &#8216;all in due course, the details will surface&#8217; — that is not a responsible way to operate.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I&#39;m not saying the J6 committee does not have evidence on this topic. But to make a serious charge and then, when asked for proof, say, &#39;all in due course, the details will surface&#39; &#8212; that is not a responsible way to operate. From CNN: <a href="https://t.co/Q2jtyd2KEQ">pic.twitter.com/Q2jtyd2KEQ</a>
&mdash; Byron York (@ByronYork) <a href="https://twitter.com/ByronYork/status/1535998598164389888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;It&#8217;s the Adam Schiff model. Didn&#8217;t hurt him at all when everything he&#8217;d said about Russian collusion was exposed as a lie, why should these Democrats (one of which is Schiff) care?&#8221; Derek Hunter <a href="https://twitter.com/derekahunter/status/1536094309799317504">added</a>.
Schiff repeatedly insisted that he had <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/report-adam-schiff-knew-russiagate-would-go-nowhere-pursued-trump-russia-connection-anyway/">evidence of Russian collusion</a> within the Trump campaign — but was never able to reveal any of it publicly.

House January 6 Committee Holds Hearing To Present Findings

Raskin Channels Schiff, Insists To CNN He Has ‘Evidence’ Republicans Begged Trump For January 6 Pardons

Jamie Raskin Insists To CNN He Has ‘Evidence’ Republicans Begged Trump For January 6 Pardons

Adam Schiff

Dana Bash

January 6

Pardon

A leading pro-life advocate left a leading leftist Democrat congressman running for cover when she exposed the hypocrisy of his party’s position on abortion.
Much if not all of the Democratic Party favors few if any limits on abortion while constantly focusing on the need for abortion because of rape or incest, yet when confronted by others suggesting that if those cases were acceptable reasons for abortion (along with a risk to the mother’s life), would they ban all other abortions, they refuse to agree.
Attorney Catherine Glenn Foster, President &amp; CEO of Americans United for Life, used that argument to stun Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin, snapping of an abortion ban, “If we added rape and incest exceptions would you vote for it?”
Raskin had echoed the Democrats’ incessant posturing that “Right-wing extremists” and the pro-life movement are indelibly linked. He pontificated, “Today, both democracy and freedom are under siege in our country. There are Right-wing extremists and fanatics who want to destroy both the silver frame of our Constitution democracy and they came here to show us they mean business on January 6 of last year and also the golden apple of personal freedom to make our own decisions about the most  intimate and personal decisions that we could make.”
“They have brought mob violence to the Congress of the United States, threatening to hang the vice president in order to overthrow a democratic election, and now they are about to do violence to the Constitution and the doctrine of a right to privacy, a freedom that tens of millions of Americans and women have considered central to their ability to lead their lives and to conduct their business as citizens of the country,” Raskin said, ignoring the fact that the “right to privacy” was nowhere to be found in the U.S. Constitution.
“Well, this is an illuminating hearing, Mr. Chairman,” Raskin sniped.
“The Republicans’ own witness, the witness they called, is candidly and openly calling for a nationwide ban on all abortions with no exceptions for rape or incest. And if I have got that wrong, I would invite Ms. Foster to correct me. Do I have it wrong, yes or no?” he bullied.
Foster fired back, “If we added rape and incest exceptions would you vote for it?
Raskin, having no answer, ducked, “Okay. I reclaim my time.”
Immediately prior to her exchange with Raskin, Foster was asked by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA), “Ms. Foster, as a society we’ve got a clear consensus that if a human being has a brain wave and a heartbeat they have an indisputable right to life; they cannot be legally harmed. That is a standard we apply to the end of life; is that also a standard we should apply to the beginning of life?”
“It absolutely is. Yes,” Foster answered.
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House Hearing Examines Federal Support For HBCU’s

WATCH: Pro-Life Mom Stuns Bullying Dem Congressman With One Question

Pro-Life Advocate Asks Democratic Congressman If He Would Vote For Abortion Ban With Rape And Incest Exceptions 

Abortion

The lead House manager of former President Donald Trump&#8217;s impeachment trial, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) called the Senate hearings a &#8220;dramatic success,&#8221; despite the acquittal.
Speaking to &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; Raskin called the effort a &#8220;dramatic success in historical terms,&#8221; and the &#8220;largest impeachment conviction vote in U.S. history,&#8221; because seven Republicans crossed party lines to vote to convict the former president of inciting a riot at the United States Capitol on January 6th.
Raskin also hailed Trump&#8217;s second impeachment as a bipartisan achievement.
&#8220;It was by far the most bipartisan majority that&#8217;s ever assembled in the Senate to convict a president, which has traditionally been a kind of partisan thing in American history,&#8221; Raskin told &#8220;Meet the Press.&#8221; &#8220;We got seven Republicans, and if you look at the ten Republicans in the House who joined us, it was by far the most bipartisan decision and a complete repudiation of the president&#8217;s conduct.&#8221;
Trump still escaped being convicted of the single count on which he was impeached by the House of Representatives, with the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) even refusing to cast a vote against Trump despite blistering the former president&#8217;s actions in the days and weeks leading up to the Capitol riot in a speech on the Senate floor.
Democrats have faced steep criticism, as well, since closing arguments in the Senate on Saturday.
Despite passing around a press release from Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), who <a href="https://jhb.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=402083">claimed that House Minority Leader, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) asked Trump</a> to &#8220;publicly and forcefully&#8221; call off the riot and that Trump responded by claiming Antifa had infiltrated a rally of his supporters in order to frame them for the violence, they refused to call her as a witness &#8212; a process that would have opened the door to witness testimony from both sides of the case.
In the &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; interview, Raskin waved off the criticism, blaming Republicans.
&#8220;We were going to proceed to do it. Then the Republicans stipulated to allow the evidence to come into the record,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We could have had 1,000 witnesses,&#8221; but McConnell and others were insisting the trial itself was unconstitutional.
When asked by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/02/15/conversation-with-jamie-raskin/">The Washington Post in an interview</a> the same day, Raskin again claimed Trump&#8217;s second trial was the most successful impeachment in history but suggested that audiences watching the proceedings on television were distracted from Democrats&#8217; success by Trump&#8217;s lawyers.
“The evidence was overwhelming, devastating, undisputable, and undisputed,&#8221; Raskin said. &#8220;As for the opposing counsel, Raskin called their lawyering &#8216;explosive and deranged.'&#8221;
“They couldn’t get a summer internship with ‘My Cousin Vinny,'&#8221; Raskin said, per the Post. &#8220;In some sense, he suggested, the gap between the defense and the House managers’ teams (the &#8216;goofus and gallant&#8217; of lawyering) obscured that the House managers’ presentation would have shined even against competent counsel.&#8221;
Democrats, given the lack of success with the impeachment trial, are now reportedly considering taking other action against the former president and holding &#8220;9/11 commission-style&#8221; hearings on the January 6th Capitol riot.

Jamie Raskin: Second Trump Impeachment A ‘Dramatic Success,’ Trump’s Lawyers ‘Explosive And Deranged’

Impeachment

One of the impeachment managers selected by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) previously raised objections during the Electoral College certification of President Donald Trump&#8217;s victory over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
Pelosi announced late on Tuesday evening that she had selected Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) to be the &#8220;lead manager&#8221; during impeachment.
During Congress&#8217;s certification in January 2017, Raskin had the following exchange with then-Vice President Joe Biden:
<blockquote>Biden: What purpose does the member rise?
Raskin: I have an objection because 10 of the 29 electoral votes cast by Florida were cast by electors not lawfully certified because they violated Florida’s prohibition against dual office holders.
Biden: The debate is out of order. Section 15 and 17 of the Title III of the United States code requires that any objection be presented in writing, signed by both … a member of the House of Representatives and a Senator. Is the objection in writing and signed not only by the member of the House of Representatives but also by a Senator?
Raskin: It’s in writing, Mr. President.
Biden: Is it signed by a Senator?
Raskin: Not as of yet, Mr. President.
Biden: In that case the objection cannot be entertained.</blockquote>
Raskin even told a local newspaper that he wanted to challenge the Electoral College vote but didn&#8217;t think there was enough support to do so.
&#8220;I would love to challenge the Electoral College vote because our election was badly tainted by everything from cyber-sabotage by Vladimir Putin, to deliberate voter suppression by Republicans in numerous swing states,&#8221; Raskin <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/bal-rep-jamie-raskin-considers-objecting-to-trump-s-electoral-college-win-20170105-story.html">told</a> The Baltimore Sun. &#8220;But it&#8217;s a very hard thing to prove that an election would have turned out differently than it did, and the law requires a challenge from both the House and the Senate, and I&#8217;m not seeing that happen.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Lead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin objected to Florida&#39;s electoral votes in 2017. <a href="https://t.co/FsLvJLvA8v">pic.twitter.com/FsLvJLvA8v</a>
&mdash; Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/kerpen/status/1349359860350124033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Pelosi highlighted the following in a short snippet on Raskin:
<blockquote>Congressman Jamie Raskin is a member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, where he serves as Chair of Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and on the Judiciary Committee, where he serves as Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on the Constitution.  He also serves on the Rules Committee and the Committee on House Administration, where he is Vice Chair.  Prior to his time in Congress, Raskin was a three-term State Senator in Maryland and a professor of constitutional law at American University’s Washington College of Law for more than 25 years.</blockquote>
Democrats are impeaching Trump for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-house-democrats-file-single-article-of-impeachment-against-trump">allegedly</a> inciting what they claim was an attempted insurrection against the United States.
“President Trump’s conduct on January 6, 2021 was consistent with his prior efforts to subvert and obstruct the certification of the results of the 2020 presidential election,” the article of impeachment stated. “Those prior efforts include, but are not limited to, a phone call on January 2, 2021, in which President Trump urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to ‘find’ enough votes to overturn the Georgia presidential election results and threatened Mr. Raffensperger if he failed to do so.”
“In all of this, President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of government,” the document stated. “He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coordinate branch of government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.”
“Werefore President Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law,” the article of impeachment concluded. “President Trump thus warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States.”

House Rules Committee Markup Meeting On Resolution Impeaching President Trump

Democrat Selected By Pelosi To Be Top Impeachment Manager Raised Objections To Certifying Trump Victory

Nancy Pelosi

Two Democratic congressmen reportedly have plans to present a prospective Biden administration a slate of recommendations that include pushing back against the “Christian nationalist movement.”
Those recommendations come courtesy of a 28-page <a href="https://seculardems.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/SecularDemocratsofAmerica_Blueprint_BidenHarrisTransition_11-30-20_FINAL.pdf">document created</a> by the Secular Democrats of America PAC (SDA); Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-MD)and Jared Huffman(D-CA), the co-chairs of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, reportedly intend to present the document to Joe Biden, <a href="https://religionnews.com/2020/11/30/secular-democrats-unveil-sweeping-recommendations-for-biden-administration/">Religion News</a> reports.
Raskin told Religion News Service, “Trump’s ministers and judges have turned religious free exercise into a weapon against anti-discrimination law, and this essential fallacy must be corrected. The Biden Administration should quickly debunk the right-wing myth that personal free exercise of religion is a license to discriminate against other people in the provision of services in government and the marketplace.”
The document states that the “Christian nationalist movement” “provides constant cover for white supremacy,” as follows:
<blockquote>We urge you not to underestimate the institutional strength of what we refer to (interchangeably) in this document as the “Christian nationalist movement” or the “religious right.” This movement is extraordinarily well-funded and well-organized, and the manifestation of its extreme and sectarian agenda is on constant display under the Trump- Pence administration. Its political ideology is anti-democratic and anti-scientific. It provides constant cover for white supremacy.</blockquote>
The document continues:
<blockquote>The constant entanglement of religion and government—promoted by the religious right and intensified by the Trump administration—sweeps far beyond hot-button “culture war” issues like abortion and contraception. It permeates every aspect of government policy— healthcare, public and private education, foreign policy, tax policy, environmental policy, military policy, and more, all of which will be addressed in this document.</blockquote>
Some suggestions in the document include: “reframe” concepts of patriotism by urging politicians to avoid saying “God and country”; encouraging chaplains in the military who are non-religious; and using “E Pluribus Unum” instead of “In God We Trust,” asserting that “In God We Trust” is “a relic of McCarthyism and the anti-atheist hysteria of the 1950s, and it has been invoked by Christian nationalists to reinforce their historically revisionist narrative of our nation’s founding. They characterize the United States’ founding as a ‘Christian nation’ based in biblical principles, rather than as a secularist nation based in revolutionary democratic ideas.”
The document also states that the group recommends opposing “religious displays on government property,” and to “crack down on nonprofits operating as businesses, including megachurches.”
Sarah Levin, program director for the Secular Democrats of America, stated, “Tens of millions of secular Americans stood with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on Election Day because they want a government that reflects their values. President Trump placed religious privilege above both individual freedom and our democratic way of life.”
SDA wants the government to withhold federal funds from any faith-based organization that “discriminates against its employees or program beneficiaries on the basis of religion.” It also wants to revivify enforcement of the U.S. tax code barring nonprofit groups from endorsing candidates for political office.

Raskin Huffman

Report: Dem Congressmen To Offer Document To Biden Championing Secularism, Attacking ‘Christian Nationalist Movement’

Atheism

Biden Administration

Democratic Party

Jared Huffman

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