Congressional Republicans unveiled legislation on Tuesday that would establish a new office tasked with enforcing the ban on affirmative action and strip federal funding from universities that engage in racial discrimination.
Titled the College Admissions Accountability Act, the legislation from Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) would create a special inspector general’s office within the Department of Education to enforce the Supreme Court’s ruling on Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which found that considering race in the admissions process violates the 14th Amendment.
The proposed legislation, which was first <a href="https://freebeacon.com/policy/republicans-propose-new-office-to-enforce-affirmative-action-ban/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> by the Free Beacon, comes as several universities have indicated that they may not comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling. &#8220;Following the Court&#8217;s ruling, several American colleges and universities issued statements or unveiled new policies at odds with its letter and spirit,&#8221; the legislation states. &#8220;Institutions of higher education, including their offices of admission, must comply with the Constitution and laws of the United States, as interpreted by the judiciary.&#8221;
Columbia Law School initially stated that they would require applicants to submit a video as part of their application in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling before backtracking after critics noted it might be &#8220;a willful effort to evade the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.&#8221;
Other institutions responded to the ruling by <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/admissions/traditional-age/2023/08/02/colleges-change-essay-prompts-after-affirmative-action" target="_blank" rel="noopener">modifying their essay prompts</a> to inquire about applicant’s “cultural background” and “lived experience,” as well as their beliefs on diversity and inclusion. Some universities, like Babson College and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst admitted that the prompts were created in direct response to the ban on affirmative action.
&#8220;Every student in America is entitled to equal protection under the law, regardless of their background,&#8221; Vance <a href="https://freebeacon.com/policy/republicans-propose-new-office-to-enforce-affirmative-action-ban/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contended</a> before adding &#8220;This bill creates the means necessary to enforce the Court&#8217;s decision and hold colleges and universities accountable for illegal discrimination on the basis of race.&#8221;
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In addition to creating the Office of the Special Inspector General for Unlawful Discrimination in Higher Education, the legislation would also pull federal funding from universities that violate the Supreme Court’s ruling and engage in racial discrimination. The potential punishments would also address discrimination in “financial aid determinations” and “academic programs.”
The office created by the legislation would exist separately from the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, giving applicants and employees a new means by which to file discrimination claims.
&#8220;The federal government has given the universities free rein to discriminate against white and Asian students” remarked Chris Rufo, the conservative activist who spearheaded the fight against Critical Race Theory and now serves as a trustee at the New College of Florida. &#8220;Senator Vance&#8217;s proposed legislation will put a stop to this.&#8221;

College students walking on campus, rear view – stock photo

Republicans Unveil Legislation To Enforce Affirmative Action Ban, Strip Funding From Universities That Discriminate

Critical Race Theory

JD Vance

Jim Banks

Republican senators are questioning the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/internal-revenue-service-irs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IRS</a> about its audit of a watchdog organization that has released reports on multiple Biden nominees to key federal positions.
Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jd-vance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">J.D. Vance</a> (R-OH) and Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel on Thursday asking for answers about the agency’s investigation into the American Accountability Foundation (AAF), a nonprofit watchdog that has reported on several President Joe Biden’s nominees who were later withdrawn from consideration.
“The IRS is once again harassing conservative groups. It should be no surprise to see Joe Biden borrowing directly from the Obama playbook,” Vance posted on X, sharing the letter to Werfel. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The IRS is once again harassing conservative groups. It should be no surprise to see Joe Biden borrowing directly from the Obama playbook.
I won&#39;t stand for it &#8211; <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorBraun?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorBraun</a> and I are demanding answers on this clear weaponization of our government. <a href="https://t.co/vRGGFfFq2F">pic.twitter.com/vRGGFfFq2F</a>
&mdash; J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance1/status/1725171030476411151?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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In September, the AAF was told by the IRS that it was being investigated about whether it &#8220;operates in accordance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.” 
&#8220;But, to date, the IRS has neither presented any evidence that AAF has failed to observe the requirements of section 501(c)(3) nor explained why AAF may be at risk of failing to observe those requirements,&#8221; Vance and Braun said. “We do not need to remind you that the AAF audit follows on the heels of an ugly chapter in the IRS’s history, during which the agency unfairly targeted conservative groups for scrutiny on the basis of their views.&#8221;
Vance and Braun asked Werfel if there had been any internal discussions on the AAF’s political orientation and why it was singled out for audit out of the thousands of nonprofits. 
The AAF repeatedly drew attention to Biden FCC chair nominee Gigi Sohn’s <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/gigi-sohns-fcc-nomination-trouble-because-radical-views-being-gay-nothing">claims</a> that Fox News was “state-sponsored propaganda.” After months of pressure and criticism from Republican lawmakers, Sohn withdrew her nomination. 
The AAF also raised red flags about two other failed Biden nominees, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nominee Ann Carlson and FAA nominee Phillip Washington. The Biden administration withdrew Carlson&#8217;s nomination in May, and Washington withdrew from his nomination in March.
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On Wednesday, Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) tweeted out an article on the investigation and commented, “Someone seems nervous.”
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Someone seems nervous 👀<a href="https://t.co/rX9in6vAry">https://t.co/rX9in6vAry</a> <a href="https://t.co/b453OlbMMp">pic.twitter.com/b453OlbMMp</a>
&mdash; Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenWhitehouse/status/1724917041298055202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2023</a></blockquote>
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In a statement to The Daily Wire, AAF President Tom Jones said that the IRS and Whitehouse were trying to intimidate them. 
&#8220;These thuggish, Soviet-style, tactics of intimidation are things I never thought I&#8217;d see in America. This country was founded so that men would be free, yet today we have elected government officials publicly boasting over having their enemies punished. It&#8217;s a chilling warning about the state of our republic. We have a God-given right &#8211; indeed, a duty &#8211; to hold the powerful accountable and we will continue to do so no matter what petty tyrants and tin pot wannabe dictators like Sheldon Whitehouse have to say about it as he sits in his elite whites-only country clubs.&#8221;
During the Obama years, the IRS was heavily scrutinized after it reportedly targeted Tea Party groups.

Lawmakers At Odds On Budget As Possible Government Shutdown Looms

Senators Question IRS Over Audit Of Conservative Org That Vets Biden Nominees

Congress

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

Politics

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jd-vance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">J.D. Vance</a> (R-OH) confronted the Biden administration&#8217;s commerce secretary on Wednesday over so-called diversity mandates dictating the hiring practices for domestic semiconductor manufacturing companies seeking federal funding as the industry faces a shortfall of skilled workers.
Vance, who sits on the Senate Commerce Committee, tore into U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo during a hearing that focused on the implementation and oversight of the $52.7 billion <a href="https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr4346/BILLS-117hr4346enr.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CHIPS and Science Act</a>, which provides grant support for new manufacturing sites and research and development while also including various provisions aimed at promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Meanwhile, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) and Oxford Economics published a <a href="https://www.semiconductors.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/SIA_State-of-Industry-Report_2023_Final_080323.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> over the summer that showed semiconductor manufacturers face a shortfall of roughly 67,000 workers by 2030, painting a grim future for U.S. industries needing computer scientists, engineers, and technicians.
&#8220;I&#8217;m struggling to make sense of the fact that we apparently have a shortage of skilled labor to manufacture chips on the one hand, and yet the Secretary of Commerce is telling people that they can only hire the people who check the right diversity boxes,&#8221; Vance <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcSORWzpaSs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;That doesn&#8217;t make a ton of sense — and seems to be counterproductive to the goal of bringing this industry back to the United States in the first place.&#8221;
The Biden administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-signs-52-billion-semiconductor-bill-in-latest-push-to-fight-inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> the act into law last year as an effort to combat supply-driven inflationary pressures and bring American manufacturing industries back to the United States as multiple key Asian manufacturing economies enforced harsh lockdown measures two years ago in response to COVID, creating bottlenecks in the global semiconductor supply chain that persist to the present day.
The department is overseeing a $39 billion semiconductor subsidy program under the act to help create industry jobs. The department <a href="https://fortune.com/2023/10/03/commerce-secretary-gina-raimondo-china-semiconductor-ai-working-group/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> has received over 500 statements of interest from companies to work on semiconductor manufacturing and over 100 applications.
But Vance&#8217;s concerns over the particular implementation criteria could sway a company to plant a chip fabrication facility in China rather than the U.S.
&#8220;From China, they get cheap labor, massive subsidies, and a government that seems to want to work with them,&#8221; he said. &#8220;From the United States, they get a little bit of money and a human resources statement that looks like it was written by a 22-year-old gender studies graduate of Harvard or Yale.&#8221;
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Raimondo acknowledged during the hearing the need for the U.S. to produce chips and said the federal government would use the legislation toward labor, training, and workforce, but denied companies are mandated to hire so-called diversity applicants.
&#8220;What would you call it when the Secretary of Commerce says you must do this in order to receive funding? If it&#8217;s not a mandate, what is it?&#8221; Vance asked. &#8220;They have to show us a workforce plan in order to receive money from the federal government &#8212; that is the definition of a mandate. You must do X in order to receive Y dollars.&#8221;
&#8220;Why would you locate your facility in the United States of America when you get a human resources lecture from us, but from China, you get a whole lot of money and a whole lot of facilitation for your business? What&#8217;s the market economy here? Is it the economy that makes it hard to do business or easier to do business?&#8221;
Raimondo contended her job is to &#8220;protect taxpayer money.&#8221;
&#8220;And in order to do that, these companies have to be able to meet their mission,&#8221; she <a href="https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2023/10/chips-and-science-implementation-and-oversight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;And in order to do that, they need to have a trained workforce, and I&#8217;m going to work with them to make sure that happens.&#8221;
Raimondo said during the hearing that her department hopes to award its first chips funding award from the government&#8217;s multi-billion dollar semiconductor subsidy program by the end of this year.
&#8220;I am moving as fast as I can, but it&#8217;s more important to get it right than move fast,&#8221; Raimondo said.
Ben Zeisloft contributed to this report.

J.D. Vance Sept 7

J.D. Vance Grills Commerce Sec Over ‘Diversity Mandates’ For Fed Funding In Semiconductor Industry

J.D. Vance Grills Commerce Sec. Over Unfriendly U.S. Business Policies

Biden Administration

Commerce Department

Gina Raimondo

U.S. Senate

Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) slammed Democrats for blocking a two-week funding bill to avoid a government shutdown because it didn’t allocate any funding to Ukraine. 
The clock is ticking down for lawmakers in the House and the Senate to agree on an appropriations bill before the government shuts down at 12:01 a.m. Sunday. As Republicans in the House attempt to convince nearly two dozen hardliners to rally around Speaker Kevin McCarthy and pass a stopgap bill, the Senate is seeking a bipartisan bill of its own to send to the House. 
The conservative senator from Ohio said Democrats in the Senate were presented with a “clean” bill Friday night that would fund the government for two weeks, but they shot it down because funding for Ukraine was not included. 
“Last night Democrats blocked a clean, two week government funding bill because it had no money for Ukraine. The Dems are about to shut down the government over Ukraine,” Vance <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance1/status/1708075531395031233?t=qfAm53b82opaWMN_JpwKHg&amp;s=19">posted</a> on X Saturday morning. I actually can’t believe it, but here we are.”
The Senate will likely vote on a bill Saturday afternoon that would fund the government through November 17 and also allocate more than $6 billion in funding for Ukraine, The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4231322-embattled-congress-lurches-toward-midnight-shutdown/">reported</a>. If passed, the appropriations bill would go to the House, but McCarthy said he will not bring a  measure to the floor that includes funding for Ukraine, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-rebels-dems-sink-house-stopgap-funding-bill-48-hours-before-likely-government-shutdown">according</a> to Fox News. 
Lawmakers in the Republican-controlled House have yet to agree on a bill as 21 conservative hardliners sank McCarthy’s stopgap bill on Friday. A Senate bill passed that includes funding for Ukraine could cause problems for McCarthy if he brings it to the floor for a vote as he faces the threat of a “motion to vacate,” which would result in a vote to remove him as speaker. 
Vance joined Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) in opposing any spending package that includes additional funding to Ukraine. Last week, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rand-paul-announces-he-will-oppose-any-federal-funding-package-that-includes-more-ukraine-aid">said</a> he would not allow an expedited funding bill that includes financial support for Ukraine to make it quickly through the Senate. Meanwhile, a group of other Republicans, led by Vance and Texas Rep. Chip Roy, sent a letter to Shalanda Young, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, saying that they, too, would oppose further aid to Ukraine.
“The American people deserve to know what their money has gone to. How is the counteroffensive going? Are the Ukrainians any closer to victory than they were 6 months ago? What is our strategy, and what is the president’s exit plan? What does the administration define as victory in Ukraine?” the letter asked. “It would be an absurd abdication of congressional responsibility to grant this request without knowing the answers to these questions.”
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Even if lawmakers on Capitol Hill can’t reach an agreement and the government shuts down, the Pentagon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pentagon-ensures-ukraine-will-continue-to-receive-funding-if-government-shuts-down-while-border-security-could-take-hit">ensured</a> that its Ukraine operations such as training and weapons shipments to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s forces continue. Congress approved <a href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/congress-approved-113-billion-aid-ukraine-2022">$113 billion</a> in aid to Ukraine in 2022 as the U.S. continues to prop up the European country in its defense against Russia. 
Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.

JD Vance Blasts Democrats For Blocking Spending Bill That Didn’t Include Aid To Ukraine As Govt Nears Shutdown

Government Shutdown

Ukraine

Kentucky Republican Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/rand-paul" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rand Paul</a> said he would move to hold up any spending bill providing more money to Ukraine as the deadline for Congress to fund the federal government approaches.
Paul, a frequent critic of foreign aid, announced on Wednesday that he would not allow an expedited funding bill that includes financial support for Ukraine to make it quickly through the Senate. 
“Today I&#8217;m putting congressional leadership &amp; [Joe Biden] on notice that I will oppose any effort to hold the federal government hostage for Ukraine funding. I will not consent to expedited passage of any spending measure that provides any more US aid to Ukraine,” he <a href="https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/1704485590085812595" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. 
In an <a href="https://www.theamericanconservative.com/the-federal-government-should-not-be-held-hostage-for-ukraine-funding/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">op-ed published</a> on Wednesday, Paul said he had concerns over what approving more aid would do to the national debt and voiced skepticism about U.S. strategy and interests in Ukraine. 
“When will the aid requests end? When will the war end? Can someone explain what victory in Ukraine looks like? President Biden certainly can’t. His administration has failed to articulate a clear strategy or objective in this war, and Ukraine’s long-awaited counter-offensive has failed to make meaningful gains in the east,” he wrote. 
Paul has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-cannot-save-ukraine-by-dooming-the-u-s-economy-rand-paul-blocks-immediate-vote-on-billion-dollar-ukraine-package" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously held up</a> Ukraine aid, saying there should be more oversight for the billions of dollars in humanitarian and military support being sent over. 
On Thursday, a group of other Republicans, led by Ohio Senator J.D. Vance and Texas Rep. Chip Roy, sent a letter to Shalanda Young, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, <a href="https://www.vance.senate.gov/press-releases/senator-vance-colleagues-reject-indefinite-war-in-ukraine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> that they, too, would oppose further aid to Ukraine. The nearly 30 Republicans, including Paul, say they plan to vote against the additional $24 billion requested by Biden for Ukraine. 
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“The American people deserve to know what their money has gone to. How is the counteroffensive going? Are the Ukrainians any closer to victory than they were 6 months ago? What is our strategy, and what is the president’s exit plan? What does the administration define as victory in Ukraine?” the letter said. “It would be an absurd abdication of congressional responsibility to grant this request without knowing the answers to these questions.”
The Republican opposition comes as Ukrainian President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/volodymyr-zelensky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Volodymyr Zelensky</a> lobbies Capitol Hill for more support. His request appears to be favored by Senate leadership, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), but it could <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mccarthy-denies-zelensky-opportunity-to-address-joint-session-of-congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">face more headwinds</a> in the House.

Debt Limit Deal Heads To Senate After Passing House

Rand Paul Announces He Will Oppose Any Federal Funding Package That Includes More Ukraine Aid

Chip Roy

Global Politics

Joe Biden

Rand Paul

Ukraine-Russia War

Ukrainian officials suspended trans-identifying American junior sergeant Sarah Ashton-Cirillo from duties as a military spokesperson for the Eastern European nation after Ashton-Cirillo said critics of U.S. involvement in Ukraine&#8217;s ongoing war with Russia would be &#8220;hunted down.&#8221;
&#8220;Sarah Ashton-Cirillo has been suspended from the duties of the spokesperson of the (territorial defense forces of Ukraine) while an investigation is underway,&#8221; Ukraine&#8217;s defense ministry said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/defenceu/status/1704525773279773076?s=46&amp;t=o-U3qwC25WnWaylJ0oeG7Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X-post</a> on Wednesday.
Ashton-Cirillo, a 46-year-old biological male from Nevada who <a href="https://humanevents.com/2023/09/20/breaking-ukrainian-mod-announces-sarah-ashton-cirillo-has-been-suspended-placed-under-investigation?utm_campaign=64483" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> went by Mike before identifying as a female, became an official spokesperson for Ukraine after volunteering for Ukraine&#8217;s Territorial Defense Service.
In a video posted on X on September 13, Ashton-Cirillo said, &#8220;Russia hates the truth, that their obsessive focus on a Ukrainian volunteer is simply allowing the light of the Ukrainian nation&#8217;s honesty to shine brightly.&#8221;
&#8220;Next week, the teeth of the Russian devils will gnash ever harder, and their rabid mouths will foam in uncontrollable frenzy as the world will see a favorite Kremlin propagandist pay for their crimes,&#8221; Ashton-Cirillo said. &#8220;And this puppet of Putin is only the first Russia&#8217;s war criminal propagandists will all be hunted down, and justice will be served as we in Ukraine are led on this mission by faith in God, liberty, and complete liberation.&#8221;
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A transgender former US soldier who goes by Sarah Ashton-Cirillo recently moved to Ukraine to become the English-speaking spokesman for the Ukrainian military.
Ashton-Cirillo is now taking to social media threatening to hunt down and kill those who criticize the country’s… <a href="https://t.co/X4F8VcL1RG">pic.twitter.com/X4F8VcL1RG</a>
&mdash; Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1702076480740892965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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It&#8217;s unclear who Ashton-Cirillo referenced as the &#8220;puppet of Putin&#8221; in the video.
Ukraine Territorial Defense Forces officials said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/TDF_UA/status/1704513695508774938" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X-post</a> on Wednesday that its command or the Armed Forces of Ukraine did not approve the comments made by Ashton-Cirillo.
&#8220;When conducting military operations against the aggressor, the defense forces of Ukraine strictly observe the norms of international humanitarian law,&#8221; the post said. &#8220;The command of the TDF will conduct an official investigation into the circumstances of these statements. Appropriate decisions would be taken. Sergeant Sarah Ashton-Cirillo will be suspended immediately pending the investigation.&#8221;
Ohio Senator JD Vance, a Republican, sent a <a href="https://www.vance.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/9.15.2023-Sarah-Ashton-Cirillo-Letter.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines on September 15, raising concerns over the conduct of Ashton-Cirillo.
“I worry American resources could be supporting violence or the threat of violence against people for speaking their mind,&#8221; Vance’s letter reads, in part. &#8220;Notably, any critic of America’s incoherent policy in Ukraine has been slandered as propagandists, including multiple presidential candidates and American journalists. While we can debate the merits of these accusations, engaging in protected speech should not invite threats of violence—otherwise, the First Amendment means nothing.”
Ashton-Cirillo originally traveled to Ukraine to write about the refugee crisis — before becoming a war correspondent in March and enlisting as a combat medic.
Last year, Las Vegas city officials and Nevada Democrats, including U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, Rep. Dina Titus, and former Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, gave recognition to the suspended spokesperson for working on the frontlines in Ukraine.
&#8220;The reasons I&#8217;m fighting along with every other soldier are the reasons that the people in the United States and elsewhere can enjoy the lives they have here,&#8221; Ashton-Cirillo <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80HO17KKnQ8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> local media.
Members of Congress also reportedly asked the trans-identifying correspondent to give a military uniform to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

UKRAINE-RUSSIA-CONFLICT-WAR

American Correspondent For Ukraine Suspended After Threatening Critics Of U.S. Involvement In Russian War

American Correspondent For Ukrainian Military Suspended After Threatening Critics Of U.S. Involvement In War With Russia

Las Vegas

Transgender

Come for Morning Wire’s Afternoon Update’s straight news, but stay for the Rapid Reactions The following five stories, and more, can be heard on today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update podcast. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/biden-administration-appeal-twitter-threatens-legal-action-afternoon-update-7-6-23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to listen</a>. 
1. More Charges For Trump
Special Counsel Jack Smith expanded the charges against former President Trump on Thursday evening in the classified documents case — adding new charges and one additional defendant. Read <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-charged-with-3-more-crimes-in-classified-documents-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. 
The new “superseding indictment” accuses Trump of asking a Mar-a-Lago employee named Carlos De Oliveria to delete surveillance footage “to prevent the footage from being provided to a federal grand jury.”  The charges allege Trump, Trump aide Walter Nauta, and De Oliveira “did knowingly combine, conspire, confederate, and agree with each other and with others known and unknown to the grand jury, to engage in misleading conduct.&#8221; De Oliveira will be arraigned on Monday in Miami. 
Rapid Reaction: How did Republicans respond to this? Well, after the new superseding indictment came down, the Senate passed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-passes-defense-bill-with-no-block-on-funding-for-abortion-travel-setting-up-battle-with-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defense bill that still funds abortion tourism</a> with many Republican supporters. As rumors flew that another indictment was coming, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) tamped down expectations that he would impeach President Joe Biden anytime soon:
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Kevin McCarthy on possible Biden impeachment: &quot;If [Biden administration] do not provide the information we need, then we would go to an impeachment inquiry.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerMcCarthy</a> <a href="https://t.co/S3n4pyjSPT">pic.twitter.com/S3n4pyjSPT</a>
&mdash; NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) <a href="https://twitter.com/NEWSMAX/status/1684659175471693825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
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So in short, the GOP leadership didn&#8217;t exactly flex their political muscle in response.
There is at least one GOP senator pushing back. Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio is still pledging to block all Department of Justice nominees until Biden ends the &#8220;harassment&#8221; of his political opponents.
As Republican strategist Aaron Surabian said, &#8220;This is the way.&#8221;
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&#8220;If the Biden Administration wants to use the DOJ to target their political opponents, then blocking all of Biden’s DOJ nominations is the proper response,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Glad that there’s at least one Republican Senator who understands how to fight.&#8221;
There are other Republicans fighting the weaponization, of course, but Vance&#8217;s speech on the topic is worth the watch:
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This is the way. If the Biden Administration wants to use the DOJ to target their political opponents, then blocking all of Biden’s DOJ nominations is the proper response. Glad that there’s at least one Republican Senator who understands how to fight &#8211; <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance1</a> <a href="https://t.co/3Pap2PQ2l2">https://t.co/3Pap2PQ2l2</a>
&mdash; Andrew Surabian (@Surabees) <a href="https://twitter.com/Surabees/status/1684601893434032139?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
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2. Bud Light Laying Off 400 Workers
Anheuser Busch — the makers of Bud Light — have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-mulvaney-effect-anheuser-busch-laying-off-hundreds-of-employees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> they are laying off 2% of the company’s 19,000 employees, which means nearly 400 workers. The layoffs come months after Bud Light was replaced by Modelo as America’s number one beer as measured by sales (not volume). Since Anhueuer-Busch’s collaboration with Dylan Mulvaney back in April, the corporation has lost $27 billion in market value and has taken a hit on its popularity dropping to 15th — well behind Corona, Guinness, and Samuel Adams, according to a YouGov poll.
Rapid Reaction: There&#8217;s a phenomenal Reader&#8217;s Pass piece covering how <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-left-wrote-the-book-on-effective-boycotts-then-came-bud-light" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conservatives — not liberals — are the ones who effectively wield boycotts</a>. This is more proof of that thesis. Of course, seeing somebody lose their job is never fun. But, if companies want to continue to push their political views onto the American people, there are going to be consequences to their bottom line.
3. Missouri Sued For Protecting Children
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/missouri">Missouri</a> has been sued over its law that bans sex change procedures from being performed on children, making it the latest Republican-led state to face a challenge over a law shielding children from transgender procedures. The lawsuit, which was filed by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/here-are-the-left-wing-legal-groups-backing-trans-procedures-on-kids">left-wing legal groups</a>, including the ACLU of Missouri and Lambda Legal, <a href="https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/missouri/2023/07/26/advocates-sue-missouri-over-law-banning-gender-affirming-care-for-minors/70422045007/">claims</a> that Missouri’s law is discriminatory. The law prohibits procedures like double-mastectomies on girls who identify as boys, and giving children cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers.
Rapid Reaction: Leftists suing for the &#8220;right&#8221; to mutilate children. It&#8217;s sick and twisted. While supporters of sex-denial surgeries for minors love to claim that it&#8217;s about &#8220;parental rights,&#8221; they forget that those rights have limits. For example, parents cannot abuse their children by burning cigarettes on their skin and claim its discipline. These gender-rejection procedures shouldn&#8217;t be an option either.
4. Politicized De-Banking Continues
The chief executive of Coutts Bank has <a href="https://www.news4jax.com/business/2023/07/27/ceo-of-royal-banker-coutts-resigns-amid-furor-over-closure-of-politician-nigel-farages-account/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stepped down</a> amid the furor surrounding populist politician Nigel Farage’s complaints that his account was closed because of his political views. CEO Peter Flavel resigned just days after Coutts owner NatWest Group parted ways with its CEO Alison Rose. Rose left after admitting that she had spoken with a reporter regarding Farage’s personal details.
Rapid Reaction: If Farage can be de-banked for his beliefs, it can happen to you. Don&#8217;t believe me? Read this story: &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jpmorgan-chase-repeatedly-de-banked-conservative-and-religious-groups-republican-state-officials-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JPMorgan Chase Repeatedly ‘De-Banked’ Conservative And Religious Groups, Republican State Officials Say</a>&#8221;
5. Allergic To Meat From A Tickbite? Worst Nightmare.
Hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. have developed red meat allergies since 2010 due to a strange syndrome triggered by tick bites.
 According to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cdc-warns-of-emerging-illness-caused-by-tick-bite-that-causes-potentially-life-threatening-allergy-to-red-meat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">government report</a>, as many as 450,000 Americans have developed the allergy, which makes it the 10th most common food allergy in the U.S. Health officials said they are not aware of any confirmed deaths, but people with the allergy have described it as bewildering and terrifying. Despite its Texas-themed name, the lone star tick is most common in the eastern and southern U.S. and about 4% of all U.S. cases have been in the eastern end of New York’s Long Island.
Rapid Reaction: This is a &#8220;worst nightmare ever scenario.&#8221; Not being able to enjoy a steak all because of a tick bite? Oh, the humanity. And on that note, make sure to buy some meat from our good friends over at <a href="https://www.goodranchers.com/shop?utm_source=g&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_id=18568444723&amp;ad_group_id=145909549601&amp;ad_id=627727583906&amp;placement_id=&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwzo2mBhAUEiwAf7wjkurS1eWEbVUghmjmiUkOIverTJa94IUm8cb1ykyc3qZpTCqXcIvPIBoC6rMQAvD_BwE&amp;gad=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Good Ranchers</a>.
To listen to the audio version of Afternoon Update, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.
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Rapid Reaction: At Least One Senator Is Fighting Back Against Biden’s ‘Political Harassment’

Rapid Reaction: At Least One Senator Is Fighting Back Against Biden's 'Political Harassment'

Bud Light

Donald Trump

General

meat

Missouri

Republicans

Senate

U.S.

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> passed its own version of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ndaa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Defense Authorization Act</a> (NDAA) on Thursday without adding an amendment to pull Pentagon funding for abortion travel, setting up a likely fight with the House. 
The Senate’s NDAA was widely backed by both Republicans and Democrats, passing in an 86-11 vote. 
&#8220;What&#8217;s happening in the Senate is a stark contrast to a bipartisan race to the bottom we saw in the House where House Republicans are pushing partisan legislation that has zero chance of passing,&#8221; Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/07/27/senate-defense-bill-clash-house-gop/70478555007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;House Republicans should look to the Senate to see how things get done.&#8221;
The group of Republicans who voted <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1181/vote_118_1_00212.htm#position" target="_blank" rel="noopener">against</a> the bill included Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), and Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN). 
“I’ve worked in good faith throughout this process to secure as many wins for Ohio as possible, and I’m proud that many of those priorities have been included in the final version of the NDAA,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jd-vance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vance</a> said in a <a href="https://www.vance.senate.gov/press-releases/senator-vance-opposes-final-passage-of-the-ndaa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on his opposition to the bill. “However, I cannot in good conscience support the broader package, which commits the United States to years of additional military aid for the war in Ukraine. It’s disappointing to me that these significant priorities that would benefit Ohioans have been bogged down with such deeply problematic foreign policy proposals.”
An amendment from Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) to reinstate soldiers who left or were discharged over the COVID vaccine failed, while an amendment to prohibit the purchase of American farmland by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea passed. The Senate also added a measure to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-moves-to-block-sale-of-oil-from-strategic-petroleum-reserve-to-china-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ban sales of oil</a> from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to China, North Korea, Iran, and Russia.
Paul <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/rand-paul-fights-preserve-constitutions-prominence-over-nato-authority" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> an amendment that would clarify that Congress has final authority on war declarations, but it was defeated 86-13. Paul said he wanted to make sure that “Article 5 of the NATO treaty does not supersede the Constitution.”
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Democrats and the media have claimed House Republicans politicized the bill by stripping the Pentagon’s authority to allocate money for women in the military to travel for abortions if they are in a state with pro-life protections.  
The House version, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-passes-military-spending-bill-with-conservative-amendments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which passed 219-210</a> along mostly partisan lines, also prohibited military funding going toward sex change operations on military members. Military members are given a 5.2% raise in both versions of the NDAA. 
“Under this bill our men and women in uniform, who make sacrifices for our nation every day, will receive the biggest pay raise in decades, radical programs that are forced on our troops at the expense of readiness are eliminated, cutting-edge technology that is essential for the future of this country and will help deter Communist China will receive more investment, and taxpayers will save $40 billion as this bill roots out wasteful spending,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) <a href="https://www.speaker.gov/house-republicans-vote-to-defend-our-nation/">said</a> after the House passed its version.

Members Of Congress Meet With Visiting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni

Senate Passes Defense Bill With No Block On Funding For Abortion Travel, Setting Up Battle With House

Abortion

Chuck Schumer

NDAA

Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jd-vance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">J.D. Vance</a> (R-OH) is introducing legislation to crack down on illegal visa overstays — and it&#8217;s about time.
Consider that the 9/11 Commission <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-visa-loophole-thats-been-open-since-911/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommended</a> that the U.S. should focus on the prevention of visa overstays to protect national security. And yet, nearly 22 years later, hundreds of thousands of individuals still take advantage of America&#8217;s visa system.
&#8220;America is a welcoming nation, but we are also a nation of laws,” Vance said in a statement sent to The Daily Wire. &#8220;There are millions of people in this country who have abused our visa system and circumvented our legal immigration process.&#8221;
To help stop this problem, Vance is introducing  the &#8220;Timely Departure Act.&#8221; Under this bill, foreigners who enter the U.S. under the visa program would be required to deposit up to $15,000 to the Department of Homeland Security prior to entering the country. If they exit the country in the required amount of time, they would be given that money back. However, if they fail to leave, then the money is put into an account that can &#8220;only be used to fund the detention and removal of illegal aliens.&#8221;
&#8220;It is a slap in the face to the working-class Ohioans whose wages are suffering &#8212; I will not stand for it,&#8221; Vance said of those who take advantage of America&#8217;s immigration system. &#8220;I’m proud to introduce this legislation and bring some sanity to our broken immigration system.&#8221;
According to a <a href="https://www.fairus.org/blog/2023/06/30/new-report-highlights-visa-overstays" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent report</a> from DHS, there were 853,955 overstays in fiscal year 2022. And that&#8217;s on top of the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, who illegally crossed the southern border.
Jessica Vaughn of the Center for Immigration Studies noted in 2022 that visa overstays &#8220;are a significant contributor to our nation&#8217;s illegal immigration problem.&#8221;
Vaughan told The Washington Examiner,  &#8220;ICE should be directed to expand enforcement programs that target overstays. Laws should be tweaked to impose the same penalties for overstayers as illegal border crossers.&#8221;
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&#8220;Congress should continue to press DHS to build the biometric entry-exit system that will help maintain the integrity of the visa programs,&#8221; she <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/washington-secrets/record-16-8-million-illegal-immigrants-cost-us-163-billion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a>.
Maybe DHS can use some of the funds scrounged up thanks to Vance&#8217;s bill, should it ever become law.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Time To End Immigrant Visa Overstay Abuse, U.S. Senator Says. Here’s His Plan To Fix It.

Time To End Immigrant Visa Overstay Abuse, U.S. Senator Says. Here's His Plan To Fix It.

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

Ohio

Visa

Ohio Republican Senator J.D. Vance said Sunday he would “empower” the president to use military force to combat Mexican drug cartels as he warned about the increasing power of the criminal groups. 
During an <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/presidents-should-use-full-power-of-u-s-military-to-go-after-cartels-full-sen-j-d-vance-186528837990" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appearance</a> on NBC News’s “Meet The Press” Sunday, Vance told host Chuck Todd that “real American leadership” is needed to combat the fentanyl crisis that’s originating outside American borders. Vance said the growing influence of drug cartels is concerning and that the U.S. must take action. 
“I want to empower the president of the United States, whether that’s a Democrat or Republican, to use the power of the U.S. military to go after these drug cartels,” Vance said. “Here’s the real problem with Mexico, and it’s sort of two-fold: On the one hand, you have the cartels which are arguably the best-funded criminal terrorist organization in the entire world.”
“The second thing, Chuck, is we have to recognize the Mexican government is being in a lot of ways destabilized by the constant flow of fentanyl,” Vance added. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WATCH: Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance (R) would “empower” a president to use the U.S. military to go after drug cartels.<a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance1</a>: “You think the fentanyl problem is bad now, what about three years from now when the Mexican drug cartels are more powerful than the Mexican state itself?” <a href="https://t.co/rhDWzhJIZ1">pic.twitter.com/rhDWzhJIZ1</a>
&mdash; Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1675470737153335297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Vance told Todd that three years from now, the drug cartels could be more powerful than the Mexican state itself, comparing the situation to what happened in Colombia when the cartels became too dominant. He said he has spoken with Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents who have told him that drug cartels’ revenue has increased “fourteen-fold” in the last couple of years, saying that’s a result of “bad border policies.” 
The Ohio senator conceded the U.S. would be “hamstrung” if leaders assume “good faith” from China and Mexico — the two primary sources of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances entering the U.S., <a href="https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/DEA_GOV_DIR-008-20%20Fentanyl%20Flow%20in%20the%20United%20States_0.pdf">according</a> to the DEA — but said real progress is achievable. As for China, Vance said the United States must begin to exert economic pressure on the communist nation. 
“The Chinese export a ton to the American markets, they absolutely need the American consumer to be able to run their businesses,” Vance said. “We should be willing to say that if you don’t stop sending fentanyl precursors to Mexico and to our own ports of entry, we’re going to really penalize you guys economically.” 
Vance said the Biden administration should exert economic pressure through increasing tariffs to “extract a massive economic cost.”
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Accidental overdose deaths in Ohio have increased by 1,056% since 1999, from 467 to 5,397 in 2021, according to data from the CDC reported by the &#8220;Meet The Press.&#8221; Eighty percent of those deaths involved opioids, making Ohio fifth in the nation for overdose deaths. From 2019 to 2020, overdose deaths in the U.S. increased by 31%. Fentanyl is behind the majority of overdose deaths, with roughly 150 people dying every day, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/sen-jd-vance-endorses-us-military-going-drug-cartels-mexico-rcna91902" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a>. 
According to the <a href="https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2023/05/05/dea-operation-last-mile-tracks-down-sinaloa-and-jalisco-cartel-associates#:~:text=DEA's%20top%20operational%20priority%20is,methamphetamine%20that%20is%20killing%20Americans." target="_blank" rel="noopener">DEA</a>, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are the two primary groups responsible for fentanyl and methamphetamine overdose deaths of Americans. In an early May <a href="https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2023/05/05/dea-operation-last-mile-tracks-down-sinaloa-and-jalisco-cartel-associates#:~:text=DEA's%20top%20operational%20priority%20is,methamphetamine%20that%20is%20killing%20Americans." target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>, the federal organization said its “top operational priority” is to defeat the two groups. 
Many Republicans have argued that using military force to defeat the cartels is imperative. Former President Donald Trump has <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/07/02/vance-brown-fentanyl-china-00104530" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mentioned</a> using “special forces” and “cyber warfare” to combat the leaders of the groups, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/ron-desantis-vows-send-military-block-drugs-reaching-mexican-ports-rcna91121" target="_blank" rel="noopener">endorsed</a> the use of “deadly force” against drug traffickers.

J.D. Vance

J.D. Vance Wants To ‘Empower’ POTUS To Use Military To ‘Go After’ Mexican Drug Cartels

J.D. Vance Wants To 'Empower' POTUS To Use Military To 'Go After' Mexican Drug Cartels

Cartels

Drug Cartels

Mexico

As a deal hashed out between President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> and House Speaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA) to avoid a U.S. debt default makes its way through <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Congress</a>, several Republican senators have already come out against the bill, saying that it does not go far enough to cut spending. 
Those opposed to the deal, known as the <a href="https://rules.house.gov/bill/118/hr-fiscal-responsibility-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fiscal Responsibility Act</a>, include Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), while others have expressed concerns about the bill in its current form. 
“I think the Biden-McCarthy debt deal is a disaster for the country. It does not significantly change the trajectory of the debt. Each year we’ll spend more money and the debt will grow $4 trillion in two years. It’s not very conservative,” Paul <a href="https://www.kktv.com/video/2023/05/31/sen-rand-paul-reacts-deal-debt-ceiling/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> reporters this week. 
Paul added that he planned on introducing a “conservative alternative” to the deal, which <a href="https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-announces-conservative-alternative-to-biden-mccarthy-debt-deal/#:~:text=WASHINGTON%2C%20D.C.%20%E2%80%93%20Today%2C%20U.S.,responsible%20reforms%20and%20necessary%20cuts." target="_blank" rel="noopener">would implemen</a>t a $500 billion hike on the debt ceiling to allow Congress more time to negotiate, put caps on total spending, and mandate that increases in federal outlays cannot exceed increases in federal revenue. 
Lee previously <a href="https://twitter.com/BasedMikeLee/status/1661716721575804928" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promised</a> to use any procedural tool necessary to “impede” a debt ceiling deal that he believed did not cut spending enough, and he has voiced opposition to the agreement as it currently stands. 
“I believe McCarthy was misled, not malicious in signing onto this deal. But the deal simply does not do what its proponents claim it does — not even close. It’s time to go back to the drawing board or, even better, go back to what the House already passed,” Lee <a href="https://twitter.com/BasedMikeLee/status/1663666847697207296" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. 
Cruz <a href="https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1662883736386404352" target="_blank" rel="noopener">referred</a> to the deal as a “blank check” for Biden, saying that it gave Democrats “$4 trillion things” that they wanted. Hawley <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article275902901.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the Kansas City Star that he opposed the deal because it didn’t address America’s trade deficit with China. 
“I think until we get serious about that, we can talk about fiddling with this or that set of numbers but until we get serious about really correcting that imbalance and bringing back jobs and industry, we’re not going to make the change that we need to see,” he said. 
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Meanwhile, Ohio Republican Senator J.D. Vance <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he was a “firm no” to the proposal in its current form, and South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham <a href="https://twitter.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/1663245067509694477?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expressed</a> concern over spending cuts in the deal. 
The McCarthy-Biden agreement <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/debt-ceiling-bill-house-rules-committee-vote/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advanced past</a> the House Rules Committee in a 7-6 vote on Tuesday afternoon, with key conservatives Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) voting against and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) voting in favor. 
House leadership has expressed confidence that they will have enough votes to get the deal through the lower chamber though it will face opposition from members of the House Freedom Caucus, meaning it will likely require Democrat votes to pass.
McCarthy has acknowledged the bill&#8217;s detractors but said it was the best they could do with a Democrat-controlled Senate and presidency.
“Maybe it doesn’t do everything for everyone, but this is a step in the right direction that no one thought that we would be able to today,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/speaker-kevin-mccarthy-touts-wins-conservatives-secured-in-tentative-debt-ceiling-agreement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">McCarthy said</a>. “I’ll debate this bill with anybody. Is it everything I wanted? No, because we don’t control all of it. But it is the biggest rescission in history. It is the biggest cut Congress has ever voted for in that process.”

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

‘A Disaster’: Republican Senators Voice Opposition To McCarthy-Biden Debt Ceiling Deal

Republican Senators Voice Opposition To McCarthy-Biden Debt Ceiling Deal

Debt Ceiling

Josh Hawley

Kevin McCarthy

Lindsey Graham

Mike Lee

A railway reform bill championed by freshman Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jd-vance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">J.D. Vance</a> (R-OH) is winning over high-profile support from strange political bedfellows as it heads into committee on Wednesday.
<a href="https://www.brown.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/railway_safety_act_of_2023_text.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Railway Safety Act of 2023</a> was drafted after a train derailment and chemical spill contaminated the area around the small town of East Palestine, Ohio, on February 3. The accident drew national attention as residents reported symptoms of nausea and dizziness and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cincinnati-and-northern-kentucky-shut-down-water-intakes-after-train-derailment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regional water supplies</a> across several neighboring states showed signs of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/prominent-grocery-store-chain-pulls-water-bottles-sourced-near-east-palestine-train-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contamination</a>. The Department of Transportation and Norfolk Southern, the company that owned and operated the derailed train, were blasted by both sides of the aisle for perceived deficiencies in their safety standards.
The bill aims to “enhance safety requirements for trains transporting hazardous materials” and would increase inspection requirements, raise fines for safety violations, limit the size of trains, and set a minimum crew size of two certified personnel for all freight trains.
Vance’s bill has generated a considerable amount of bipartisan support — in addition to its Republican cosponsors, Josh Hawley (MO) and Marco Rubio (FL), the Rail Safety Act was also cosponsored by fellow Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown (D), one of the Senate’s <a href="https://progressivepunch.org/scores.htm?house=senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most progressive</a> members, as well as other Rust Belt Democrats Bob Casey and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and President Biden have also <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3993951-trump-throws-support-behind-bipartisan-railway-safety-bill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signaled</a> their support for the bill.
Former President Trump, Biden’s predecessor and possible opponent in the upcoming 2024 presidential elections, has also lent his support to the bill. Trump visited East Palestine roughly three weeks after the disaster and slammed Biden for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-will-not-visit-east-palestine-following-train-catastrophe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failing</a> to do the same. Trump and Vance are close political allies — Trump endorsed Vance in 2022 and the two men toured affected areas in Ohio together after the disaster.
“JD Vance has been working hard in the Senate to make sure nothing like this EVER happens again, and that’s why it’s so important for Congress to pass his Railway Safety Act. JD’s terrific bill has my Complete and Total Endorsement!!!” Trump said via <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/110334093385622636" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Truth Social</a>.
Last week, Brown told <a href="https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/news/2023/02/22/trump-tours-east-palestine--meets-with-residents" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hill</a> that he believed the bill would have enough support to pass through the Senate, but expressed concern that House Republicans might block it. Railroads are vital to the U.S. economy and move about <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/03/why-freight-railroads-are-so-successful-in-the-us.html#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20freight%20rail%20network,of%20long%20distance%20freight%20volume." target="_blank" rel="noopener">40%</a> of all long-distance freight by volume; many conservative groups have come out in opposition to the bill, arguing that it would create “a slew of significant new regulations that would do little to improve safety while creating gross inefficiencies for thousands of businesses.”
“Labor unions would be granted their long-desired wish to permanently freeze current staffing levels into place as it relates to locomotive operations,” FreedomWorks President Adam Brandon <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/courage-strength-optimism/freedomworks-comes-out-against-bipartisan-rail-safety-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in a letter to Congress, undersigned by over 20 conservative leaders. “This widely opposed policy lacks any justification, as shown by the previous administration, and ignores the fact that the train that derailed in Ohio had three people operating the train.”
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The former president’s support could prove to be decisive, as Trump continues to hold considerable sway over the Republican grassroots and a <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2024/president/us/2024_republican_presidential_nomination-7548.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commanding lead</a> in the party’s primary, giving him considerable influence within the party.
Notably, perennial Trump antagonist Mitt Romney(R-UT) has also come out in support of the bill, as well as Senators Mike Braun (R-IN) and Roger Marshall (R-KS).
“I’m thankful to have the backing of Senators Braun, Marshall, and Romney for this commonsense piece of legislation,” Vance said in a press release given to The Daily Wire. “Their support for this bill demonstrates the widespread, bipartisan consensus building for improvements to railway safety standards across the nation.”
If the bill makes its way to President Biden’s desk, it would be the first major piece of legislation passed by the divided 118th Congress.
The Midwest has been a pivotal battleground in recent presidential cycles and neither 2024 contender can afford to lose ground there: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/12/01/donald-trump-will-be-president-thanks-to-80000-people-in-three-states/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">narrow</a> victories in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin propelled Donald Trump to the White House in 2016 and <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/12/02/940689086/narrow-wins-in-these-key-states-powered-biden-to-the-presidency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">narrow</a> defeats gave the contest to Biden in 2020. Ohio has historically been a vital bellwether state, but has veered deeper into the Republican camp in the last few presidential cycles — President Obama won the state in 2012 by <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/2016/06/2012_ohio_presidential_electio.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three</a> points but President Trump carried it by <a href="https://www.politico.com/2020-election/results/ohio/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eight</a> in 2020.

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J.D. Vance’s Railway Reform Bill Picks Up Steam

Vance Railway Reform Bill Picks Up Steam

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