Democrats in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> are expressing concerns about the possibility of a scenario that echoes <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/supreme-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Supreme Court</a> Justice <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ruth-bader-ginsburg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ruth Bader Ginsburg</a> suddenly dying and giving way to a conservative majority during Donald Trump&#8217;s presidency.
A report from <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/top-democrats-wont-join-calls-justice-sotomayor-retire-still-fear-ruth-rcna145912" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a> explored how this anxiety is centered on Justice <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/sonia-sotomayor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sonia Sotomayor</a>, the oldest liberal member of the court at 69 and a lifelong diabetic, not stepping down while President Joe <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden</a> is in office and Democrats control the Senate.
&#8220;I’m very respectful of Justice Sotomayor. I have great admiration for her. But I think she really has to weigh the competing factors,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) told the news outlet. &#8220;We should learn a lesson. And it’s not like there’s any mystery here about what the lesson should be. The old saying — graveyards are full of indispensable people, ourselves in this body included.&#8221;
Though Blumenthal said Sotomayor is &#8220;a highly accomplished and, obviously, fully functioning justice right now,&#8221; he noted that &#8220;justices have to make their personal decisions about their health, and their level of energy, but also to keep in mind the larger national and public interest in making sure that the court looks and thinks like America.&#8221;
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), the second-ranked Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said he is &#8220;not joining any calls&#8221; for Sotomayor to step down but warned of an &#8220;extremist wing&#8221; if the 6-3 conservative majority created during Trump&#8217;s presidency is allowed to expand further.
&#8220;Run it to 7-2 and you go from a captured court to a full MAGA court,&#8221; Whitehouse added. &#8220;Certainly I think if Justice Ginsburg had it to do over again, she might have rethought her confidence in her own health.&#8221;
Biden has been able to nominate just one person to the high court during his presidency. He selected <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ketanji-brown-jackson-sworn-in-as-supreme-court-justice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ketanji Brown Jackson</a> to replace Stephen Breyer, who retired <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/justice-stephen-breyer-reveals-when-he-will-retire-from-scotus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">under pressure</a> from the Left.
Ginsburg long resisted a push by <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN0G12UZ/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">liberals</a> who wanted her to retire as she reached her 80s and experienced <a href="https://people.com/politics/ruth-bader-ginsburg-health-ups-downs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">health scares</a>. She <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-supreme-court-justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg-dies-from-cancer-complications" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died</a> of pancreatic cancer at the age of 87 in 2020, paving the way for Trump-nominated Amy Coney Barrett to take her place.
Some <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/should-sotomayor-retire-biden_n_66032a7ae4b006c3905731dd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legal scholars</a> are now pushing for Sotomayor to step down, but the NBC News report claimed there are no signs that Sotomayor has plans to retire. However, <a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/sotomayor-says-surprised-by-supreme-court-pace-tougher-workload" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Bloomberg Law</a>, she said in January that she was &#8220;tired&#8221; by the workload. Sotomayor has served on the high court since 2009 during the Obama administration.
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Biden is running for a second term, paving the way to a 2020 general election rematch against Trump. White House spokesman Andrew Bates said Biden &#8220;believes that decisions to retire from the Supreme Court should be made by the justices themselves and no one else.&#8221;
One Republican lawmaker quoted in the new report was Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), who is 90 and has already <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3740578-grassley-has-already-filed-for-reelection-bid-in-2028/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed paperwork</a> to run for a ninth term in 2028. &#8220;Everybody’s got to make that personal decision,&#8221; Grassley said. &#8220;And I wouldn’t comment on it for somebody else, because that’s their decision. Just like it’s my decision to run for re-election.&#8221;

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Dem Senators Get Anxious Over Prospect Of Another Ginsburg Situation On SCOTUS

2024 Election

Courts

Politics

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

SCOTUS

Senate Democrats

Sonia Sotomayor

Supreme Court

U.S. Senate

Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-manchin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Manchin</a> (D-WV) may be retiring at the end of his term, but he appears to have a plan to keep things interesting on his way out the door — at least as far as judicial nominations are concerned.
According to a <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/03/20/congress/manchin-mounts-his-own-judicial-filibuster-00148147" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> published Wednesday by Politico, Manchin has announced a plan to stage his own personal &#8220;filibuster,&#8221; refusing to vote in favor of any of President Joe Biden&#8217;s judicial nominees if they don&#8217;t also have Republican support. And it doesn&#8217;t have to be a lot of support, Manchin said, adding that he would be willing to consider a &#8220;yea&#8221; vote if just one Republican were convinced to vote with Democrats.
&#8220;Just one Republican. That’s all I’m asking for. Give me something bipartisan. This is my own little filibuster. If they can’t get one Republican, I vote for none. I’ve told [Democrats] that. I said, &#8216;I’m sick and tired of it, I can’t take it anymore,'&#8221; Manchin explained.
The West Virginia Democrat said that what he really wanted was to see more bipartisan cooperation, and for that reason, he was simply asking his colleagues to put in the effort and court Republican votes.
&#8220;If they don’t have a Republican, I’m opposing. That’s my way of saying: &#8216;I’m leaving this place, I’ve tried everything I can. Don’t tell me you can’t get one.&#8217; If you’ve got a decent person you can at least get one. Just go ask Lisa [Murkowski, R-AK], go ask Susan [Collins, R-ME], even Lindsey [Graham, R-SC],&#8221; Manchin continued. &#8220;Lisa and Susan both are not controlled by just voting party line, I know that. But you’ve got to ask them.&#8221;
Manchin&#8217;s mention of the filibuster – which then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) abandoned for judicial nominees in 2013 — was an apparent reference to the fact that his own party has been pushing efforts to remove the legislative filibuster altogether.
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Toward that end, Manchin told Politico that he&#8217;s doing his best to ensure that the legislative filibuster doesn&#8217;t face the same fate as the judicial filibuster. He explained that he has been encouraging donors to ask potential candidates whether they would support efforts to keep the filibuster in place.

Sen. Joe Manchin

‘My Own Little Filibuster’: Joe Manchin Vows To Block Any Judicial Nominee Without GOP Support

'My Own Little Filibuster': Joe Manchin Vows To Block Any Judicial Nominee Without GOP Support

Congress

Joe Biden

Joe Manchin

Republicans

Senate Democrats voted down an amendment on Thursday proposed by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) that aimed to freeze U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority, which controls parts of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
The amendment would have stopped aid to the Palestinian Authority or any Palestinian government in the West Bank or Gaza until specific conditions were met, such as the Palestinian Authority formally condemning Hamas’ attack on Israel and a safe return of the hostages being held by Hamas, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-sink-amendment-halt-palestinian-aid-until-hamas-hostages-released" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Paul’s amendment was attached to the short-term spending bill that Congress <a href="https://apnews.com/article/budget-spending-congress-extend-shutdown-fa6958e60fd2c08880b21e091f108215" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> on Thursday to avert a government shutdown through March. 
“The only thing consistent about American foreign aid is that the money continues to flow, regardless of the behavior of the recipients,” Paul <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/01/18/congress/rand-paul-palestinian-aid-push-falls-senate-00136352" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, according to POLITICO. “You would think with the massacre and everything else why would we be giving any money to the Palestinians … shouldn&#8217;t they have to do something to earn the money?”
Forty-seven Senate Democrats, plus the three independent senators who caucus with the party, voted against Paul’s measure. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) was the lone Democrat to vote in favor of the amendment, and six Republicans <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1182/vote_118_2_00010.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">did not cast</a> a vote. The measure, which needed 60 votes in its favor to pass, failed 44-50. 
&#8220;We speak of human rights but reward those who violate them,&#8221; Paul said on the floor on Thursday. &#8220;We can no longer afford empty rhetoric. It makes no sense to borrow money from China and turn around and give that money away to foreign countries. It is fiscally irresponsible, and it is weakening our national security. America must demand a change, a change in behavior from those who do not accept Israel&#8217;s right to exist from those who actively seek the destruction of the State of Israel and murder innocent Israelis.&#8221;
Paul, who regularly opposes U.S. aid to foreign countries, was the lone Republican to join a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bipartisan-senate-majority-rejects-sanders-bid-for-gaza-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resolution</a> from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) earlier this week that would have frozen U.S. aid to Israel unless the Biden administration reported to Congress within 30 days and addressed whether Israel committed human rights violations in its war against Hamas. Sanders’ measure failed to pass as the Senate overwhelmingly voted against it 72-11. 
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Israel’s war against Hamas, which began in response to the terrorist group’s brutal attack on Israel on October 7, is well into its third month. The terrorists still hold around 130 hostages in the Gaza Strip, including six Americans.

Dems Quash Rand Paul’s Amendment To Freeze U.S. Aid To Palestinian Authority

Dems Quash Rand Paul's Amendment To Freeze U.S. Aid To Palestinian Authority

Gaza

Hamas

Israel

Rand Paul

A federal judge declined to delay the corruption trial of Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bob-menendez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bob Menendez</a> (D-NJ) by two months, keeping the previously scheduled timeline on track. 
Menendez, who is accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, had hoped to move jury selection for his trial from May to July. The trial for Menendez, his wife, and three New Jersey businessmen will begin on May 5, federal Judge Sidney Stein <a href="https://apnews.com/article/bob-menendez-wife-defendants-bribery-indictment-c4c9fd351251032d43b2005eabf5f6e4">ordered</a>. 
Menendez’s defense team said that it needed extra time because of the “unprecedented foreign-agent charge against a sitting Senator” and due to the 6.7 million documents that will be used in the case. The judge rejected this argument, saying that federal prosecutors had told Menendez’s lawyers what to expect, according to the Associated Press. 
“The fact that discovery has been voluminous is consistent with the parties’ stated expectations on October 2 and does not justify a two month adjournment of the schedule,” Stein <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/28/menendez-trial-delay-request-rejected-00133295" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “In fact, the volume of discovery material is less than defendants were concerned it was when they sought the [two month delay] on December 20.”
Menendez <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-jersey-democrat-sen-bob-menendez-indicted-on-bribery-charges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faces charges</a> of conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.
The <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23989441/us_v_menendez_et_al_indictment.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indictment says</a> that Menendez and his wife had a corrupt relationship with New Jersey businessmen Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes, who allegedly gave the senator bribes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. According to the DOJ, the bribes were intended to protect the businessmen and to benefit Egypt. 
“Those bribes included cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle, and other things of value,” the indictment said. Federal authorities reportedly found gold bars and cash stuffed throughout the senator’s home that they traced back to the businessmen Menendez allegedly worked with. 
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Menendez is also accused of ghost writing a letter to other senators to urge them to support to end a hold on $300 million in military aid to Egypt, a letter that was reportedly written in coordination with his wife and the businessmen in question. 
Other aspects of the indictment focus in on Menendez’s involvement with IS EG Halal, a business that prosecutors say was used to funnel bribery payments and one of the businessman’s alleged payments for a Mercedes Benz used by Nadine Menendez.
Menendez, his wife, and the three business men have all pleaded not guilty to the charges they face. He has faced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-fetterman-calls-on-bob-menendez-to-resign-from-u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calls from</a> some Democrats like Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) to step down.

HHS Secretary Becerra Testifies In Senate Hearing On 2024 Proposed Budget Requests

Judge Declines Request To Delay Corruption Trial Of Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez

Bob Menendez

Corruption

New Jersey

A reporter confronted Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bob-menendez">Robert &#8220;Bob&#8221; Menendez</a> (D-NJ) on Wednesday over the senator&#8217;s attendance at a classified briefing on Ukraine despite facing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senator-menendez-charged-with-acting-as-a-foreign-agent" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charges</a> of improper ties to Egypt, including conspiring to be a foreign agent of that country while in office.
Manu Raju, who covers Congress for CNN, caught up with the lawmaker on Capitol Hill, asking Menendez about his attendance after the senator missed a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/17/bob-menendez-israel-briefing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">classified briefing</a> on Israel two weeks ago.
In posing his question, Raju said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) did not let Menendez attend the earlier briefing, which prompted the New Jersey Democrat to snap back.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
CNN&#39;s political correspondent confronted Sen. Menendez on attending a classified briefing <a href="https://t.co/RH9GxsAUdA">pic.twitter.com/RH9GxsAUdA</a>
&mdash; Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyCaller/status/1719761151947395143?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
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“First of all, you’re wrong about that. He didn’t say, ‘You can’t go’ &#8230; he didn’t not let me,” Menendez said. The senator said he attended the latest briefing &#8220;because getting an update on Ukraine is something that’s worthy as we consider the supplemental.&#8221;
Raju kept up the pressure, saying, &#8220;You&#8217;re being accused of aiding a foreign government.&#8221; He followed up by asking, &#8220;Why is it appropriate for you to go to a classified briefing?&#8221;
Menendez responded, &#8220;You know, Manu, I know you&#8217;ve got to make news. Bottom line is I&#8217;m a United States senator, I have my security credentials, and an accusation is just that. It&#8217;s not proof of anything.&#8221;
The senator from New Jersey has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to a charge of conspiring to act as a <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/sen-bob-menendez-arraigned-foreign-agent-charge-rcna121653" target="_blank" rel="noopener">foreign agent</a> of the Egyptian government as well as related charges over an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/egypt">Egypt</a>-related <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senator-bob-menendez-pleads-not-guilty-in-egypt-bribery-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bribery scheme</a> that allegedly involved his wife and others.
Menendez stepped down as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, which Schumer said Menendez was doing <a href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/2023/09/22/menendez-steps-down-temporarily-as-u-s-senate-committee-chairman-amid-federal-charges/">&#8220;temporarily&#8221;</a> until the legal matter gets resolved.
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Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), who took on the <a href="https://www.foreign.senate.gov/press/dem/release/cardin-named-chair-of-the-senate-foreign-relations-committee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chairmanship</a> of the panel in September, said Menendez &#8220;has every right&#8221; to attend classified briefings as a member of the Senate and emphasized that the latest &#8220;had nothing to do with&#8221; the charges, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/01/politics/bob-menendez-classified-briefing/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to CNN</a>.
One member of their party, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), has called on the Senate to <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4252919-fetterman-senate-expel-menendez-indictment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expel Menendez</a>. After the Israel briefing earlier last month, Fetterman <a href="https://twitter.com/igorbobic/status/1714737486243483706" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly said</a>, “I’m glad he wasn’t in there and he shouldn’t be in the Senate. We’ve got to chuck him.”

Sen. Bob Menendez

Reporter Confronts Sen. Menendez Over Attending Classified Briefing Despite Foreign Agent Charge

Reporter Confronts Menendez Over Attending Classified Briefing Despite Foreign Agent Charge

Crime

National Security

Senator Laphonza Butler (D-CA), who replaced the late Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dianne-feinstein" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dianne Feinstein</a>, announced she would not seek a full term next year after only serving in the congressional seat for roughly two weeks.
“I’ve spent the past 16 days pursuing my clarity — what kind of life I want to have, what kind of service I want to offer and what kind of voice I want to bring forward,” Butler said in a statement Thursday <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/19/california-sen-laphonza-butler-will-not-seek-a-full-term-00122584" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> by POLITICO. “After considering those questions, I’ve decided not to run for Senate in the upcoming election. Knowing you can win a campaign doesn’t always mean you should run a campaign.”
Butler, who served as the president of the pro-abortion group EMILY’s List, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/19/us/laphonza-butler-senate-california.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The New York Times she intended to be “the loudest, proudest champion of California” during the remainder of her term in office, but realized the position “is not the greatest use of my voice.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Butler to fill Feinstein’s seat following her death last month, noting Butler’s selection comes “without putting limitations or preconditions on his pick running for the seat in 2024.”
Newsom reportedly selected Butler after promising in 2021 to name a black woman to the role if Feinstein had retired early.
In announcing the replacement pick, Newsom’s office touted how Butler was a longtime senior adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris and, among other things, would be the first openly LGBTQ person to represent California in the Senate and the first black lesbian to openly serve in Congress.
Some pointed out records showing Butler lived in Maryland. Still, a spokesperson for Newsom said Butler was a longtime California resident who moved to the D.C. area when she became president of EMILY&#8217;s List and had already re-registered to vote in California.
“I believe leaders should have real clarity about why they’re in office and what they want to do with the power they hold,” she told the Times on Thursday, noting the reason behind her decision not to join the existing field of contenders for the party’s nominee in 2024.
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Still, without Butler, the race for the Senate seat includes top Democrats like Rep. Adam Schiff, Rep. Katie Porter, Rep. Barbara Lee, and former Los Angeles Dodger Steve Garvey, who is running as a Republican.
Former Los Angeles news anchor Christina Pascucci <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-los-angeles-tv-news-anchor-announces-bid-for-u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> her candidacy as an independent Democrat on Wednesday against the career politicians, pledging to appeal to California’s 40% Latino population and undecided voters while positioning herself as a moderate consensus builder.
The Federal Election Commission&#8217;s latest financial figures for the three leading Democrat candidates reportedly showed Schiff&#8217;s September bank records had about $32 million, Porter had $12 million, and Lee had $1.3 million.
The primary election for the seat is scheduled for March 5. The top two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the general election.
Daniel Chaitan contributed to this report.

Vice President Harris Swears In Laphonza Butler To The US Senate

Laphonza Butler Won’t Run For Sen. Feinstein’s Seat In 2024

Butler Declines Running For Feinstein's Senate Seat In 2024  

California

Elections

Gavin Newsom

Former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/los-angeles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles</a> news anchor Christina Pascucci announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate on Wednesday morning in a bid against career politicians to fill the seat left by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
&#8220;This election will be a choice between how it&#8217;s been done, and how it can be,&#8221; Pascucci said in a video statement on X.
&#8220;Voters are disappointed by the polarization and partisan fighting they see in California, and across the nation. We need aspirational leaders now who will bring America back to its ideals. Washington is in dire need of a heavy dose of truth. I am the person to bring it,&#8221; she said, according to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/la-news-reporter-christina-pascucci-announces-run-for-us-senate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I have some breaking news: I am running for U.S. Senate. 
It’s time to stop the fighting in Washington, and focus on reaching across the aisle to put people over politics. 
I believe in the promise of California. I hope you do too. Join my fight: <a href="https://t.co/XycFXEHJYn">https://t.co/XycFXEHJYn</a> <a href="https://t.co/zhwX1n8TC4">pic.twitter.com/zhwX1n8TC4</a>
&mdash; Christina Pascucci (@Pascucci2024) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pascucci2024/status/1714705605410385929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Pascucci, 38, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/18/christina-pascucci-senate-california-00122166" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> POLITICO she is running as an independent Democrat to appeal to California&#8217;s 40% Latino population and undecided voters while positioning herself as a moderate consensus builder.
She spent over a decade reporting for KTLA-TV and Fox 11 before joining California&#8217;s 2024 Senate contest. The former anchor described herself as a &#8220;lifelong Californian, a tireless community activist,&#8221; and a &#8220;renowned journalist&#8221; after reporting in more than 100 countries worldwide, including war zones in Ukraine and other &#8220;conflict areas around the globe.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been covering the most pressing issues of California for the past 15 years and watching this race closely, as well as covering it and interviewing some of the candidates,&#8221; Pascucci said in the interview on Tuesday with the outlet. &#8220;And the more I watched it, the more closely I studied it, I honestly felt dismayed by how it was shaping up. I spoke to a lot of others who felt the same way. Like, this is our future — more of the same.&#8221;
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Pascucci joins top Democrats in the race, including Rep. Adam Schiff, Rep. Katie Porter, Rep. Barbara Lee, and former Los Angeles Dodger Steve Garvey, who is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-baseball-mvp-running-for-senate-in-california-as-republican" target="_blank" rel="noopener">running as a Republican</a>.
California Governor Gavin Newsom selected Laphonza Butler to become the newest U.S. Senator after Feinstein&#8217;s death in late September to serve in her place for the remainder of the current term, which ends in 2025.
Butler hasn&#8217;t announced if she plans to seek the position in the next election.
Pascucci reportedly admitted her bid for Congress is a long shot.
&#8220;The only thing crazier than not jumping in this late would be not jumping in at all, because I have to fight for what I believe is possible for California and for this country,&#8221; she said.
The Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-10-18/los-angeles-newscaster-christina-pascucci-senate-schiff-porter-lee-garvey-feinstein" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> she would need to raise several million dollars to finance campaign ads throughout California&#8217;s expensive media market. She reportedly faces a financial challenge in her campaign compared to others already plugged into the race.
According to the Times report, the Federal Election Commission showed Schiff&#8217;s September bank records had about $32 million, Porter had $12 million, and Lee had $1.3 million.
The primary election for the seat is scheduled for March 5 in California, NBC <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/decision-2024/los-angeles-tv-newscaster-christina-pascucci-joins-2024-race-for-u-s-senate/3246558/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The top two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the general election.

House Lawmakers Work On Funding Deal As Possible Government Shutdown Looms

Former Los Angeles TV News Anchor Announces Bid For U.S. Senate

Dianne Feinstein

Mainstream Media

Numerous Democrat Senators called on Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bob-menendez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bob Menendez</a> (D-NJ) to resign on Tuesday after the 69-year-old senator was indicted on federal corruption charges last week.
New Jersey&#8217;s other Democrat senator, Cory Booker, <a href="https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-statement-on-senator-robert-menendez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that Menendez needed to step down because the allegations he is facing &#8220;are of such a nature that the faith and trust of New Jerseyans as well as those he must work with in order to be effective have been shaken to the core.&#8221;
&#8220;Stepping down is not an admission of guilt but an acknowledgment that holding public office often demands tremendous sacrifices at great personal cost,” Booker added. “Senator Menendez has made these sacrifices in the past to serve. And in this case he must do so again. I believe stepping down is best for those Senator Menendez has spent his life serving.&#8221;
Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) urged Menendez to resign given “the serious nature of these charges and how they have undermined the public&#8217;s faith” in him.
The first two Democrat senators to call on Menendez to resign were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-fetterman-calls-on-bob-menendez-to-resign-from-u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA)</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-democrat-senator-calls-on-menendez-to-resign-over-bribery-scandal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)</a>.
Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) also called on Menendez to resign, writing: &#8220;Sen. Menendez should resign. If he doesn’t, a Senate Ethics Committee investigation must go forward immediately.&#8221;
Other Democrat senators that called for Menendez to resign included: Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-PA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jon Tester (D-MT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Raphael G. Warnock (D-GA).
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The federal indictment against Menendez and his wife was unsealed on Friday and accused the senator and his wife of accepting bribes from three business people in exchange for actions that he took as chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. According to the DOJ, the bribes were intended to protect the businessmen and to benefit Egypt.
Menendez faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted of the charges, which include conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing On US Economic Security

Flood Of Democrat Senators Call On Bob Menendez To Resign Over Corruption Allegations

Scandals

Former President Donald Trump called on all Senate Democrats to resign following the federal indictment against Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) last week, claiming that they all knew about the alleged bribes he took.
The indictment, unsealed on Friday, says that Menendez and his wife had a corrupt relationship with New Jersey businessmen Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes, who allegedly gave the senator bribes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. According to the DOJ, the bribes were intended to protect the businessmen and to benefit Egypt.
Menendez faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted of the charges, which include conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.
&#8220;Senate Democrats should all resign based on Senator Bob Menendez!&#8221; Trump wrote on social media. &#8220;They all knew what was going on, and the way he lived.&#8221;
Trump then asked why the FBI did not raid Senate Democrats&#8217; homes, though agents did raid Menendez&#8217;s home.
During the raid, FBI agents recovered &#8220;cash, gold, [a] luxury vehicle, and home furnishings&#8221; that were part of the alleged bribery scheme, according to the indictment.
Trump then said that what President Joe Biden had in &#8220;some of his many homes&#8221; was likely worse than what Menendez had in his home. Biden and his son Hunter have been accused of accepting millions of dollars in bribes from a Ukrainian energy executive in exchange taking action as then-vice president in the Obama administration.
&#8220;I wonder how much they got paid for Rigging the Election? Menendez is one of many, a small timer at that,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;EVERY DEMOCRAT SHOULD RESIGN FROM THE SENATE! Our Border’s are Broken, our Election’s are Rigged.&#8221;
Menendez was previously indicted by the DOJ under the Obama administration in a case that alleged that he took bribes from Dr. Salomon Melgen, a wealthy Florida doctor, in exchange for political favors. Menendez was never convicted due to a hung jury — while a judge acquitted him of some charges — and the DOJ under Trump dropped the case.
Melgen was <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/south-florida-doctor-sentenced-medicare-fraud-scheme">sentenced</a> to 17 years in prison for after being convicted on 67 counts of health care fraud that totaled $42 million.
Trump later commuted Melgen&#8217;s prison sentence after &#8220;Menendez urged him to grant clemency to his old friend,&#8221; the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/09/22/sen-bob-menendez-beat-corruption-case-with-nude-brazilian/">reported</a>.

Donald Trump Speaks At Iowa Commit To Caucus Event

Trump Calls On All Senate Democrats To Resign Over Bob Menendez Scandal

Bribery

Donald Trump

A popular New Jersey Democrat has announced plans to challenge Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, just days after Menendez was indicted on bribery charges. 
Rep. Andy Kim of New Jersey’s 3rd District <a href="https://twitter.com/AndyKimNJ/status/1705658967878230372" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> his primary challenge to Menendez on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, saying that the Garden State “deserves better” and that re-electing Menendez in 2024 would be a mistake. The move comes as several top Democrats, including New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, have said the senator should step down. 
“After calls to resign, Senator Menendez said &#8216;I am not going anywhere.&#8217; As a result, I feel compelled to run against him,” Kim <a href="https://twitter.com/AndyKimNJ/status/1705658967878230372" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> to X. “Not something I expected to do, but NJ deserves better. We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our integrity.” 
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After calls to resign, Senator Menendez said “I am not going anywhere.” As a result, I feel compelled to run against him. Not something I expected to do, but NJ deserves better. We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our integrity. Please join me:<a href="https://t.co/QFIaMsgJc9">https://t.co/QFIaMsgJc9</a>
&mdash; Andy Kim (@AndyKimNJ) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndyKimNJ/status/1705658967878230372?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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On Friday, Menendez and his wife, Nadine, were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-jersey-democrat-sen-bob-menendez-indicted-on-bribery-charges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicted</a> on bribery charges after U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams opened a corruption investigation in October 2022. He faces charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right. 
The indictment alleges that Menendez and his wife took hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes intended to benefit the New Jersey senator and the Egyptian government, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/09/23/bob-menendez-andy-kim-primary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a>. Some of the alleged bribes were in the form of gold bars. Menendez had previously been indicted on federal corruption charges, but that case ended in a mistrial. 
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“Those who believe in justice believe in innocence until proven guilty. I intend to continue to fight for the people of New Jersey with the same success I’ve had for the past five decades,” Menendez <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/democratic-pressure-mounts-sen-bob-menendez-resign-rcna117015" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement Friday, rejecting resignation calls. “This is the same record of success these very same leaders have lauded all along. It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat. I am not going anywhere.”
Kim was first elected to Congress in 2018, flipping the third congressional district seat, and easily won re-election in 2020 in the district former President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/behind-viral-photo-rep-andy-kim-cleaning-midnight-after-riots-n1253519" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took</a> in 2016 and 2020, POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/08/2022-midterms-new-jersey-andy-kim-win-00065436" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a>. 
Several Democrats have <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/22/politics/new-jersey-democrats-menendez/index.html#:~:text=New%20Jersey%20Gov.%20Phil%20Murphy,indictment%20on%20federal%20bribery%20charges." target="_blank" rel="noopener">called for</a> Menendez to resign, including Governor Murphy, Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), and Democratic New Jersey Reps. Josh Gottheimer, Bill Pascrell, and Donald Norcross. 
“The people of New Jersey absolutely need to know the truth of what happened, and I hope the judicial system works thoroughly and quickly to bring this truth to light,” Kim said before announcing his campaign. “In the meantime, I don’t have confidence that the Senator has the ability to properly focus on our state and its people while addressing such a significant legal matter. He should step down.”

Rep. Andy Kim

Democrat Congressman Announces Plan To Challenge Indicted NJ Sen. Menendez

Senate

Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/barbara-lee-announces-bid-for-dianne-feinsteins-senate-seat">Barbara Lee</a> (D-CA) fired back at <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california">California</a> Democratic Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gavin-newsom">Gavin Newsom</a> on Sunday after he indicated he would pick another black woman to step in as interim caretaker if Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dianne-feinstein">Dianne Feinstein</a> (D-CA) is unable to complete her term.
In a statement posted to X, Lee, who is one of three House Democrats running to succeed Feinstein in 2024, said she is &#8220;troubled&#8221; by Newsom stating that he would stick to his plan of appointing a black woman — but in a way that would not give any particular candidate an edge in the upcoming election.
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I am troubled by the Governor’s remarks. The idea that a Black woman should be appointed only as a caretaker to simply check a box is insulting to countless Black women across this country who have carried the Democratic Party to victory election after election. <a href="https://t.co/Q5Q3jznuFd">https://t.co/Q5Q3jznuFd</a>
&mdash; Barbara Lee (@BarbaraLeeForCA) <a href="https://twitter.com/BarbaraLeeForCA/status/1701041279839375670?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The idea that a Black woman should be appointed only as a caretaker to simply check a box is insulting to countless Black women across this country who have carried the Democratic Party to victory election after election,&#8221; Lee said from her <a href="https://twitter.com/BarbaraLeeForCA/status/1701041279839375670">campaign account</a>.
&#8220;If the Governor intends to keep his promise and appoint a Black woman to the Senate, the people of California deserve the best possible person for that job. Not a token appointment,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Black women deserve more than a participation trophy. We need a seat at the table.&#8221;
Newsom pledged in March 2021 that he would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-commits-to-nominating-black-woman-to-replace-feinstein-should-she-retire">appoint</a> a black woman to sit in for Feinstein if the senator retired early, which has led some Democrats to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/18/politics/california-senate-vacancy-bass-lee-newsom-cnntv/index.html">advocate for Lee</a> to get chosen. Feinstein, the oldest sitting senator at the age of 90, has faced health issues over the past few years and calls to step down. Feinstein refuses to retire but announced in February she would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dianne-feinstein-not-running-for-re-election-in-2024">not seek re-election in 2024</a>.
During an interview on <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-september-10-2023-n1307144">NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet The Press&#8221;</a> that aired on Sunday, Newsom said he did not want to make &#8220;another&#8221; appointment after he picked Alex Padilla to replace <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a> as senator when she left that office to become vice president. Padilla went on to be <a href="https://fox40.com/news/your-local-election-headquarters/california-united-states-senator-election-results-2022/">elected in 2022</a> to finish the term he was dealt and to serve a full term that ends in 2029.
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When pressed on whether he would commit to his pledge related to Feinstein, Newsom said he would stick to his promise with an &#8220;interim appointment&#8221; and insisted that he did not &#8220;want to get involved&#8221; in his party&#8217;s primary contest. &#8220;It would be completely unfair to the Democrats that have worked their tail off. That primary is just a matter of months away. I don&#8217;t want to tip the balance of that,&#8221; he added.
Three prominent House Democrats announced campaigns to replace Feinstein in the Senate after she announced her plan to retire at the end of her current term: Reps. Lee, Adam Schiff, and Katie Porter. Lee is the only black woman among them. <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4192751-schiff-porter-atop-field-in-new-california-senate-survey/">Recent polling shows</a> Schiff and Porter ahead of Lee and others in the contest.
&#8220;There are currently no Black women serving in the Senate. Since 1789, there have only been two Black woman Senators, who have served a total of 10 years,&#8221; Lee said in her post to X. &#8220;The perspective of Black women in the US Senate is sorely needed — and needed for more than a few months. Governor Newsom knows this, which is why he made the pledge in the first place.&#8221;

Dem Senate Hopeful Slams Newsom Over Feinstein Plan

White House Press Secretary-turned MSNBC host Jen Psaki faced a virtual tsunami of backlash over what she apparently believed was a simple claim about abortion rights in the United States.
The comment stemmed from a conversation that took place Wednesday evening at the first GOP debate of the 2024 primary. Former Governor Nikki Haley (R-SC) led off with a challenge directed at the White House.
&#8220;I would love for someone to ask Biden and Kamala Harris: Are they for 38 weeks, are they for 39 weeks, are they for 40 weeks? Because that’s what the media needs to be asking,&#8221; Haley said.
&#8220;What the Democrats are trying to do on this issue is wrong — to allow abortion all the way up to the moment of birth,&#8221; Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) added.
&#8220;No one supports abortion up until birth,&#8221; Psaki posted via X. The deluge that followed was swift and immediate from critics pointing out that, yes, there were people who supported abortion up until the moment of birth — and all of them were from her side of the political aisle.
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No one supports abortion up until birth.
&mdash; Jen Psaki (@jrpsaki) <a href="https://twitter.com/jrpsaki/status/1694525055663747157?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Yes, they do. And they’re all democrats,&#8221; podcast host Megyn Kelly <a href="https://twitter.com/megynkelly/status/1694537817353769148" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
&#8220;A Virginia delegate proposed a bill in 2019 that would’ve made an abortion legal even if the mother was dilating,&#8221; Delano Squires <a href="https://twitter.com/DelanoSquires/status/1694553958528802989" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a>.
&#8220;46 Democrat Senators voted for it on Feb. 28, 2022,&#8221; John Hasson replied, sharing a link to the Democrat-supported Women&#8217;s Health Protection Act — which would have allowed abortion up to the moment of birth and <a href="https://www.heritage.org/life/report/the-truth-about-the-so-called-womens-health-protection-act-radical-proposal-mandate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forced</a> American taxpayers to foot the bill for them.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Women’s health protection act allowed abortion up til birth: <a href="https://t.co/pQjar6oD8P">https://t.co/pQjar6oD8P</a>
And here was the vote on it: <a href="https://t.co/6oGJal2miq">https://t.co/6oGJal2miq</a>
&mdash; John Hasson (@SonofHas) <a href="https://twitter.com/SonofHas/status/1694546837137441035?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Sure, Jan,&#8221; @TRHLOfficial posted, sharing a map that showed seven U.S. states where there are <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Abortion_regulations_by_state" target="_blank" rel="noopener">no restrictions</a> on abortion during any stage of pregnancy.
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Sure Jan. <a href="https://t.co/17BrxmovhX">pic.twitter.com/17BrxmovhX</a>
&mdash; The Redheaded libertarian (@TRHLofficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TRHLofficial/status/1694685746542624944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The DeSantis War Room shared a compilation video of Democrat officials saying that there should be no restrictions on abortion. Among them were sitting Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), Mayor Eric Adams (D-NYC), Governor Michell Lujan Grisham (D-NM), former Governor Ralph Northam (D-VA), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and twice-failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.
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Oh really?
Here are five straight minutes of Democrats admitting they support abortion until birth. <a href="https://t.co/5k1aZIlv4l">pic.twitter.com/5k1aZIlv4l</a>
&mdash; DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeSantisWarRoom/status/1694714540259475836?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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But then Greg Price shared video of Psaki herself touting the Women&#8217;s Health Protection Act – which, again, would have allowed abortions up until the moment of birth and would also have put taxpayers on the hook to fund them.
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Here is Jen Psaki pushing for support for the &quot;Women&#39;s Health Protection Act,&quot; which would have legalized abortion in America up until the moment of birth. <a href="https://t.co/018Ezc3dFb">https://t.co/018Ezc3dFb</a> <a href="https://t.co/IRKKs4fCzb">pic.twitter.com/IRKKs4fCzb</a>
&mdash; Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1694547301396619286?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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White House Holds Press Briefing

’46 Democrat Senators Voted For It’: Jen Psaki Faces Fact-Check Tidal Wave Over Abortion Claim

'46 Democrat Senators Voted For It': Jen Psaki Faces Fact-Check Tidal Wave Over Abortion Claim

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