Former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> ripped Democrat senators on Wednesday for attempting to tie themselves to some of his policies as they seek re-election.
Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Jon Tester (D-MT), who are all running against Republicans in tight races, have released ads promoting their support of certain Trump administration policies, Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/10/18/senate-democrats-campaign-ads-trump-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Trump slammed the senators in a post on Truth Social, saying they &#8220;only pretend&#8221; to support his policies &#8220;when Elections roll around.&#8221;
&#8220;Kamala Harris’ sinking Campaign has become so TOXIC, that Democrat Senators in four different States are using me in their advertisements, and stating that they are with President Trump on Tariffs, and numerous other things. While it is a great compliment, it is not fair to those Republican Senate Candidates, Bernie Moreno, Dave McCormick, Eric Hovde, and Sam Brown, who are with me all the time,&#8221; Trump wrote. &#8220;These Democrats have voted with Crooked Joe Biden almost 100% of the time. They only pretend to be on my side when Elections roll around. OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, WISCONSIN, NEVADA: VOTE FOR BERNIE MORENO, DAVE MCCORMICK, ERIC HOVDE, AND SAM BROWN &#8211; THEY ARE THE ONES WHO ARE WITH US!&#8221;
In a Casey ad that was released last week, the narrator <a href="https://x.com/TimMurtaugh/status/1847285213681832131?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1847285213681832131%7Ctwgr%5E67d3ade8793216f8e9b2d8d6fc9719483f8b1402%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fpa-senate-race-moves-from-lean-dem-to-toss-up" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> that &#8220;Casey bucked Biden to protect fracking and he sided with Trump to end NAFTA and put tariffs on China to stop them from cheating.&#8221; A Baldwin ad states, &#8220;Tammy Baldwin got President Trump to sign her Made in America bill.&#8221;
An ad released earlier this year says that Brown &#8220;wrote a bill that Donald Trump signed to crack down on drugs at the border.&#8221; Tester, meanwhile, has been featured in ads that feature Republicans who will be voting for Trump and backing Tester.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1729077615157000&amp;usg=AOvVaw17Kprl74oE9DYOLREdiBPU">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ COMING TO DAILYWIRE+ OCT. 28</a>
Michigan Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin, who is running for retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow&#8217;s seat, also <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLHhTdq52yA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boasts</a> in a recent ad that she &#8220;wrote a law signed by President Trump forcing drug companies to show their actual prices.&#8221;
Trump and Republican Senate candidates have recently gained ground in the polling. In Pennsylvania, Casey&#8217;s lead over Dave McCormick has been cut from 5 points at the end of September to just 1.9 points as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/senate/general/2024/pennsylvania/mccormick-vs-casey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RealClearPolitics</a> average. In <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/senate/general/2024/wisconsin/hovde-vs-baldwin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wisconsin</a>, Baldwin leads Republican Eric Hovde by just 1.5 points, and in <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/senate/general/2024/ohio/brown-vs-moreno" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ohio</a>, Brown is ahead of Bernie Moreno by less than 1 percentage point per the RCP average. Republican Tim Sheehy is favored to take Tester&#8217;s seat in Montana as he leads the Democrat by an average of <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/senate/general/2024/montana/sheehy-vs-tester" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7 points</a> in the polls.

Donald Trump

Trump Blasts Dem Senators’ Attempts To Tie Themselves To Him Days Before Election

Trump Blasts Dem Senators' Attempts To Tie Themselves To Him Days Before Election

2024 Election

Bob Casey

Elections

Jon Tester

Michigan

Montana

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Politics

Sherrod Brown

Wisconsin

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) on Monday will participate in a campaign event alongside the radical environmentalist group pushing to close the state&#8217;s largest coal plant.
The Sierra Club, a radical environmental group that pushes for the closure of &#8220;all U.S. coal plants,&#8221; will join Brown at a virtual phone bank sponsored by the Ohio Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign. Earlier this month the group, along with the Private Equity Stakeholder Project, sent a <a href="https://pestakeholder.org/news/pesp-sends-letters-to-blackstone-ecp-urging-gavin-plant-retirement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to Blackstone, the owner of the Gavin coal plant in southeast Ohio, demanding the coal plant be shut down.
&#8220;You cannot undo the damage from pollutants emitted during Blackstone’s nearly eight years of ownership of Gavin. But you have the opportunity to announce a retirement date of no later than 2028, which could lend Blackstone some credibility in its pledges of emissions reductions and an energy transition and avoid the perception that Blackstone is incapable of shepherding assets through an energy transition and is simply interested in passing the buck,&#8221; the letter read.
The Sierra Club&#8217;s &#8220;Beyond Coal Campaign&#8221; is seeking to replace &#8220;coal and gas with clean energy&#8221; by &#8220;retiring coal plants, preventing new fossil fuel plants from being built, and working to stop the expansion of fracked gas.&#8221;
Brown&#8217;s partnership with the Sierra Club could cause him problems as he navigates a close race against Republican Bernie Moreno in a state that has long relied on coal for energy and jobs. Brown has attempted to position himself as a moderate on energy, vowing that he &#8220;will not turn my back on Ohio’s rural electric co-ops, Ohio energy workers, and Ohio families whose energy bills are already too high.&#8221;
The Sierra Club officially <a href="https://www.sierraclubindependentaction.org/endorsements#OH" target="_blank" rel="noopener">endorsed</a> Brown, and <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/sierra-club/summary?id=D000000259" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gave</a> over $2,000 to his campaign this cycle.
Brown&#8217;s office did not respond to a request for comment.
The Sierra Club refers to the Gavin coal plant, which is the largest coal plant in Ohio, as &#8220;America&#8217;s deadliest coal plant.&#8221; Earlier this week, the group also launched an ad campaign calling on Blackstone to close the plant. The Gavin plant employs around 300 people, and energy experts <a href="https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/regulation/bidens-epa-likes-to-deny-permits/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warn</a> that closing coal plants, such as the one in Cheshire, Ohio, would &#8220;negatively impact the stability of the electric grid and power markets.&#8221;
Southeast Ohio has long relied on coal for energy and jobs, and Brown has uniquely positioned himself as a Democrat who opposes some of the Biden-Harris administration&#8217;s clean energy mandates for power plants. As the Environmental Protection Agency was seeking to implement new power plant emission rules earlier this year, Brown <a href="https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/sherrod-brown-will-vote-to-overturn-epa-power-plant-rule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the &#8220;unachievable rule &#8230; could undermine grid reliability, cause job losses for energy workers, and raise energy costs for Ohioans.&#8221; Brown has also vowed that he &#8220;will not turn my back on Ohio’s rural electric co-ops, Ohio energy workers, and Ohio families whose energy bills are already too high.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
Energy has become a top issue of the 2024 presidential campaign, as former President Donald Trump is promising to ramp up U.S. drilling and fracking, adding that he wants to reduce Americans&#8217; energy costs by 50% in his first year back in office. The former president <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-addressing-economic-woes-begins-with-one-issue" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during a town hall event in Michigan earlier this month that reducing the cost of groceries begins with addressing high energy costs.
&#8220;We have to start always with energy,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;I don’t want to be boring about it, but there’s no bigger subject that covers everything. If you make donuts, if you make cars, whatever you make, energy is a big deal.&#8221;

Ohio Dem Senator To Hold Event With Group Pushing To Close State’s Largest Coal Plant

Ohio Dem Senator To Hold Virtual Event With Group Pushing To Close State's Largest Coal Plant

Coal

Environmentalists

U.S. Senate

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/sherrod-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sherrod Brown</a> (D-OH) is under scrutiny after a dead person was reported to have donated to his campaign, according to Ohio election officials.
The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/09/06/us-news/sherrod-brown-took-campaign-donations-from-dead-ohio-woman/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Friday that Brown’s campaign reported two donations from May 2024 totaling $350 from Carol Ann Baker of Toledo, Ohio, who died in December 2023. The donations were flagged to the office of Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose who passed it onto the Federal Election Commission for further investigation.
“Our office received a complaint identifying that the Friends of Sherrod Brown committee reported receiving two contributions from an individual that was confirmed to be deceased,” LaRose spokesman Dan Lushek said. “But, as that committee is a federal entity and not a filer with our office, we referred the complaint and our findings to the Federal Elections Commission for further action.”
In a letter to the FEC, head of investigations at the Ohio Secretary of State’s office Huan Yi included an affidavit from Baker’s husband confirming her death. Before her death, Baker was an English teacher at Rossford High School and a trustee for Harris Township.
Yi added that Ohio&#8217;s Election Integrity Unit would be available to help as needed.
“Ohioans deserve absolute confidence in their elections,” he said. “The purpose of this letter is to refer to your office potential violations of federal law for your investigation, as appropriate.”
According to the complaint filed with Ohio election officials, the man who flagged the donations said he had reached out to the FEC in August, but did not hear anything back from them.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1724361346607000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1ZhyOQfEkxcMH_D1Ago3CQ">Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you.</a>
Brown is currently defending his seat from Republican challenger Bernie Moreno, whose campaign criticized him over the donations.
“Brown’s scheme to fund his campaign with contributions from dead people isn’t just creepy, it’s illegal,” Moreno Press Secretary Reagan McCarthy said. “This conspiracy deserves more scrutiny. How far does it go?”
While Ohio went comfortably for former President Donald Trump in both 2016 and 2020, Brown currently maintains a 3.6 point average advantage in the polls heading into November. The Ohio seat could prove to be one of the pivotal races that determines control of the Senate as Democrats have just a two seat advantage.

Lawmakers On Capitol Hill Face Questions About President Biden’s Fitness To Run For Re-Election

Dem Senator Facing Tough Re-Election Campaign Accepted Donations From Dead Person

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

U.S. Politics

At least nine Democrats locked in contentious re-election campaigns have said they won’t attend the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/democratic-national-convention" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Democratic National Convention</a>, citing various reasons.
Four Democrat senators and five House members won’t be attending the party’s convention in Chicago, Illinois, in a move The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4835468-democrats-skip-convention-brown-tester-fetterman/amp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggests</a> is a way to distance themselves from Vice President Kamala Harris, who became the de facto Democratic nominee after President Joe Biden announced he would no longer run for re-election.
Here are the Democrats we know won’t be attending the DNC.
Sen. Sherrod Brown
Three-term Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio may currently lead his Republican challenger, but former President Donald Trump won the state by large margins in 2016 and 2020.
Trump won Ohio in 2016 and 2020 by <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4835468-democrats-skip-convention-brown-tester-fetterman/amp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">8.1 percentage points</a>, a larger margin than former presidents Bush or Obama won in the Buckeye state.
Brown currently has a 5-point lead on his Republican challenger Bernie Moreno, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4835468-democrats-skip-convention-brown-tester-fetterman/amp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to RealClearPolitics</a>, but there’s still more than two months until the election.
Brown <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/04/politics/sherrod-brown-bernie-moreno-ohio-senate-race-kamala-harris/index.html">told</a> CNN that he “often” skips conventions or attends for “maybe a day,” but records show that he has attended each convention since he was elected to the Senate, the Hill reported.
Brown has endorsed Harris.
Sen. Martin Heinrich
Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico is in a more comfortable position that many of the other Democrats on this list, since the state is rated likely Democratic and has voted Democrat in <a href="https://www.270towin.com/states/New_Mexico">every</a> presidential election since 2008. But Republicans are targeting the state.
Heinrich quickly endorsed Harris after Democrats decided she would be their nominee instead of Biden and has also praised Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate.
Heinrech’s campaign <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4835468-democrats-skip-convention-brown-tester-fetterman/amp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Scripps News that he “has other commitments during the time of the convention.”
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1723831707612000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0pyrv88A5nsmWM2F2Wr9As">Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you.</a>
Sen. Jacky Rosen
Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada has a comfortable lead in a race expected to be pretty close come election day. Rosen faces Republican challenger Sam Brown, a veteran, but leads her opponent by about 7.8 points, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4835468-democrats-skip-convention-brown-tester-fetterman/amp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to RealClearPolitics</a>.
Nevada, however, is rated a toss-up this year, even though the state has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 2004.
Rosen has also endorsed the Harris-Walz ticket, but a campaign spokesperson <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4835468-democrats-skip-convention-brown-tester-fetterman/amp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The New York Times that she is “focused on her own reelection.”
Sen. Jon Tester
Sen. Jon Tester of Montana might be the most vulnerable Democrat this election cycle, and is currently trailing his opponent, Tim Sheehy, by about 4.4 points, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4835468-democrats-skip-convention-brown-tester-fetterman/amp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to RealClearPolitics</a>. Montana is rated as a safe Republican state, and has voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election since 1976 except for 1992.
Tester hasn’t endorsed Harris and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vulnerable-democrat-senator-skips-dnc-refuses-to-endorse-harris-in-bid-to-save-senate-seat">claimed</a> he wasn’t attending the DNC because it is harvest time on his farm, even though he has previously attended conventions in years when he was not up for re-election.
Rep. Yadira Caraveo
Rep. Yadira Caraveo of Colorado is a first-term congresswoman facing re-election, with Republicans targeting her seat. She is not attending the DNC, but has not given a reason why.
Colorado is rated likely Democratic and the state has voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election since 2008.
Rep. Val Hoyle
Rep. Val Hoyle of Oregon isn’t attending the DNC because of wildfires in her state, she <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4835468-democrats-skip-convention-brown-tester-fetterman/amp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Punchbowl News. Though Oregon is a reliable Blue state, Democrats do appear to be targeting the race to ensure Hoyle stays in office, according to the Hill.
Rep. Jared Golden
Rep. Jared Golden of Maine is in a tough re-election in a red-leaning district that looks like it will vote for Trump this year. The state of Maine is rated likely Democrat, but its electoral votes are split and Trump is likely to get at least one electoral vote from Golden’s district, which is rated likely Republican.
Maine split its electoral votes in 2016 and 2020, but prior to that had voted Democrat since 1992.
Golden declined to join the virtual vote that installed Harris as the Democrats’ nominee, The Bangor Daily News <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4835468-democrats-skip-convention-brown-tester-fetterman/amp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Rep. Mary Sattler Peltola
Rep. Mary Sattler Peltola of Alaska managed to flip her congressional district Blue for the first time in decades when she was elected in 2022, but she faces an uphill battle for re-election. Alaska reliably votes Republican for president, but Trump carried the state in 2020 with the lowest margin in decades – 10%.
Sattler Peltola’s primary is this week.
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington barely defeated her Republican opponent in 2022 <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4835468-democrats-skip-convention-brown-tester-fetterman/amp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with 51% of the vote</a>, and now faces a tough re-election in a district that leans Republican. She’s skipping the convention to focus on her own re-election, a press assistant told the Hill.

Democratic National Convention

9 Vulnerable Democrats Are Skipping The DNC This Year

Chicago

Former President Donald Trump&#8217;s political world is making its presence felt in Ohio&#8217;s Senate race as the Republican primary heats up to decide on who will take on incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH).
Trump endorsed businessman Bernie Moreno late last year, saying that he was the &#8220;type of MAGA fighter that we need in the United States Senate.&#8221; Now his son Donald Trump Jr., a top campaign surrogate for his father, posted a video to X on Monday from a Super PAC supporting Moreno that takes aim at his main opponent: Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose.
&#8220;Can you trust Franklin LaRose? He&#8217;s called a champion for trans equality, supports taxpayer funding for abortion provider Planned Parenthood,&#8221; the ad says, going on to show him thank a leftist LGBT group.
&#8220;And here&#8217;s LaRose on a liberal group that wants minors to transition without notifying parents: &#8216;To my friends from Equality Ohio, congratulations on 15 years of fighting to make Ohio better and more equal,'&#8221; the video shows LaRose saying.
&#8220;Frank LaRose, &#8216;my friends from Equality Ohio&#8217;, no friend of ours,&#8221; the ad concludes. &#8220;You just can&#8217;t trust him. Buckeye values PAC is responsible for the content of this message.&#8221;
Trump Jr. posted the video along with a message in support of Moreno.
&#8220;The great state of Ohio helped put Trump in the White House and JD Vance in the senate, so I have no doubt they’ll elect the real conservative [Bernie Moreno] over leftwing, pro-trans Frank LaRose,&#8221; Trump Jr. said.
<h3>WATCH:</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The great state of Ohio helped put Trump in the White House and JD Vance in the senate, so I have no doubt they’ll elect the real conservative <a href="https://twitter.com/berniemoreno?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@berniemoreno</a> over leftwing, pro-trans Frank LaRose. <a href="https://t.co/wTJRYxEysL">pic.twitter.com/wTJRYxEysL</a>
&mdash; Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/1757072857740214420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trump endorsed Moreno in December, calling him a &#8220;highly respected businessman from the GREAT State of Ohio.&#8221;
&#8220;Bernie will always stand up to the Fascist &#8216;nut jobs&#8217; and the spineless RINOS in order to fight the corrupt Deep State that is destroying our Country,&#8221; Trump said in a statement. &#8220;Remember, we need a successful political outsider like Bernie to defeat Liberal career politician, Sherrod Brown, who has so poorly represented Ohio, and pretends that he’s all for the Policies of your Favorite President, Donald J. Trump, but then gets to the Senate and votes 100% for the horrendous Policies of Crooked Joe Biden, the worst President in the History of our Country.&#8221;
&#8220;It’s time for the entire Republican Party to UNITE around Bernie’s campaign for Senate, so that we can have a BIG victory in what will be the most important Election in American History,&#8221; Trump later added. &#8220;Bernie is the Father of wonderful Emily, the wife of outstanding young Ohio Congressman, Max Miller. Bernie is Strong on the Border, Crime, Cutting Taxes, Election Integrity, the Military / Vets, and will always protect our under siege 2nd Amendment. Bernie Moreno will be an outstanding United States Senator, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement—He will never let you down!&#8221;
Trump last week also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-makes-major-endorsement-in-montana-senate-race">entered the fray</a> in the Montana Senate race, backing candidate Tim Sheehy over Republican congressman Matt Rosendale.

House Republicans Hold News Conference On The American Confidence In Elections Act

Trump World Leans Into U.S. Senate Race In Ohio, Promotes Attack On GOP’s Frank LaRose

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) called on Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to resign from the U.S. Senate on Monday after Menendez was charged with multiple federal felonies last week in connection with an alleged bribery scheme.
“Senator Menendez has broken the public trust and should resign from the U.S. Senate,” <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/09/us-sen-sherrod-brown-calls-on-indicted-sen-bob-menendez-to-resign.html">said</a> Brown, who chairs the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.
Brown is only the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-fetterman-calls-on-bob-menendez-to-resign-from-u-s-senate">second</a> U.S. Senator to call on Menendez to resign after Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) did so on Saturday.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D) said that the allegations in the indictment were “deeply disturbing” because they “implicate national security and the integrity of our criminal justice system.”
“The alleged facts are so serious that they compromise the ability of Senator Menendez to effectively represent the people of our state,” he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-democrats-begin-pushing-menendez-to-resign-as-he-steps-down-from-chairmanship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “Therefore, I am calling for his immediate resignation.”
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.
Menendez was forced to step down as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee because of Senate Democrat bylaws but he has insisted that he is innocent and suggested that the charges stem from a vast conspiracy of people who are trying to take him down.
Menendez <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bob-menendez-explains-why-he-had-480000-in-cash-at-his-home">offered</a> an explanation at a press conference on Monday for why he had $480,000 in cash at his home when investigators executed a search warrant.
“For 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies, and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba,” he said. “Now, this may seem old-fashioned, but these were monies drawn from my personal savings account based on the income that I have lawfully derived over those 30 years. I look forward to addressing other issues at trial.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/aoc-calls-on-sen-menendez-to-resign-bucks-his-defense-that-hes-being-racially-targeted">AOC Calls On Sen. Menendez To Resign, Bucks His Defense That He’s Being Racially Targeted</a>

US Senator Menendez defiantly rejects calls to step down

Top Democrat Senator Calls On Menendez To Resign Over Bribery Scandal

Bob Menendez

Bribery

Democrat

Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/sherrod-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sherrod Brown</a> (D-OH) took hundreds of thousands of dollars from three drug companies at the center of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/opioid-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opioid epidemic</a> in the U.S.
According to FEC financial reports cited by the <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/05/05/ohio-democratic-senator-took-243k-from-opioid-giants-fec/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a>, Brown raked in more than $200,000 from political action committees associated with Cardinal Health, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen since 2003. The three pharmaceutical giants paid out a $26 billion settlement to settle thousands of individual lawsuits from states and local governments. Ohio is also one of the states hardest hit by the opioid epidemic.
According to <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?data_type=processed&amp;committee_id=C00264697&amp;committee_id=C00331694&amp;committee_id=C00690073&amp;contributor_name=C00108035&amp;contributor_name=C00332833&amp;contributor_name=C00400929" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FEC filings</a>, Brown took in a total of $144,500 in contributions to his campaign and leadership PAC, America Works PAC. He raised $85,000 from Cardinal Health, $56,500 from AmerisourceBergen, and $1,500 from McKesson. The latest donation was a $2,500 donation from Cardinal Health on September 21. The New York Post further reported that he took in $54,100 from lobbyists who worked for the three pharmaceutical distributors, including $5,600, the legal maximum, from a McKesson lobbyist in 2020 and again in 2021.
Separately, individual employees <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?data_type=processed&amp;committee_id=C00264697&amp;committee_id=C00331694&amp;committee_id=C00690073&amp;contributor_employer=cardinal+health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donated</a> another $40,025. Cardinal Health Chief Information Officer Mark MacNaughton was a frequent small-dollar donor. Former Cardinal Health CEO George S. Barrett donated a total of $15,400 between 2011 and 2019, all in large amounts. Theodore Frank of McKesson donated $1,000 to his 2018 campaign. Rita Ersfeld Norton of AmerisourceBergen gave him $1,000 in 2017.
Together, Cardinal Health, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen account for 90% of the U.S. supply chains for drugs and medical supplies. But the companies have allegedly been complicit in the proliferation of opioids; the New York Post reported that for more than a decade, the three pharma giants failed to track suspicious orders or increases in opioid use among purchasers, in spite of doctors potentially criminally overprescribing the drugs.
The three companies, along with Johnson &amp; Johnson, settled a $26 billion lawsuit with 49 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and thousands of municipalities in February 2022. In a <a href="https://www.mckesson.com/About-McKesson/Newsroom/Press-Releases/2022/Distributors-Approve-Opioid-Settlement-Agreement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joint statement</a> in February, the three companies announced that, beginning on April 2, 2022, they would pay out more than $19.5 billion over the next 18 years: Amerisource is set to pay out $6.1 billion; Cardinal Health, $6 billion; and McKesson, $7.4 billion. The settlement dealt with 46 of the 49 states; Alabama, Oklahoma, and Washington State refused the settlement. West Virginia settled previously. The Cherokee Nation also settled separately, and the remaining Native Americans had reached an agreement in principle at the time.
The New York Post also reported that the Drug Enforcement Administration settled a $150 million payout for violating federal controlled substance laws in 2017, the largest penalty in the DEA&#8217;s history.
Ohio had an estimated 5,068 deaths from drug overdoses in 2021, the fifth-highest in the nation, according to the CDC&#8217;s <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Vital Statistics System</a>. The CDC reported 107,622 deaths from drug overdoses in 2021, the highest number on record, as The Daily Wire reported last year. The New York Times <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/record-number-of-americans-died-from-drug-overdoses-in-2021-cdc-data-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> at the time that synthetic opioids accounted for 71,000 deaths.
<a class="c-link" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-7429">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
In 2017, Brown himself <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSherrodBrown/status/922482085272674304" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> the opioid crisis “one of biggest public health emergencies in my lifetime [and] all too often addiction starts in [the] medicine cabinet.”
Brown is running for a fourth term in the Senate in 2024. But he faces an uphill battle in a state that is rapidly turning red: former President Trump won the state by eight points in 2020; Republican Senator J.D. Vance won the state by six points in 2022. So far, State Senator Matt Dolan and businessman Bernie Moreno have entered the Republican primary.

Democratic Lawmakers Demand Senate Vote On House-Passed Bipartisan Background Checks Gun Control Act

Ohio Democrat Senator Took Thousands Of Dollars In Donations From Pharma Companies At Center Of Opioid Crisis

Ohio Democrat Senator Sherrod Brown Took Thousands Of Dollars In Donations From Pharma Companies At Center Of Opioid Crisis

Big Pharma

Health

Money In Politics

Opioid Crisis

Prescription Drugs

Republican and Democratic lawmakers unveiled a bill on Wednesday that would increase safety restrictions on <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/ohio-train-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trains</a> carrying hazardous materials.
The legislation comes weeks after a Norfolk Southern train derailed near East Palestine, Ohio. Authorities evacuated all residents within one mile of the February 3 incident and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/evacuation-ordered-ohio-governor-warns-major-explosion-could-send-shrapnel-a-mile-from-derailed-train" target="_blank" rel="noopener">started</a> a controlled burn of chemicals on the vehicle to lower the risk of an explosion, producing massive plumes of black smoke visible throughout eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) introduced the Railway Safety Act of 2023, which would require rail companies to report hazardous materials present trains to state authorities, raise inspection requirements, and increase the rigor of defect detection efforts. Other sponsors include Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA).
“Through this legislation, Congress has a real opportunity to ensure that what happened in East Palestine will never happen again. We owe every American the peace of mind that their community is protected from a catastrophe of this kind,” Vance said in a <a href="https://www.vance.senate.gov/press-releases/senators-vance-brown-to-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-prevent-train-derailment-disasters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>. “Action to prevent future disasters is critical, but we must never lose sight of the needs of the Ohioans living in East Palestine and surrounding communities. One day, the TV cameras will leave, and the news cycle will move on, but the needs of those Ohioans will remain.”
The <a href="https://www.vance.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Railway-Safety-Act.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legislation</a> would also increase several civil penalties for violations of rail safety regulations tenfold and require that each train must operate with at least two-person crews. With respect to safety in transporting hazardous materials, each carrier must produce a gas discharge plan and submit to periodic inspections with minimum time requirements. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg would be directed by the legislation to enumerate more specific rules. The Biden administration has <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/01/politics/congress-response-railway-safety-norfolk-southern/index.html">called on</a> Congress to enact similar reforms.
“The Norfolk Southern train derailment left Pennsylvania and Ohio families, businesses, and first responders grappling with a disaster that spilled hazardous materials in their community. It shouldn’t have happened here and it shouldn’t happen anywhere else in America,” Casey added. “The Railway Safety Act will make freight rail safer, hold rail companies accountable for putting communities and workers in harm’s way, and protect people over profits.”
The train derailment launched debate in Washington over increased scrutiny for rail companies. Buttigieg <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/buttigieg-touts-funding-to-improve-rail-safety-in-wake-of-ohio-train-crash-doesnt-mention-what-hes-doing-right-now-to-help" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the White House has been “constrained” on rail safety due to a “braking rule withdrawn by the Trump administration in 2018 because of a law passed by Congress in 2015.” National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy later <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-blames-trump-for-ohio-train-derailment-even-the-ntsb-chair-calls-that-misinformation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clarified</a> that the rule would not have applied to the train which derailed in East Palestine because of its classification as a “mixed freight train” rather than a “high hazard flammable train.”
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-146166">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
Federal investigators have preliminarily <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-details-in-east-palestine-train-derailment-revealed-in-fresh-ntsb-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concluded</a> that the derailment was caused by a malfunctioning rail axle. “Surveillance video from a residence showed what appears to be a wheel bearing in the final stage of overheat failure moments before the derailment,” the NTSB said in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/investigators-provide-more-details-on-what-caused-ohio-train-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>. “The wheelset from the suspected railcar has been collected as evidence for metallurgical examination.”

Screen Shot 2023-02-17 at 11.58.47 AM

Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Improve Rail Safety After Ohio Train Crash

Senators Introduce Bill To Improve Rail Safety After Ohio Train Derailment

Congress

JD Vance

John Fetterman

Josh Hawley

Marco Rubio

Ohio Train Disaster

Railroads

Train

Residents of <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/erin-brockovich-torches-biden-over-east-palestine-debacle-youre-not-gonna-gaslight-me/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">East Palestine</a>, Ohio, are still worried, despite EPA reassurances, that the air and water in their community are not safe to breathe and drink — and while they wait to find out, one of their senators is attending ritzy Hollywood fundraisers.
According to a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/democrat-ohio-senator-fundraises-hollywood-toxic-chemical-spill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> published Tuesday by Fox News Digital, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) was rubbing elbows with Tinseltown elites while his <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/joy-behar-blames-east-palestine-residents-for-train-disaster-because-they-voted-for-trump/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">constituents</a> wondered about the water quality in their own homes.
Brown shared some photos of himself spending time in East Palestine, talking to both officials and residents about the clean-up process.
&#8220;I spent the afternoon with residents from East Palestine &amp; the surrounding area. I’m in constant contact with Ohioans and authorities to get this community the resources it needs, and to hold Norfolk Southern accountable to pay for it,&#8221; he tweeted on Monday afternoon.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I spent the afternoon with residents from East Palestine &amp; the surrounding area.
I’m in constant contact with Ohioans and authorities to get this community the resources it needs, and to hold Norfolk Southern accountable to pay for it. <a href="https://t.co/m3seIQDkhM">pic.twitter.com/m3seIQDkhM</a>
&mdash; Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSherrodBrown/status/1630342956405194755?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
But just a few days earlier, according to event organizer Jill Goldman — a member of former President Barack Obama&#8217;s National Finance Committee — Brown and his wife were present at a Hollywood Hills fundraiser alongside Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CpEC-2nPnSb/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14">
<div style="padding: 16px;">
&nbsp;
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div>
<div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div>
<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div>
<div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div>
<div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div>
</div>
&nbsp;
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CpEC-2nPnSb/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jill Goldman (@jillgoldman)</a>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
&#8220;Last night cohosting my absolutely favorite US SENATOR SHERROD BROWN, his beyond incredible brilliant wife novelist and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist @schultz_connie and amazing kick a** SENATOR TAMMY BALDWIN the first LGBTQ person elected to the US Senate @tammybaldwinwi !!&#8221; Goldman captioned the photo.
&#8220;If you know me you know I have been a big fan of Sherrod’s for years !! Sherrod is a progressive champion who wins in a tough state like Ohio because Ohioans know he fights for them in the workplace. His Dignity of Work message enables him to reach those Trump voters even though he has been pro-choice his whole career, gets an F from the NRA and has been for marriage equality since he voted against DOMA in the 90’s!&#8221; she continued, adding, &#8220;SHERROD is up for a tight re/election campaign 2024 but he can do it in a red Ohio! I love Sherrod !! We need Ohio to keep the Senate Blue !!THE SENATE NEEDS SHERROD BROWN !! WE ALLL NEED SHERROD NOW MORE THAN BEFORE !!!&#8221;
A second photo in the same post showed Brown and Baldwin together at the event.

CFPB Director Rohit Chopra Testifies Before Senate Banking Committee

East Palestine Is Still Suffering — But Ohio’s Democrat Senator Took Time For A Hollywood Fundraiser

East Palestine Is Still Suffering — But Ohio's Democrat Senator Took Time For A Hollywood Fundraiser

Disasters

East Palestine

U.S.

Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) gave an indirect answer when asked if he would drink the water in East Palestine, Ohio.
Appearing on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2023/02/19/sotu-brown-full.cnn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">State of the Union</a>&#8221; Sunday, Brown deferred to local officials when asked whether he would drink the water contaminated by chemicals from the Norfolk Southern train derailment on February 3. Brown went on to blame the derailment on the rail company, claiming it laid off key workers and conducted stock buybacks instead of investing in safety.
&#8220;[W]ould you drink the water in East Palestine?&#8221; guest host Pamela Brown asked. &#8220;And do you think the officials there who are saying it&#8217;s safe, they should drink the water too to show the residents that they would drink it?&#8221;
&#8220;Well, I think they are,&#8221; the Senator responded. &#8220;I mean, I talked to the mayor. The mayor said definitively, emphatically, that people can drink the water. I don&#8217;t know. I don&#8217;t think the mayor has small kids. He looks a little older to me. I didn&#8217;t ask him about bathing his kids. But he has said he would drink this water.&#8221;
Brown then claimed that the derailment was caused by corporate greed on the part of Norfolk Southern. &#8220;Pamela, this is really the same old story. Corporations do stock buybacks, they do big dividend checks, they lay off workers. Thousands of workers have been laid off from Norfolk Southern. Then they don&#8217;t invest in safety rules and safety regulations, and this kind of thing happens. That&#8217;s why people in East Palestine are so upset.&#8221;
&#8220;These things are happening because the railroads are simply not investing the way they showed in car safety and in the rail lines themselves,&#8221; he said.
J.D. Vance (R-OH), has not deferred to officials on the topic of water safety. After the EPA said Wednesday that the water in the municipal well showed no quality concerns, Vance called on them to put the water where their mouth is.
“I think that if the EPA administrator wants to stand here and tell people that the tap water is safe, by all means, they should be willing to drink it,&#8221; he said.
Vance also posted a video to his personal Twitter account, where he scraped a creek bed, showing an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-is-disgusting-j-d-vance-scrapes-creek-bed-with-stick-after-train-crash-oily-substance-emerges-in-viral-video" target="_blank" rel="noopener">oily sheen</a> from chemicals in the water. “This is disgusting,” he said. “The fact that these chemicals are still seeping in the ground is an insult to the people who live in East Palestine. Do not forget these people.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Visited a local creek in East Palestine today. These waterways are still very polluted. It’s time for Norfolk Southern to finish the cleanup. Check this video out: <a href="https://t.co/4lsHBmrMJj">pic.twitter.com/4lsHBmrMJj</a>
&mdash; JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1626305927207854089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-plans-visit-to-east-palestine-says-locals-need-help" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> is scheduled to visit the village on Wednesday.

Senate Democrats Press Conference

Ohio Dem Gives Strange Answer When Asked If He Would Drink Water In East Palestine

Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown Gives Strange, Indirect Answer When Asked If He Would Drink Water In East Palestine

State of the Union

Democratic and Republican members of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> Banking Committee drew attention on Thursday to the effect of low <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/housing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">housing</a> supply on <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prices</a>.
Labor shortages and <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/supply-chain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supply chain</a> bottlenecks induced by worldwide lockdown mandates raised input costs and thereby increased housing inventory shortfalls that have long plagued American would-be homeowners. Lawmakers on the Senate Banking Committee discussed the phenomenon during their first hearing of the new Congress.
“There just isn’t enough quality housing at prices that people can afford,” Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) said in his <a href="https://www.banking.senate.gov/newsroom/majority/brown-housing-expensive-families-seniors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opening statement</a>. “And because there aren’t enough homes, renters, and homeowners are stuck paying more every month or living with peeling lead paint or leaks.”
The housing market had witnessed a shortage of 3.8 million houses as of 2019, according to <a href="https://www.fanniemae.com/research-and-insights/perspectives/us-housing-shortage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from government-backed mortgage company Fannie Mae. The National Association of Realtors <a href="https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/once-in-a-generation-response-needed-to-address-housing-supply-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimates</a> that homebuilders should have constructed between 5.5 million and 6.8 million more houses over the past two decades to match current demand.
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) asserted that policies such as rent control and inaction on the supply chain crisis from the Biden administration have worsened the housing inventory problem.
“It’s past time to rethink the tax-and-spend strategies that keep families trapped in generational cycles of poverty and find real solutions to meaningfully impact all households,” he said in his <a href="https://www.banking.senate.gov/newsroom/minority/scott-calls-for-less-failed-government-spending-more-solutions-in-response-to-housing-challenges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opening statement</a>. “Government must begin responsibly helping families rather than doubling down on programs that fail to generate results. We need to leverage the successes of American capitalism by encouraging private investment in the housing sector and eliminating needless barriers that artificially restrict supply.”
Senior Biden administration officials have meanwhile <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/10/07/biden-harris-administration-announces-progress-in-implementing-its-housing-supply-action-plan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to provide affordable financing for multifamily housing construction, streamline regulations to make the construction of “mixed-income housing” and “housing that includes very low-income tenants” more simplified, and support housing projects near mass transit. Inflation rates for shelter costs increased 7.5% year-over-year as of December 2022, far exceeding the 1.8% year-over-year rate charted one month before President Joe Biden assumed office, according to <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CUSR0000SAH1#0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Median home sale prices have likewise soared from $322,600 in the second quarter of 2020 to $467,700 in the fourth quarter of 2022, according to <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MSPUS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Costs plateaued in the second half of last year amid soaring mortgage rates caused by the Federal Reserve’s actions to decrease inflation.
The cooling home prices occur alongside a slowdown in homebuying activity and do not reflect an increase in affordability for would-be buyers. Monthly mortgage payments for the typical home increased more than 45% between the end of 2021 and the end of 2022, indicating that the salary required to afford such a property has increased from nearly $74,000 to more than $107,000, according to an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americans-now-need-a-six-figure-salary-to-afford-a-median-priced-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from real estate brokerage Redfin.
The number of homes on the market has “stayed near historic lows” despite the market slowdown, according to Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies Christopher Herbert, who <a href="https://www.banking.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Herbert%20Testimony%202-9-23.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testified</a> before the Senate Banking Committee. He observed that buyers who locked in favorable mortgage terms before the recent spike in borrowing costs are unlikely to sell.

Tim Scott

Senators Call To Increase Housing Supply As Affordability Plummets

Lawmakers Draw Attention To Low Housing Supply

Housing

Inflation

Senate

Supply Chain

Progressive political groups are celebrating President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>’s nomination of a former Biden-Harris campaign state counsel to a conservative-leaning federal court.
Biden earned praise from pro-abortion and environmentalist groups for his release on Wednesday of his 18th slate of judicial nominees, which included a nomination for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
“These choices also continue to fulfill the President’s promise to ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country — both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds,” the White House said in a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/25/president-biden-names-eighteenth-round-of-judicial-nominees/">statement</a> on Wednesday. 
Biden&#8217;s choice for the Sixth Circuit was Rachel Bloomekatz, a state <a href="https://www.bloomekatzlaw.com/about">counsel</a> for the Biden-Harris campaign in Ohio in 2020. Her bio also says that she has “represented progressive candidates in Ohio, including serving as Senator Sherrod Brown’s legal director for his 2012 reelection campaign.”
Bloomekatz is a practitioner at Bloomekatz Law in Columbus, Ohio, and has clerked for outgoing Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, as well as being an assistant attorney general in Boston, Massachusetts.
In her own practice, Bloomekatz has <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6001928b1a7b04326b7e7812/t/61b810fb5dc25a103c2a6661/1639452924221/Bloomekatz+Resume+December+2021+%281%29.pdf">worked</a> with a group challenging the &#8220;stand your ground&#8221; law in Ohio, including the Ohio NAACP. She also received the Progressive Young Leadership Award from the Columbus chapter of the American Constitution Society.
After news of her nomination broke, progressive groups like Demand Justice, Earthjustice, and the Alliance for Justice all praised Biden for his judicial picks.
Earthjustice, an environmentalist <a href="https://earthjustice.org/about">organization</a>, celebrated Bloomekatz’s nomination, saying she would be “the first public interest environmental lawyer nominated to the federal bench.”
“At this critical moment where so many of our fundamental rights are at stake, we need judges in her mold who understand the difference between science and politics and will make decisions based on the law and settled precedent,” Earthjustice Legislative Director of the Access to Justice Program Coby Dolan <a href="https://earthjustice.org/news/press/2022/earthjustice-celebrates-nomination-of-rachel-bloomekatz-to-the-u-s-court-of-appeals-6th-circuit">said</a>.
Demand Justice, an organization that wants to expand the Supreme Court, <a href="https://twitter.com/WeDemandJustice/status/1529487646954774536">tweeted</a> that Bloomekatz “would bring much-needed experience representing consumers and workers to a judiciary dominated by corporate lawyers.”
The progressive group Alliance for Justice, which urges people to “act now to save abortion rights,” applauded Biden’s judicial nominations, including that of Bloomekatz.
“Once again, the White House has identified three highly-qualified women to serve on our courts of appeal,” AFJ President Rakim H.D. Brooks said in a <a href="https://www.afj.org/article/afj-applauds-eighteenth-slate-of-judicial-nominees/">statement</a>. “Ms. Bloomekatz’s experience fighting for economic justice, in particular, will be invaluable to the Sixth Circuit as it considers cases impacting consumers and workers.”
Bloomekatz appears to have made several political donations to Democratic candidates over the years. A Rachel Bloomekatz in Columbus, Ohio, working at Gupta Wessler (where Bloomekatz worked from 2016-2019) donated to Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown in 2017 and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 2020, according to <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=Rachel+Bloomekatz">data</a> from Open Secrets. 
Furthermore, a lawyer named Rachel Bloomekatz with the same Columbus-area Ohio zip code (43201) as Bloomekatz Law gave $750 to then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016 and a total of $1,750 to Joe Biden during the 2020 election.
The Daily Wire has reached out to Bloomekatz to confirm whether the donations were from her or not.
According to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/11/16/1056121842/biden-lawsuit-osha-vaccine-mandate-court-lottery">NPR</a>, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals where Bloomekatz was nominated “is known to lean conservative.” Former President Donald Trump appointed six justices to the Cincinnati-based court while George W. Bush put on five.
Biden has now <a href="https://www.natlawreview.com/article/rachel-bloomekatz-nominated-to-sixth-circuit">nominated</a> three justices to the Sixth Circuit, with two pending nominations and one, Judge Stephanie Dawkins Davis, being confirmed earlier this week.

Joe Biden and Running Mate Kamala Harris Deliver Remarks In Delaware

Progressive Groups Celebrate Nomination of Former Biden-Harris Campaign Counsel To Conservative Leaning Court

Biden Administration

Court

Joe Biden

Judiciary

Menu