Chamber of Changes
The Story
The new Republican-led House is getting down to business on some of its major priorities.
Like what?
Abortion…Yesterday, the lower chamber passed two measures (largely) along party lines. Including the "born alive" bill, which would require doctors to provide care to infants born after an attempted abortion (which is rare). 210 Democrats voted against it. A second bill would “condemn attacks” on anti-abortion orgs and pregnancy crisis centers. The bills highlight a shift in priorities now that Republicans control the chamber. But both are expected to fall flat in the Senate where Democrats still hold a majority.
President Biden…Yesterday, the House Oversight Committee asked the Treasury Dept for info on President Biden’s family finances amid suspicions of fraud in their business dealings. The panel also wants to hear from former Twitter execs about why they allegedly censored a news story about the president's son, Hunter Biden. Also keeping the committee busy: an ongoing investigation into not one but apparently two batches of classified documents from Biden's time as VP.
The IRS…Earlier this week, the House passed legislation that would cut more than $70 billion (about 90%) of new funding for the IRS. The money was supposed to help the agency expand so it could crack down on tax cheats. But Republicans said it would have led the IRS to go after small businesses. President Biden vowed to veto the measure, if it somehow survived in the Senate. He said House Republicans' “top economic priority” is to let the rich and big companies “skip out on their taxes.”
theSkimm
The Republican-led House is laying out its legislative priorities. But with a razor-thin majority and a divided government, the lower chamber appears to be in for a challenging time.
And Also...This
What hit some turbulence…
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Yesterday, it blamed a corrupted database file for an outage that grounded thousands of planes. The glitch in a safety system — the Notice to Air Missions (aka NOTAM) — prevented pilots from getting crucial information (like bad weather conditions). And delayed more than 10,000 flights and canceled over 1,000 others — affecting an estimated 3 million passengers. The FAA said it's working to prevent this from happening again. Meanwhile, experts said the outage shows what can happen when relying on an “antiquated” system. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the dept will be reviewing the FAA's technology.
Not chugging along: Earlier this week, a freight derailment delayed an Amtrak train carrying over 550 passengers by about 20 hours. Panicked passengers called 911, prompting conductors to clarify they weren’t being held hostage. Guess, the next trip may be a road trip.
Where people are taking action…
Illinois. Earlier this week, Gov. JB Pritzker (D) signed a bill banning the sale and distribution of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in the state. It comes six months after a gunman — who used a legally purchased AR-15-style gun — killed seven people at an Independence Day parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park. Now, Illinois joins eight other states and DC in passing such a measure. Pritzker promised to “keep fighting” to ensure that future generations only hear about massacres in their textbooks. Meanwhile, gun-rights advocates said 'see you in court.'
The fine print: Under the new law, people who already own assault weapons can still keep them on their property, at gun ranges, and hunting areas. But they have to register them with the Illinois State Police for tracking.
Who’s saying ‘to infinity and beyond’…
Russia. Yesterday, the country’s space agency said it’s launching a rescue mission to bring home three astronauts stuck on the International Space Station. Last month, a micrometeoroid struck the capsule that would've brought home two Russian cosmonauts and one US astronaut. The hit caused a leak and made travel unsafe. Now, Russia's sending up an empty capsule next month to bring the crew members back to Earth after a few more months in orbit. So far, space appears to be the exception for cooperation between Moscow and Washington since the invasion of Ukraine.
Who checked the couch cushions…
FTX. Yesterday, the crypto exchange said it found over $5 billion worth of cash and other assets. Because that much money is just so easy to misplace. The discovery comes after the disgraced founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, pleaded not guilty to criminal charges in a New York court.
Who saw what’s been happening with all of the awards shows and thought ‘I want that’...
Who is down to call things out whenever, wherever...
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