By Chris Lefkow WASHINGTON, July 23, 2024 (AFP) – US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned on Tuesday, a day after acknowledging that the agency had failed in its mission to prevent an assassination attempt against Donald Trump. Cheatle was facing bipartisan calls to step down after a 20-year-old gunman wounded the former Republican president and current White House candidate at a July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. “It is overdue, she should have […]
Tag: Congress
US lawmakers race to avert weekend government shutdown
By Frankie TAGGART WASHINGTON, March 21, 2024 (AFP) – US lawmakers released a $1.2 trillion package in the early hours of Thursday to complete the 2024 federal budget — teeing off a sprint to sign it into law before a government shutdown looming at the weekend. The six-bill, 1,012-page package represents the largest and most contentious section of federal funding, with cash running out at midnight on Friday night for three-quarters of the government, including […]
Republicans impeach US homeland security chief over border crisis
By Frankie TAGGART WASHINGTON, Feb 14, 2024 (AFP) – Republicans impeached US President Joe Biden’s immigration chief on Tuesday, the culmination of months of attacks on the Democratic administration as they seek to make border security a key issue in November’s election. Conservatives in the House of Representatives, which is narrowly controlled by Republicans, blame Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for a surge in illegal entries from Mexico that they have called a “humanitarian catastrophe.” […]
US House leader rejects Ukraine aid despite Biden’s plea
By Camille CAMDESSUS WASHINGTON, Feb 14, 2024 (AFP) – The Republican leader of the US House of Representatives on Tuesday blocked war aid for Ukraine, ignoring President Joe Biden’s plea that passing the bill was vital for standing up to “Russian dictator” Vladimir Putin. Speaker Mike Johnson, who works closely with Biden’s likely challenger in the November election Donald Trump, told reporters he has no intention even of allowing a vote on the bill. “I […]
US lawmakers avert damaging government shutdown
By Frankie TAGGART WASHINGTON, Jan 18, 2024 (AFP) – The US Congress green-lit temporary funding Thursday to thwart a partial government shutdown that threatened the functions of multiple key federal agencies and could have seen thousands of employees sent home without pay. With large sections of the government due to close at the end of Friday, the House of Representatives voted to keep the lights for at least another six weeks, approving a measure that […]
Hunter Biden to testify in Republicans’ impeachment inquiry
WASHINGTON, Jan 19, 2024 (AFP) – Joe Biden’s son Hunter will testify next month before two congressional committees carrying out an impeachment inquiry against the US president, the Republican chairmen of the panels said Thursday. “Hunter Biden will appear before our committees for a deposition on February 28, 2024,” said James Comer, chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and Jim Jordan, chair of the House Committee on the Judiciary. “Hunter’s deposition will […]
Shouting match in US Congress as Biden son makes surprise show
By Frankie Taggart and Caitlin Wilson WASHINGTON, Jan 11, 2024 (AFP) – Republicans recommended Wednesday that Hunter Biden be held in criminal contempt of the US Congress for snubbing a summons — after scenes of chaos erupted on Capitol Hill when the president’s son turned up in person to defend himself. Two Republican-led House of Representatives committees — oversight and judiciary — had gathered separately to debate contempt resolutions after the younger Biden defied their […]
Zelensky aid plea hits Republican wall as Biden warns of ‘gift’ to Putin
WASHINGTON, Dec 12, 2023 (AFP) – President Joe Biden told President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday that the United States will not abandon Ukraine in its desperate fight against Russia, even as Republicans signaled opposition to extending US war funding. Standing alongside the Ukrainian leader at a White House press conference, Biden vowed: “I will not walk away from Ukraine and neither will the American people.” And he said that allowing a Ukrainian defeat would mean […]
US House ousts ‘crook’ congressman in historic vote
By Frankie TAGGART WASHINGTON, Dec 1, 2023 (AFP) – US lawmakers voted Friday to expel George Santos, the scandal-plagued politician who lied his way into Congress and has been indicted on charges of bankrolling his lavish lifestyle with stolen donor cash. One of the most colorful but controversial figures in the 234-year history of the House of Representatives, the New York Republican is only the third person to join Washington’s rogues gallery of ejected lawmakers […]
Republicans fail yet again to pick US House speaker
By Frankie TAGGART WASHINGTON, Oct 20, 2023 (AFP) – A damaging, weeks-long Republican leadership crisis deepened further Friday, leaving the paralyzed US legislature unable to perform even basic functions like funding the government and addressing growing national security concerns. In the 17 days since US House speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted in a rebellion by right-wing hard-liners from within his own party, no other Republican has been able to muster enough votes to replace him, […]
US house Republicans in disarray as speaker race heats up
By Frankie TAGGART WASHINGTON, Oct 19, 2023 (AFP) – Republicans lurched further into disarray Thursday as their nominee to lead the US House of Representatives looked incapable of securing the gavel and a plan to install an interim speaker collapsed in angry recriminations and accusations of bullying. President Joe Biden has announced plans to ask Congress this week for “unprecedented” aid to help Israel in its conflict with Hamas militants, understood to be part of […]
Race for US House speaker in chaos as Republican nominee drops out
By Frankie TAGGART WASHINGTON, Oct 13, 2023 (AFP) – The Republican nominee to lead the US House of Representatives dropped out Thursday after failing to find enough support to win a vote of the full chamber, plunging the paralyzed lower chamber of Congress deeper into crisis. Steve Scalise narrowly won a secret internal Republican ballot Wednesday to replace ousted speaker Kevin McCarthy, but it quickly became clear that he couldn’t get the 217 lawmakers needed […]





