Tag: Congress

US House speaker ejected in brutal, historic rebellion

WASHINGTON, Oct 3, 2023 (AFP) – Kevin McCarthy was axed Tuesday as speaker of the US House of Representatives in a brutal, historic rebellion by far-right Republicans accusing him of a string of broken promises and furious at his cooperation with Democrats. The maneuver laid bare the chaotic levels of infighting among Republicans heading into the 2024 presidential election, with its likely candidate Donald Trump making history of his own as the only former or […]

US House Speaker McCarthy turns down Pres. Zelensky’s invite to visit Ukraine

  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invited top US lawmaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, to visit Ukraine as doubts over support for Kyiv’s war efforts simmer in Congress, particularly among conservatives. Zelensky proposed the visit in an interview with CNN, which will be broadcast later Wednesday. “Mr McCarthy, he has to come here to see how we work, what’s happening here, what war caused us, which people are fighting now, who are fighting now. And then […]

As Biden calls for ceasefire, Republicans do battle

by Frankie TAGGART  Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Joe Biden may have preached unity but new House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s frosty expression and the Republican jeers throughout the State of the Union speech told the story of a partisan night. In a potent reminder of how the balance of power has shifted, Biden delivered his annual address — and perhaps his pitch for another term in the White House — in the shadow […]

Brazil rioters trash priceless artwork in stormed capital buildings

by Louis GENOT Agence France-Presse BRASÍLIA, Brazil (AFP) — Slashed canvas on a modern masterpiece, graffiti spray-painted on statues, a smashed Louis XIV clock: the horde of supporters of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro who invaded Brasilia’s hubs of power at the weekend ransacked everything in their path, including priceless works of art. The three vandalized buildings — the presidential palace known as the Planalto, the Supreme Court and Congress — are themselves treasures of […]

New US speaker faces first major test with rules vote

by Frankie TAGGART Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)  — Divisive new Speaker Kevin McCarthy faced the first test of his ability to lead the chaotic US House of Representatives Monday as lawmakers met to approve a rules package determining how the Republicans will govern. The vote on the blueprint — described by top Democrat Jim McGovern as a “ransom note to America from the extreme right” — came on the heels of one of […]

US in crisis amid once-in-a-century political standoff

by Frankie TAGGART Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US House of Representatives plunged deeper into crisis Thursday as Republican favorite Kevin McCarthy failed again to win the speakership — entrenching a three-day standoff that has paralyzed the lower chamber of Congress. McCarthy, a favorite of his party’s establishment but a bete noire of the far right, has made sweeping concessions to quell a rebellion of around 20 hardliners blocking his bid to […]

Chaos as US House adjourns without choosing speaker

by Frankie TAGGART Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The new US Congress was plunged into disarray Tuesday as renegade right-wing Republicans blocked favorite Kevin McCarthy from becoming speaker of the House of Representatives in a series of humiliating votes seen as a rebuke to the party establishment. The California congressman needed a simple majority to be elected as Washington’s top legislator, who presides over House business and is second in line to the […]

Congress must step in to prevent ‘devastating’ US rail strike: Biden

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Joe Biden on Monday called on Congress to intervene urgently to prevent a strike by railroad workers that he warned would “devastate our economy.” Biden asked Congress to deploy rarely used legislative powers to force adoption of a preliminary deal which freight rail companies and workers had struck in September before some of the trade unions backed off, returning to their threat to go on strike. While noting […]

Pelosi to step down as top Democrat after Republicans take House

by Caitlin Wilson and Chris Lefkow Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Democrat Nancy Pelosi, the trailblazing first woman to wield the speaker’s gavel in the US House of Representatives, said Thursday that she will step down as party leader when Republicans take control of the chamber in January. “I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress,” Pelosi said in an emotional speech on the House floor. “The hour has […]

A divided Congress could be politically expedient for President Biden

Washington, United States | AFP | by Aurélia END The next two years will be filled with legislative gridlock for Joe Biden under a divided Congress — which could prove to be a boon if he chooses to run for president and plays his cards right. Gaining political credit by playing the blame game and pegging the paralysis squarely on the already weakened Republicans could give Biden just the boost he needs in his bid […]

Republicans take control of US House, Congress split: projections

    Washington, United States | AFP | by Camille CAMDESSUS Republicans on Wednesday took control of the US House of Representatives from Democrats, networks said, narrowly securing a legislative base to oppose President Joe Biden’s agenda for the final two years of his term –- and leaving power in Congress split. The slim Republican majority in the lower house of the US legislature will be far smaller than the party had been banking on, […]

Top US Republican says ‘clear we are going to take the House back’

Washington, United States | AFP | The top Republican in the US House of Representatives voiced confidence that his party will seize the lower chamber of Congress from President Joe Biden’s Democrats after Tuesday’s midterm elections. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, speaking to an election watch party in the early hours of Wednesday, struck a cautiously upbeat note as results showed Republicans were poised to flip the seats necessary to win control, albeit most likely […]