Category: fox-news/politics/senate

Sen. Marshall introduces resolution for vote of no confidence in Mayorkas amid Senate grilling

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, on Tuesday announced that he is introducing a resolution to trigger a vote of no confidence in Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas -- just as the DHS chief was facing a grilling from lawmakers at a top committee.

"Mr. Secretary, you are derelict in your duties. I would be derelict to not do something about this. And that's why I have a draft resolution here that I intend to introduce in the coming days that would require the Senate to take a vote of no confidence on Secretary Mayorkas," he said as he questioned Mayorkas in a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing.

"I stand at the ready to receive articles of impeachment from the House and conduct an impeachment trial in this body. But in the meantime, I think the Senate must show our colleagues in the House that we've had enough of the failures from the Department of Homeland Security and believe that the secretary is not fit to faithfully carry out the duties of his office," he said.

MAYORKAS AGAIN REFUSES TO CALL BORDER SURGE A ‘CRISIS,’ SAYS IT WOULD INDICATE ‘WITHDRAWAL FROM OUR MISSION’ 

The draft resolution, obtained by Fox News Digital, states that Mayorkas "does not have the confidence of the Senate or of the American people to faithfully carry out the duties of his office."

The resolution accuses Mayorkas of having "engaged in a pattern of conduct that is incompatible with his constitutional and statutory duties as Secretary of Homeland Security." 

Specifically, it says that he has failed to take the necessary actions to achieve operational control of the southern border, something the head of Border Patrol has said the agency does not have.

It cites "more than 5,500,000 illegal aliens crossing the United States southern border during Secretary Mayorkas’ term in office, including 20 consecutive months with more than 150,000 illegal border crossings and a 180 percent increase in encounters at the southern border compared to the previous administration"

BORDER PATROL CHIEF SAYS DHS DOESN'T HAVE OPERATIONAL CONTROL OF US BORDER

It also notes the apprehension of nearly 100 individuals on the terror watch list, an increase in fentanyl seizures and "gotaways" at the border, and also cites a number of moves by the administration that it says has encouraged illegal immigration – including the ending of the border wall construction, ending of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) and attempts to end the Title 42 public health order – which will end next month.

It also notes Mayorkas' role in the controversy surrounding Border Patrol agents who were falsely accused of whipping Haitian migrants in 2021.

Marshall's resolution comes as Republicans in the House have been mulling an impeachment push since last year over what they see as the Biden administration's policies that have exacerbated the migrant crisis. Multiple lawmakers have introduced articles of impeachment, but none have yet been voted on. Should Mayorkas be impeached in the House, the process would then move to the Senate for a trial. Mayorkas could not be removed by the Senate without the House voting first. 

BIDEN ADMIN SEES PROGRESS IN TACKLING BORDER CRISIS AS MARCH'S NUMBERS DOWN FROM LAST YEAR

Mayorkas has become a lightning rod for Republican criticism over the border crisis, and scrutiny has increased ahead of the looming end of Title 42 expulsions at the beginning of May. While the administration has been touting relatively lower numbers in recent months – which it ties to border measures introduced in January that included increased expulsions of a humanitarian parole program for four nationalities – officials fear a massive increase in apprehensions once Title 42 drops.

The Biden administration has dismissed the push by Republicans in the House to impeach Mayorkas, saying that Congress should instead focus on fixing what it says is a broken immigration system. A spokesperson on Tuesday renewed those calls in response to Marshall's resolution.

"Secretary Mayorkas is proud to advance the noble mission of this Department, support its extraordinary workforce, and serve the American people. The Department will continue to enforce our laws and secure our border, protect the nation from terrorism, improve our cybersecurity, all while building a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system. Instead of pointing fingers and pursuing baseless attacks, Congress should work with the Department and pass legislation to fix our broken immigration system, which has not been updated in over 40 years." a spokesperson said on Tuesday.


 

Republican Eric Early enters California Senate race to replace Dianne Feinstein

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Pro-Trump GOP attorney Eric Early announced Tuesday he's running for Senate in California, joining three high-profile Democratic candidates vying to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

Early — who ran unsuccessfully for state attorney general in 2022 and 2018 and for Congress against Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., in 2020 — launched his campaign with a video promising to secure the border and fight fentanyl, bring back manufacturing jobs and put parents, not"far-left extremists," in charge of their children's education.

On his campaign website, Early says he will "stand-up to the Socialist woke interests that control Washington, DC, fight to preserve and protect our Democracy, and fight for ordinary Californians who are being left behind." 

CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC REP. ADAM SCHIFF TO RUN FOR US SENATE SEAT HELD BY FEINSTEIN

CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT REP. KATIE PORTER ANNOUNCES 2024 SENATE RUN FOR SEN. FEINSTEIN'S SEAT

Feinstein, the oldest sitting senator at age 89, announced her retirement in February, stating that she will not seek reelection in 2024. Her term will expire in January 2025. 

Though Early is the first major Republican candidate to replace her, he remains a long shot in the notoriously liberal Golden State.

DIANNE FEINSTEIN ANNOUNCES SHE WILL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION IN 2024 

The last Republican to win a statewide election in California was Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006. Democrats currently hold veto-proof supermajorities in both houses of the state legislature, and of the 52 members of its congressional delegation, 40 are Democrats and 12 are Republicans, along with two Democratic senators. 

Early is joining a field led by three prominent Democratic members of Congress: Rep. Katie Porter, known for her tough questioning of CEOs and other witnesses at hearings; Rep. Adam Schiff, who rose to national prominence as the lead prosecutor in then-President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial; and Rep. Barbara Lee, the only member of Congress to vote against the authorization for the use of military force after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

In the 2022 primary election for attorney general, Early received 16% of the vote and did not advance to the November runoff. In the 2018 contest, he received 14% of the vote and did not advance then either. In his 2020 congressional race, he lost in a landslide to Schiff, who announced his candidacy for Senate in January and is campaigning with the endorsement of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., 

"Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee have been in Congress for a combined 51 years. Judge them by the results of their actions and their votes — they put us in this mess," Early said in a statement announcing his campaign. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Senate Democrats demand Chief Justice Roberts open investigation into Clarence Thomas over ‘misconduct’

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Senate Democrats are demanding Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts open an investigation into Justice Clarence Thomas over what they decry as his "misconduct" detailed in a ProPublica report published last week.

The liberal outlet's report accused Thomas of improperly receiving lavish vacations from Republican mega donor Harlan Crow, which reportedly included taking trips across the world on the latter's yacht and private jet without disclosing them. 

In a Monday letter, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., along with every Democrat on the committee, cited the report as proof that Thomas has not upheld the ethical standards set for a Supreme Court justice.

REPORT ON CLARENCE THOMAS' TRAVEL HABITS IS ‘POLITICS PLAIN AND SIMPLE’: EXPERT

"The report describes conduct by a sitting Justice that he did not disclose to the public and that is plainly inconsistent with the ethical standards the American people expect of any person in a position of public trust," the letter read. "The Senate Judiciary Committee, which has legislative jurisdiction over Federal courts and judges, has a role to play in ensuring that the nation’s highest court does not have the federal judiciary’s lowest ethical standards." 

"You have a role to play as well, both in investigating how such conduct could take place at the Court under your watch, and in ensuring that such conduct does not happen again. We urge you to immediately open such an investigation and take all needed action to prevent further misconduct," it added.

AOC DOUBLES DOWN ON ‘IGNORING’ ABORTION RULE, CLARENCE THOMAS IMPEACHMENT: ‘ABUSE OF JUDICIAL OVERREACH’

Experts, however, have dismissed the ProPublica report as political hit piece, and explained that justices are permitted to accept invites to properties of friends for dinner or vacations without paying for it or disclosing it.

"This is just grasping at straws by the left that is desperate to tear down Justice Thomas because he now has a working originalist majority on the court," Roger Severino, vice president of domestic policy and The Joseph C. and Elizabeth A. Anderlik Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital following the report's release.

"This is politics. Plain and simple," he added.

JUSTICE THOMAS DEFENDS TRIPS TAKEN WITH ‘DEAREST FRIENDS’ AFTER REPORTS SAY HE ACCEPTED GIFTS

Constitutional law professor and Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley told Fox News Digital that until recently, "even lower court judges were not required to report such trips under a personal hospitality exception."

"Justice Thomas would not have been required to report the trips under the prior rule," Turley said. "Once again, the Democrats and the media appear to be engaging in the same hair-triggered responses to any story related to Thomas. This includes the clearly absurd call for an impeachment by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez."

Fox News' Andrew Mark Miller and Matteo Cina contributed to this report.

GOP Rep. Dan Knodl wins open Wisconsin Senate seat, creating a Republican supermajority in the chamber

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Republican state Rep. Dan Knodl defeated a Democratic attorney to win an open Senate seat in Tuesday’s special election, creating a GOP supermajority in the chamber that could be used to impeach Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and other office holders.

Knodl defeated Jodi Habush Sinykin in the 8th District race. The seat represents Milwaukee’s northern suburbs and has leaned red for years. It came open after longtime Republican incumbent Alberta Darling decided to retire in November. Evers called a special election to fill the position.

"This campaign has always been about focusing on the issues, like rising prices, crime, and education, and I am incredibly grateful to the voters of the 8th Senate District for placing their trust in me to represent them in the Wisconsin State Senate," Knodl said in a statement Wednesday.

"Whether you voted for me or my opponent, I intend to resolutely and faithfully represent all of my constituents," he said.

WISCONSIN SPECIAL ELECTION TO FILL OPEN STATE SENATE SEAT COULD GIVE GOP SUPERMAJORITY, IMPEACHMENT POWER

Knodl’s victory gives Senate Republicans 22 votes in the 33-seat chamber. That’s enough to override a gubernatorial veto in that house. A successful override takes a two-thirds vote in the Senate and Assembly, however, and Assembly Republicans remain two seats shy of the 66 they need.

Knodl’s win also gives Senate Republicans enough votes to convict a civil officer, including the governor, other constitutional officers such as the attorney general and judges in impeachment trials. Knodl has said he probably would not support an attempt to impeach Evers.

The state constitution says civil officers can be impeached, including the governor, lieutenant governor and judges. A February analysis from the Legislative Reference Bureau concluded that other constitutional officers such as the attorney general and the state schools superintendent can be impeached as well.

WISCONSIN TEEN WHO SHOT 8 PEOPLE AT A MILWAUKEE MALL SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON

Knodl has said he's not interested in impeaching Evers, saying he has been able to work with the governor. But he said he wants to impeach Milwaukee judges for being too lenient on criminal defendants. That list could include Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz, he said. She won Tuesday's election to the Supreme Court and will take the seat in August.

Knodl also has his sights set on Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chilsholm. Republicans have criticized the Democratic prosecutor for years as too soft on crime. They've called for his job since he acknowledged his office's bail request for Darrell Brooks Jr. was far too low.

Chisholm's office requested a judge set bail at $1,000 for Brooks after he allegedly tried to run over his ex-girlfriend with his SUV in November 2021. The judge complied. Brooks posted the money and was released from jail. Days later he drove his SUV through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, a Republican stronghold. Six people were killed and dozens more were hurt.

Chisholm has said an assistant prosecutor handling Brooks' initial case never had access to his risk assessment and shouldn't have asked for such a low bail amount.

Habush Sinykin, who holds a law degree from Harvard, worked as an attorney for Midwest Environmental Advocates. She was a key litigator in a lawsuit challenging Wisconsin wolf hunters' right to use dogs. An appeals court ultimately rejected MEA's arguments in 2014.

She said she's running for the Senate to stop Knodl from winning the seat, saying it's crucial that checks on the Legislature's power remain in place.

Trump impeachment witness Alexander Vindman accused of trying to profit off Ukraine war with defense contracts

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Retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who made waves as a witness during the first impeachment proceedings of former President Donald Trump, is now being accused of trying to profit off the war in Ukraine by pitching lucrative defense contracts through his private company.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., who was one of the sharpest critics of Vindman throughout the impeachment investigation, blasted him as an "opportunist," and accused him of undertaking continuous efforts to try and personally profit from his attacks against the Trump administration to his reported dealings in Ukraine.

The first impeachment of Trump centered around a July 2019 call in which Trump pressed Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to launch investigations into the Biden family’s actions and business dealings in Ukraine—specifically Hunter Biden’s ventures with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings. The president’s request came after millions in U.S. military aid to Ukraine had been frozen, which Democrats and some witnesses, including Vindman, cited as a quid pro quo arrangement.

"When conservatives speak the truth, the mainstream media panics and desperately attempts to provide cover for the left. They did this for Alexander Vindman, just like they did for Hunter Biden, Dr. Fauci and teachers unions," Blackburn said, referencing liberal media outlets' staunch defense of Vindman throughout his time as a witness during the impeachment investigation.

US INTELLIGENCE SAYS PRO-UKRAINE GROUP BEHIND NORD STREAM PIPELINE ATTACKS: REPORT

"Alexander Vindman has always been a political activist and opportunist masquerading behind his career. He saw an opening for personal fame and profited by exploiting the media’s outrage against President Trump," she accused.

"Vindman has spent the last three years on MSNBC and CNN attacking Republicans. Now, new revelations suggest Vindman could be profiting off the war in Ukraine, just as he did by speaking out against the Trump administration," Blackburn added.

According to a report by Human Events, a conservative digital newspaper, Vindman has been pitching the government of Ukraine to obtain defense contracts through Trident International LLC, of which he is the CEO.

FALL OF UKRAINIAN CITY OF BAKHMUT WOULD NOT MEAN A STRATEGIC WIN FOR RUSSIA: PENTAGON

The report stated that last year, Vindman, who was born in Ukraine, pitched a project worth $12 million that his company said would address the country's problems with managing the readiness, repair and maintenance of its weapons systems by developing a center within the country to essentially operate as a middle-man between NATO and the Ukrainian military.

The center would reportedly operate in such a way that equipment and weapons could be repaired in closer proximity to the front line and cut down on the time it takes for transpiration and maintenance. 

It's unclear, however, if the project has been approved as the report stated court documents showed there was an ongoing dispute over payments related to the project.

FIRST LADY PRAISES BIDEN'S ‘ENERGY LEVEL’: HOW MANY 30-YEAR-OLDS CAN FLY TO POLAND, HOP ON TRAIN TO UKRAINE?

According to Breitbart News, Vindman appeared to confirm Human Events' report in a now deleted tweet.

"Thanks for the advert. I’m trying to get logistics in place to help Ukraine win the war and secure America. Looking for philanthropic contributions to get it going. Reach out if you support the cause of democracy and US National Security," Vindman allegedly tweeted.

Speaking with Fox News Digital, Vindman responded to the accusations by blasting Blackburn, accusing her of lying and contributing to him ultimately leaving the military.

"Ooh, Blackburn. She’s an idiot, an agent of chaos promoting disinformation. She has never said one true thing about me. Her attacks in 2019/20 contributed to an environment that made it impossible for me to continue my nonpartisan military service," Vindman said.

"More importantly, it’s the politicization of Ukraine, by the fringe right, that brought about this war, imperiling Ukraine, Europe, and most importantly the U.S.," he added.

Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.

Kentucky Senate committee advances bill to expand address confidentiality program

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A Kentucky Senate committee advanced a bill Thursday to expand an address confidentiality program intended to protect domestic violence victims from their abusers.

The measure builds on a limited, little-utilized program that shields victims' home addresses from voter rolls. The program would be broadened to mask their addresses on other publicly available government records if the bill becomes law.

The proposal heads to the full Senate next after clearing the Senate Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection Committee. It would still need House passage if it wins Senate backing.

KENTUCKY SENATE PASSES BILL TO BAN TIKTOK FROM STATE-ISSUED DEVICES

Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams said Thursday that the greater protections are needed in a state plagued by one of the nation's highest rates of domestic violence. The Secretary of State's office would administer the expanded program.

"When a victim decides to leave and find a safe place, often her abuser is able to find her, sometimes by finding her new location through easily accessible and free public records," Adams said in promoting the bill. "We can and must do more to protect victims."

The bill also aims to expand the program's accessibility.

KY PROSECUTOR WHO IS FACING IMPEACHMENT FOR OFFERING FAVORS IN EXCHANGE FOR NUDE PHOTOS SUBMITS RESIGNATION

Currently, victims who obtain court-issued protective orders can have their addresses hidden when registering to vote. Many victims don't obtain those orders, Adams said. Under the bill, victims who sign a sworn statement would have their addresses shielded from the broader list of records.

"I think that we will broaden the pool of people who can access this program," said Republican Sen. Julie Raque Adams, the bill's lead sponsor,

The measure would bring Kentucky’s efforts in line with 38 other states that offer comprehensive programs for masking the home addresses of domestic abuse victims on public records. The Secretary of State's office runs Kentucky's address confidentiality program related to voter rolls.

The program, created a decade ago, has fewer than 50 people participating, Michael Adams said.

NRCC gives embattled Katie Porter a Valentine vowing to ‘flip this seat’ in 2024

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FIRST ON FOX: The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) sent embattled Democrat Rep. Katie Porter of California a Valentine vowing to "flip" her seat after she retires to run for the Senate.

The NRCC delivered the note to Porter on Valentine’s Day on Tuesday with a personalized poem to the congresswoman and a photo of her infamous Batgirl Halloween costume.

"Roses are red. Violets are blue," the valentine taped to the outside of Porter’s Washington, D.C. office. "Thanks for retiring. We're going to flip this seat, too."

KATIE PORTER BERATED IRVINE MAYOR IN TEXTS: ‘LECTURE ME’ ON ‘PROFESSIONALISM’ AND ‘SEE WHAT HAPPENS’

"Whichever flawed candidate Democrats dredge up to replace chaotic Katie Porter, the NRCC will ensure their candidacy gets canceled like the Batgirl movie," NRCC spokesperson Ben Petersen told Fox News Digital.

Porter’s spokesperson Lindsay Reilly told Fox News Digital the congresswoman is looking forward to giving the valentine to California Democrat state Rep. David Min, who is running to replace the congresswoman in Washington.

"We look forward to passing this along to Democrat Dave Min when he's elected next November," Reilly said.

Porter announced she would be running for Senate to replace now-outgoing Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who said on Tuesday she would not be seeking re-election in 2024.

Feinstein has served in the Senate since 1992.

The California congresswoman, who is battling accusations of racism and a toxic work environment, announced her candidacy before Feinstein said she would retire.

Additionally, Porter — who infamously wore a skin-tight Batgirl costume for an impeachment vote against former President Trump — faced scrutiny after she berated Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan in their text conversation after trashing the Irvine police department after her violent 2021 town hall.

The congresswoman — a former law professor who was paid more than $285,000 one year during her time at the University of California, Irvine — made headlines when it was revealed she earned thousands of dollars in royalty fees from law school textbooks that she required her own students to purchase for the courses she taught.

Porter narrowly won re-election for a third term in 2022, defeating Republican candidate Scott Baugh to secure her seat.

Schiff hit with ethics complaint one day into Senate campaign for using Trump impeachment video

Posted on by Aaron Kliegman
The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust on Friday filed a complaint requesting the Office of Congressional Ethics investigate Rep. Adam Schiff for alleged violations.

GOP senators caution against Biden impeachment for classified docs: ‘I think the country will fatigue of that’

Posted on by Ronn Blitzer
Several Senate Republicans were skeptical about the likelihood or wisdom of a possible impeachment of President Biden over classified documents found in his home.

Senate Republicans, stuck in minority, frown on House GOP calls for impeachment against Biden, Mayorkas

Posted on by Chris Pandolfo
Senate Republicans are dismissive of a House GOP-led effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, being mindful that such an effort has no chance of success.