More from Snorre Wik
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Congress members stock portfolios more than doubled in value in 2024
Five members of Congress more than doubled the value of their stock portfolios in 2024, in some cases they beat the market by 4-6 times. The increase will raise further questions about members trading stocks while being privy to information the public is not. Overall, Democrats saw their portfolios increase 31%, while Republicans increased by… -
Republicans will increase debt limit in reconciliation bill to avoid Democrats
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Congress will increase the debt limit in a budget reconciliation bill House Republicans hope to pass next month. The clock is ticking. If Congress doesn’t increase the debt limit, the nation will default on its bills, causing widespread economic consequences. The debt limit is the maximum amount of money the… -
House passes Laken Riley Act, a bill to increase immigrant detention
The House passed the Laken Riley Act on a bipartisan basis on Tuesday, Jan. 7, after 48 Democrats voted yea, bucking party leadership. The bill would require immigrants to be held in detention if they are charged, arrested or convicted of a burglary, theft or shoplifting offense. Even if the criminal case is adjudicated, the… -
Customs and Border Protection HQ to move from DC to Texas if bill is passed
Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, has introduced a bill to relocate Customs and Border Protection headquarters to his home state of Texas. If the bill were signed into law, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security would have until Jan. 1, 2026, to move the agency’s functions, personnel and assets to a not yet determined… -
Hegseth has votes to be confirmed as defense secretary: Report
Sen. Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., informed President-elect Donald Trump that he believes Pete Hegseth will have the votes to be confirmed as secretary of defense, according to a report from CBS News. While the message was relayed privately to the president-elect, Thune is saying publicly that he still doesn’t have clarity on how Hegseth’s… -
Virgin Islands representative interrupts Speaker election because she can’t vote
The Congressional delegate representing the U.S. Virgin Islands interrupted the House Speaker election on Friday, Jan. 3. She said the objection was because she and five other representatives can’t vote. “This body and this nation has a territories and a colonies problem. What was supposed to be temporary has now effectively become permanent,” Rep. Stacey… -
Mike Johnson reelected speaker after convincing holdouts
Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., was reelected speaker of the House Friday, Jan. 3, after he convinced multiple holdouts to change their votes. Johnson received 218 votes, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., received 215. Before Friday, there were multiple Republicans who said they either would not support Johnson or were keeping their options open. Members proposed… -
Trump connects New Orleans attack to immigrants after false Fox News report
President-elect Donald Trump is being criticized for a statement connecting migrants to the New Orleans truck attack. The statement Trump made on Truth Social is based on a false report from Fox News that the organization had to retract. At 10:47 a.m. the morning of Wednesday, Jan. 1, Fox reported that the Ford pickup used… -
New House rules will prevent Democrats from ousting Speaker Johnson
House Republicans are making it nearly impossible for Democrats to oust the speaker of the House during the 119th Congress. The 36-page rules package that will govern the chamber’s operations for the next two years makes clear that any motion to remove the speaker needs to come from a Republican. The new rules specifically state… -
Congress was the least productive it’s been in 50 years
The 118th Congress was the least productive this century and passed fewer bills into law than any other Congress in at least 50 years. According to data from the Congressional archives, the House and Senate passed 209 bills into law over the last two years; the average since the year 2000 is 372. There are… -
Trump nominees told not to post on social media without approval
President-elect Donald Trump’s chief of staff told incoming administration officials to refrain from posting on social media without prior approval of the incoming White House counsel. The message was obtained by the New York Post, which reported Trump’s Chief of Staff Susie Wiles also told everyone she appreciates how enthusiastic they are. “I am reiterating… -
Biden regrets appointing Merrick Garland as attorney general: Report
President Joe Biden is quietly expressing regret about appointing Merrick Garland as attorney general. According to a report in The Washington Post, Biden believes Garland was slow to prosecute Donald Trump for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, and allowed for an aggressive prosecution of his son Hunter. The change in attitude… -
Rep. Spartz releases list of demands for Johnson to earn her speaker vote
Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., has released a list of demands for Mike Johnson, R-La., to earn her vote for House speaker. The pair met Monday, Dec. 30, to discuss the speaker election coming up on Friday, Jan. 3, where every vote will count due to a razor-thin Republican majority. Spartz’s demands were all related to…