Congress returns to Capitol Hill: The Morning Rundown Sept. 5, 2023

COMING UP — CONGRESS IS BACK IN SESSION TODAY.

AND THEIR AGENDA IS ALREADY CHOCK FULL.

PLUS — A COMMUNITY IN MOURNING FOLLOWING A MASS SHOOTING — GETS A LITTLE RELIEF.

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

THIS IS STRAIGHT-ARROW NEWS. BRINGING YOU UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS.

TODAY IS TUESDAY SEPTEMBER FIFTH.

THANKS FOR JOINING US. I’M KARAH RUCKER.

LAWMAKERS ARE RETURNING TO CAPITOL HILL AFTER THEIR SUMMER RECESS.

WHILE THERE ARE SEVERAL PRIORITY ITEMS CONGRESS WILL LOOK TO ADDRESS — PERHAPS THE MOST PRESSING IS AVOIDING A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN.

THE HOUSE IS SCHEDULED TO MEET FOR JUST 11 DAYS BEFORE THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR AT THE END OF THE MONTH.

BY THEN  — CONGRESS WILL HAVE TO PASS A SHORT-TERM FUNDING MEASURE IN ORDER TO KEEP GOVERNMENT OFFICES FULLY FUNCTIONING.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS HAVE TRIED LOADING THEIR SPENDING PROPOSALS WITH CONSERVATIVE POLICIES — INCLUDING BLOCKS TO ABORTION COVERAGE — TRANSGENDER CARE — AND DIVERSITY INITIATIVES.

THESE PROPOSALS ARE LIKELY TO FAIL IN THE DEMOCRAT-CONTROLLED SENATE.

“This year, it looks like they’re not going to be able to adopt a new budget or even adopt some continuing resolutions to carry things forward. There are members of the Republican caucus that want to use this process as a way to advance some of their agenda items. With such a slim majority in the House, it it puts the entire process at risk. So we’ll just have to wait and see what happens after October one.”

IN ADDITION TO WORKING ON KEEPING THE GOVERNMENT OPEN — HOUSE REPUBLICANS ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO CONSIDER WHETHER TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY INTO PRESIDENT BIDEN.

OTHER TOPICS EXPECTED TO BE ADDRESSED IN SEPTEMBER INCLUDE UKRAINE FUNDING — AS WELL AS DISASTER FUNDING FOR VICTIMS OF THE MAUI WILDFIRES AND HURRICANE IDALIA.

THE SENTENCING HEARING IN THE JANUARY SIXTH CASE AGAINST FORMER PROUD BOYS LEADER “ENRIQUE TARRIO” IS SCHEDULED FOR TODAY —

WITH FEDERAL PROSECUTORS SEEKING 33 YEARS IN PRISON FOR TARRIO.

LAST WEEK — FOUR OTHER HIGH-PROFILE PROUD BOYS MEMBERS WERE HANDED DOWN SOME OF THE HARSHEST SENTENCES YET — RANGING FROM 10 TO 18 YEARS.

MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH JANUARY SIXTH RELATED OFFENSES —

THE LARGEST PROSECUTION IN AMERICAN HISTORY.

WHILE 600 DEFENDANTS HAVE PLEADED GUILTY OR ALREADY GONE TO TRIAL — SIX HAVE BECOME WANTED FUGITIVES BY THE F-B-I AFTER MISSING COURT PROCEEDINGS.

ALSO HAPPENING TODAY — THE TEXAS STATE SENATE BEGINS THE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL OF ATTORNEY GENERAL KEN PAXTON.

THE STATE HOUSE VOTED TO IMPEACH PAXTON BACK IN MAY — OVER CLAIMS FROM FORMER DEPUTY A-G’S THAT PAXTON USED HIS POWER TO HELP A WEALTHY DONOR IN EXCHANGE FOR FAVORS.

THE 20 ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST PAXTON INCLUDE ABUSE OF PUBLIC TRUST — UNFITNESS FOR OFFICE AND BRIBERY.

PAXTON HAS DECRIED THE IMPEACHMENT AS A POLITICALLY MOTIVATED SHAM — WITH THE GOAL OF DISENFRANCHISING HIS SUPPORTERS.

LAWYERS FOR PAXTON SAY HE WON’T TESTIFY AT THE TRIAL.

PAXTON SAYS HE EXPECTS TO BE ACQUITTED.

U-S GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS BELIEVE THERE IS A PLANNED MEETING BETWEEN NORTH KOREA AND RUSSIA THIS MONTH THAT COULD ULTIMATELY RESULT IN KIM JONG UN PUTTING WEAPONS IN THE HANDS OF RUSSIA IN THE ONGOING UKRAINE WAR.

THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WARNED ARMS NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND NORTH KOREA HAVE BEEN ADVANCING OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS.

UNDER THE POTENTIAL DEALS — NORTH KOREA WOULD SUPPLY RUSSIAN TROOPS WITH “SIGNIFICANT” QUANTITIES AND MULTIPLE TYPES OF WEAPONRY AND AMMUNITION.

THIS WOULDN’T BE THE FIRST SHIPMENT OF WAR SUPPLIES FROM THE NORTH TO RUSSIA’S SIDE OF THE BATTLE FIELD — SUPPLYING ROCKETS AND MISSILES TO WAGNER FORCES LATE LAST YEAR TO HELP RUSSIA FIGHT.

RUSSIA HAS ALSO RECEIVED MILITARY ASSISTANCE FROM IRAN.

THE U-S HAS HAD INCREASING CONCERNS OVER RUSSIA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH NORTH KOREA, IRAN, AND CHINA — FOUR COUNTRIES WITH SHARED TENSIONS OVER THE U.S.

SOME OF THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF “BURNING MAN” FESTIVAL-GOERS WERE FINALLY GET OUT OF THE NEVADA DESERT MONDAY.

THEY WERE STRANDED THERE FOR **DAYS AFTER A DOWN POUR OF RAIN MUDDIED THE OFF BEATEN ROADS AND PARKING LOTS SURROUNDING THE EVENT.

A CAMERA SHOT SHOWS SLOW MOVING CARS AND R-V’S UP FRONT AND IN THE DESERT’S DISTANCE — LINES OF STALLED TRAFFIC —

WITH WAIT TIMES — UP TO **SEVEN HOURS.

SOME ATTENDEES TREKKED THROUGH THE MUD — SOMETIMES ANKLE DEEP — TO GET TO THE MAIN DRAG.

THERE WERE STILL MORE THAN 60 THOUSAND FESTIVAL ATTENDEES AT BLACK ROCK CITY AS OF MID-DAY MONDAY WITH THOUSANDS EXPECTED TO TRAVEL OUT TODAY.

AND FINALLY THIS MORNING —

DOLLAR GENERAL IS DONATING 2.5 MILLION DOLLARS TO JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA —

AFTER A GUNMAN KILLED 3 PEOPLE AT ONE OF ITS STORES LAST MONTH — INCLUDING A 19-YEAR-OLD EMPLOYEE.

DOLLAR GENERAL SAYS THE DONATION WILL GO TOWARD “EFFORTS FOCUSED ON HEALING AND HOPE” FOR JACKSONVILLE —

AND TO HELP IMPACTED EMPLOYEES.

THE STORE WILL BE FULLY REMODELED — AND RE-OPEN LATER THIS MONTH OR EARLY OCTOBER.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES.

THANKS FOR JOINING US ON THE MORNING RUNDOWN.

WE’RE ON A MISSION TO BRING BACK TRUSTWORTHY JOURNALISM BY SERVING ONLY YOU — NOT AN AGENDA.

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MORE OF OUR WORK AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS DOT COM.

AND YOU CAN ALSO FIND THE LATEST RUNDOWN EPISODES AVAILABLE AS A PODCAST ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. HAVE A GREAT DAY!