Latest news with #GOP-backed
UPI
a day ago
- Business
- UPI
Space Force general to oversee U.S. 'Golden Dome' missile shield
1 of 3 | On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate approved Gen. Mike Guetlein (pictured in May in Washington, D.C.) to oversee President Donald Trump's national missile defense system, known as the Golden Dome. File Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI | License Photo July 22 (UPI) -- The U.S. Senate has approved Gen. Mike Guetlein to oversee President Donald Trump's national missile defense system, known as the Golden Dome. The Pentagon announced Tuesday that Guetlein had cleared the final hurdle to leading the Office of Golden Dome for America, which will work with industry, higher education, national labs and other government agencies to develop the high-tech missile shield. The Golden Dome is similar to Israel's "Iron Dome" and is intended to modernize the United States' defenses from threats from Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. The missile shield will be designed for ballistic, hypersonic, advanced cruise missiles and other large-scale attacks. Guetlein is currently a Space Force general who serves as vice chief of space operations for the military service branch. Testifying to Congress in March, Guetlein compared the complexity of developing the Golden Dome to that of the Manhattan Project, a World War II-era initiative that produced the world's first nuclear weapons. "It is not complex because of technology; it is complex because of the number of organizations and agencies that need to be involved," he told a Senate Senate Armed Services subcommittee. Building the Golden Dome will require cooperation between multiple government agencies, as well as private industry, he said. Guetlein described differences in organizational behavior and culture as the project's biggest challenges, which he said can be overcome by having an empowered and well-resourced agency in charge that has the support of policymakers. The Golden Dome project is expected to cost $175 billion and Trump has previously said it will be "fully operational" by the end of his term. The GOP-backed major tax and spending bill recently signed by Trump includes nearly $25 billion for the Golden Dome. Defense contractors are optimistic it will boost profits. Defense contractor Lockheed Martin on Tuesday reported $18.2 billion in second-quarter sales and predicted more growth as the Golden Dome Project progresses. Speaking during an earnings call Tuesday, Jim Taiclet, president and CEO of Lockheed Martin, said the company has already developed missile defense systems that "are the exact solutions needed to make Golden Dome for America a reality." Taiclet added that the company's exact role in the Golden Dome project remains to be seen because "the plan on the government side isn't laid out yet." Chris Calio, chairman and CEO of RTX Corp., also expressed optimism that the project would bolster the company's bottom line during an earnings call Tuesday, saying it "is really well aligned with our core capabilities and product portfolio." The effectiveness of Israel's Iron Dome has been on display after it successfully shielded the country from hundreds of missiles launched by Iran. Trump administration officials say the Golden Dome will fulfill former President Ronald Reagan's vision of a "Star Wars" system that was never completed. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously said that technology has now advanced enough to build the expansive missile shield envisioned by Reagan. The United States has missile defense systems in place already, but they would not be able to defend against a large-scale attack from Russia, China, Iran or North Korea. Patrycja Bazylczyk, program manager and research associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Missile Defense Project, previously told UPI that the Golden Dome project could reorient the United States' defense for an era of "great power competition." "Our adversaries China and Russia have next-generation weapons that can threaten the U.S. homeland," Bazylczyk said. "We need to prime our defenses to defend against these next generation threats."
Newsweek
a day ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Republicans Shut Down House Floor to Avoid Epstein Vote
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. House Republicans brought legislative business to a halt on Monday, abruptly shutting down the House floor to block a planned vote on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files. It comes after Democrats said they planned to stage a vote on bringing legislation to the floor that would compel the release of the Epstein files. Why It Matters The GOP's decision to shut down the House floor to avoid a vote on Epstein-related legislation highlights the growing political tension over transparency and accountability in one of the most infamous criminal cases in recent memory. As the House heads into recess without resolving the matter, pressure is mounting from both Democrats and dissenting Republicans to force action—setting up a potential showdown in the months ahead. What To Know House Republicans abruptly recessed a key Rules Committee meeting Monday evening, effectively halting legislative business for the week and blocking a planned Democratic-led vote to release materials related to Jeffrey Epstein's network. Committee Democrats had planned to force a vote that night on a resolution calling for the public release of Epstein-related documents. The move came as the panel was preparing unrelated bills for House floor consideration. But rather than work through the disruption, Republicans chose to shut things down entirely. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said it was "unlikely" the committee would reconvene this week at all. Lawmakers later confirmed there were no plans to return—meaning the House will likely head into August recess without voting on several bills that cannot pass under expedited rules, including a GOP-backed immigration measure and a water-permitting bill. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., answers reporters about calls to release documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, July 21, 2025. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., answers reporters about calls to release documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, July 21, 2025. J. Scott Applewhite/AP "We'll see you in September," said Rules Committee Ranking Member Jim McGovern, who was leading the push to bring the Epstein vote forward. McGovern was backing a bipartisan resolution introduced by Representatives Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna. Massie and Khanna have vowed to bypass leadership altogether by using a discharge petition to force a vote—if they can get 218 members to sign on. If all Democrats and the resolution's current Republican cosponsors do so, they could corner House GOP leaders. Massie, speaking to reporters with a binder labeled "The Epstein Files: Phase 2" in hand, criticized leadership's proposed response. "Their Epstein bill resolution is non-binding so it's kind of fake," he said. "The resolution I have with Khanna would be binding on the President." Last week, Republican Rules members had teed up a symbolic resolution urging the release of Epstein-related files after public backlash over their earlier rejection of a Democratic amendment. But Speaker Mike Johnson has since refused to bring even that watered-down version to the floor. Scalise confirmed that decision Monday, Politico reported: "The Trump administration's petitioned the courts to release some of the sealed documents. Hopefully, the court acts swiftly. It'd be important if they got that out." Republicans on the panel accused Democrats of political theater. "Democrats keep putting all these amendments up. They want to make Epstein — and, you know, we're all for transparency, and we're going to do that, but what they want to do is grandstand," Representative Ralph Norman told reporters. "They said they'll be there all night, we'll be there all night." Norman added that Republicans refused to give the minority "an endless microphone." McGovern pushed back in a statement: "Democrats on the Rules Committee gave Republicans a choice — either vote to release the Epstein Files, or keep them a secret. Republicans are so afraid of taking that vote that they are torching their own agenda instead of doing something they promised the voters they would do," he said. "Trump and his top allies have been pushing this for years — and people aren't going to forget about it in a month." Speaker Johnson defended the leadership's approach, insisting the House and White House were aligned: "Here's what I would say about the Epstein files: There is no daylight between the House Republicans, the House, and the president on maximum transparency," Johnson said Monday. "He has said that he wants all the credible files related to Epstein to be released. He's asked the attorney general to request the grand jury files of the court. All of that is in process right now." "My belief is we need the administration to have the space to do what it is doing, and if further congressional action is necessary or appropriate, then we'll look at that," he added. "But I don't think we're at that point right now because we agree with the president." Later that night, Johnson reiterated the House would not vote on the legislation this week: "There was nothing else that was time-sensitive this week that we needed to handle by way of a rule," he said. "So the work of the House will continue all week, we'll be here doing our work, and we won't allow [Democrats] a platform to try and engage in political games." The floor shutdown follows a Justice Department memo released last week confirming that Epstein died by suicide in 2019 and that the government does not possess a "client list." The findings directly contradicted years of conspiracy theories pushed by some Trump allies and figures in the MAGA movement who have insisted Epstein was murdered. The backlash reportedly infuriated President Trump, who called his supporters "weaklings" who were "duped" by the Epstein "hoax"—a narrative he claimed, falsely, had been pushed by Democrats. He later walked back the statement, saying he supports the release of "credible" documents but urged his base to move on. Last week, Trump instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to begin the process of unsealing grand jury materials in the Epstein case. What People Are Saying Democratic strategist Sawyer Hackett wrote on X: "Incredible. House Republicans have shut down the Rules Committee, effectively canceling House votes this week—to avoid Dem amendments to release the Epstein files. "It looks like Republicans in Congress are co-signing on a massive Trump cover-up." Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X: "Ummm so let me get this straight: Republicans have ground Congress to a halt and are considering adjourning the entire House for 6 weeks to avoid releasing the info they have on Epstein? What is going on here?" Republican Representative Thomas Massie wrote on X: "Why not vote on the binding Massie-Khanna Epstein legislation this week @SpeakerJohnson? We should not punt this until after the 5 week recess, nor should we wait for my discharge petition to ripen and collect the required signatures to force the vote." What Happens Next No vote is expected to take place until at least after the House returns from August recess in September — by which time many Republicans hope the Epstein furor will have died down.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Thune warns Schumer may let govt shut down as ‘struggling' Dems scramble to appease far-left
Senate Majority Leader John Thune warned that Congress may be careening towards a partial government shutdown this fall because of pressure from the far-left flank of the Democratic Party. Thune (R-SD) observed that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has faced intense pressure from his base and mused that a few upcoming votes will provide more clarity about the risks of a partial shutdown. 'I think he [Schumer] probably thinks that it's beneficial to their political base, the far left of the Democrat Party, and you can kind of see what's happening up there in New York politics,' Thune told Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures.' In March, Schumer faced fierce progressive backlash after he declined to block a GOP-backed spending patch to avert a partial government shutdown. The blowback was so pronounced that Schumer was forced to reschedule parts of his book tour as progressives demanded Democrats in Congress put up more of a fight against President Trump. 3 Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated that a few upcoming votes on appropriations bills will help determine the likelihood of a government shutdown. Getty Images 3 Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer faced progressive backlash when he moved to avert a partial government shutdown in March. AP Government shutdown showdowns are one of the few instances in which Democrats have leverage with the Trump administration, given that they are the minority party in both the House and the Senate. Every new fiscal year, which starts on Oct. 1, Congress is required to fund the government via 12 appropriations bills or through a continuing resolution in order to avoid a shutdown. Both avenues are subject to the Senate fillibuster, which requires 60 votes to overcome. Republicans only have 53, which means they need cooperation from Democrats. At the moment, Congress has funded the government via a continuing resolution, which essentially means that it is running on autopilot until the fall. 'This is a party struggling for an identity. This is a party that's completely out of step with the mainstream of this country,' Thune added. 'We're going to be waiting to see anxiously what Chuck Schumer and other leaders on the Democrat side decide to do.' Earlier this month, Schumer railed against Republicans for advancing a rescissions package, which allows them to cancel previously approved spending without support from Democrats. Schumer argued that such a move jeopardizes negotiations over the government shutdown showdown. 'We are doing everything we can to keep the bipartisan appropriations process going,' Schumer told reporters earlier this month. 'And they're undermining it with rescissions, with pocket rescissions, with impoundment and every other way.' The implication from Schumer is that Democrats can't trust Republicans to stick to the terms of a bipartisan appropriations deal because they've shown a willingness to bypass them via rescissions and presidential impoundment, when Trump decides not to spend certain authorized funds. On the Republican side, GOP leaders, particularly in the House, have long struggled to get fiscal hawks on board with either a continuing resolution or the 12 appropriations bills. There's been a strong push from the right flank for deeper cuts to spending, something that is a dealbreaker for Democrats. 3 Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hasn't said what her 2028 intentions are yet. LP Media Schumer also has to navigate dicey progressive politics. The Democratic establishment was upended last month when Zohran Mamdani bested former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary. The top Senate Democrat is up for reelection in 2028 and hasn't said whether or not he will run amid the threat of a challenge from 'Squad' Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). 'Ultimately, keeping the government funded is good for the country, and hopefully we will have bipartisan cooperation to do that,' Thune added. 'If their recent track record is any indication, they're under a tremendous amount of pressure from that far left wing of the Democrat Party to shut the government down.' The last partial government shutdown, which lasted 35 days, took place between late 2018 and early 2019 due to a feud between Trump and Democrats over border wall funding.
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Texas Democrat Tells Joe Rogan His Advice to GOP That Trump 'Tapped Into'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. In what was a highly awaited conversation, Texas state Representative James Talarico joined The Joe Rogan Experience podcast and urged Republicans to compete for young voters rather than trying to suppress them—acknowledging that President Donald Trump had "tapped into" something real with younger Americans. "I do think there is something that Donald Trump tapped into. I think that other Republicans could tap into," Talarico said during the episode. "And again, this is weird because I'm a Democrat making an argument for Republicans. The reason I'm doing this is I think when politicians feel that they can win over voters, we all compete to win over those voters and that leads to better public policy." BREAKING: Democrat James Talarico just perfectly laid out to Joe Rogan how Republicans are suppressing the vote in Texas. This is wild to watch. — Democratic Wins Media (@DemocraticWins) July 18, 2025 Talarico, a 36-year-old Democrat from Austin, argued that GOP-backed voting laws in Texas—which he called "voter suppression"—disproportionately hurt young voters. "Instead of making it harder for young people to vote, why don't you just go out and try to win their votes? Clearly, Donald Trump was able to do it," he told Rogan. On why Trump resonated with young men, Talarico said his own party misunderstands what voters really want: "Democrats too often—my party—we think that people are going to be happy with a handout. I've never met someone who wants a handout." Faith, Biden and the Meaning of Power The conversation, which lasted more than two hours, touched on faith, politics and generational change. Talarico criticized a Texas law requiring the Ten Commandments in public schools, calling it unconstitutional and harmful to religion. "If we have to force people to put up a poster, to me, that means that we have a dead religion—a religion that no longer moves people, a religion that no longer speaks to people's hearts," he said. He warned about "Christian nationalism," which he defined as "the worship of power—whether it's social power, economic power, political power—in the name of Christ," adding: "This is what people think about religious people—that we're more interested in imposing our faith or our values or our beliefs on others instead of living it out ourselves." Podcaster Joe Rogan, left, interviewed Democratic Texas state Representative James Talarico, right. The 36-year-old from Austin argued that his state's GOP-backed voting laws—which he called "voter suppression"—disproportionately hurt young voters. Podcaster Joe Rogan, left, interviewed Democratic Texas state Representative James Talarico, right. The 36-year-old from Austin argued that his state's GOP-backed voting laws—which he called "voter suppression"—disproportionately hurt young voters. The Joe Rogan Experience / YouTube Talarico also criticized former President Joe Biden, saying he should have stepped aside to allow younger leadership. "We focus so much on President Biden's age, which I agree was a problem, but I don't think we've really discussed that the biggest problem was ego. It was his inability to step aside and let someone else do the job," he said. "In 2020, we all knew—anybody that was paying attention—knew that he was compromised." On abortion and LGBTQ+ rights, Talarico defended his abortion-rights Christian perspective. "Creation has to be done with consent. You cannot force someone to create. Creation is one of the most sacred acts that we engage in as human beings," he said. "If this was something that really was central to Jesus' ministry, I would think he would have said something about it ... We have four Gospels with tons of teachings from Jesus and none of them are about this." AI, Bipartisanship and a Lost Generation Talarico also addressed how artificial intelligence (AI) could disrupt work and society, calling it "a spiritual question about what does it mean to be a human being." He added: "We're all either thrilled or terrified of this AI future. It's going to change how we understand work. It's going to change how we understand our jobs and our careers. It's going to eliminate a lot of jobs, I would imagine." He described how bipartisan friendships in the Texas Legislature led him to work with Republicans on issues like drug pricing and homeschool sports. "I ended up crossing party lines to support that bill. And I got a bunch of blowback from my folks," he said. "But I felt like this trust that I had with James [Frank]—someone who is on the completely polar opposite side of me—moved me in a way that I actually changed my opinion on something." Speaking about young Americans' spiritual struggles, Talarico said: "I hear from people all day long, yes on TikTok but also in real life, where they're just like, 'I want a relationship with God and I'm just not sure how to find that,'" he said. "It does feel like young people in particular are the ones that are asking these questions ... they are waking up to how broken organized religion is and they are starting to yearn for something bigger and better and something that's more true and more honest."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fight over Epstein files holds up Trump DOGE cuts bill
The fight over how the Trump administration has handled disclosures relating to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is holding up final approval of a bill to codify $9 billion in Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts to public broadcasting and foreign aid. Republicans on the House Rules Committee huddled with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) for more than an hour Thursday afternoon as the group searched for a path forward on the Epstein saga, which has inundated Capitol Hill and fractured the GOP. The Senate approved the $9 billion rescissions package in the wee hours of Thursday morning, and the clock is ticking on the matter. If the measure is not codified by Friday, the White House must release the funds it requested to withhold. Because the Senate made changes to the package to remove a provision cutting funding for a global AIDS fund, the House must bring up the bill again through the House Rules Committee before it goes to the House floor. The discussion over what to do about the Epstein saga — and negotiations with Johnson and GOP leadership about a GOP-backed Epstein file release measure — is delaying that effort. Rep. Jim McGovern (Mass.), the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, said the panel was originally supposed to meet at 10 a.m. Thursday to consider the rescissions package, but that got pushed as the Republicans negotiated on how to handle the Epstein matter. A number of Republicans have called for the release of the documents related to Epstein as they air frustration with how the Trump administration has handled the matter. Additionally, GOP lawmakers on the Rules panel have taken immense heat from the MAGA base for shooting down a Democratic-led amendment in committee earlier this week demanding the disclosure of more information. Leaving the meeting, Rep. Ralph Norman (S.C.), the only Republican on the panel to vote in favor of the Democratic amendment earlier this week, said the group was nearing a solution, but he declined to disclose any details. 'It's a good plan,' Norman told reporters. 'It's getting very close.' Ahead of the gathering, two sources told The Hill that Johnson was considering backing a measure calling for the disclosure of files related to Epstein. The structure and language of the measure remains unclear, but one source said it would likely protect the names of victims and whistleblowers involved in the Epstein case. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
