Latest news with #Hawley
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
WWII Army Ranger from NEPA honored with Congressional Gold Medal
Jun. 27—HAWLEY — At 100 years old, World War II veteran Sgt. Joseph Drake of Hawley is a living testament to courage and sacrifice, U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan Jr. said this week. Rep. Bresnahan, R-Dallas Township, joined Congressional leaders and Presidential Cabinet members to honor Sgt. Drake with the Congressional Gold Medal — the highest honor presented by Congress. Sgt. Drake and Pfc. John Wardell accepted the medal on behalf of all WWII Army Rangers. "Today, we honor Sgt. Joseph Drake for his valor and service to our country as a WWII Army Ranger," said Bresnahan. "As a WWII Army Ranger, Sgt. Drake answered the call of duty with extraordinary bravery, scaling cliffs and storming enemy lines so that others might live in freedom. His service with the 2nd Ranger Battalion reminds us of the extraordinary bravery that helped secure our freedom." The ceremony included remarks from U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and others. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest honor given by Congress. It recognizes individuals or groups whose achievements have made a lasting impact on American history and culture. Since the first medal was awarded to George Washington in 1776, it has honored military leaders, scientists, artists and others who have shaped our nation. To date, the award has been presented to less than 200 recipients. "This medal is not only a symbol of Sgt. Drake's heroism, but a testament to the sacrifice, grit and unbreakable spirit of every Ranger who fought beside him," said Bresnahan. "It is an immense honor to pay tribute to him today, and I am incredibly proud to represent him in Congress. Sgt. Drake's legacy and service drive the work I do in Congress every day." Bresnahan was joined in Washington, D.C., by Pennsylvania State Rep. Dane Watro, R-Hazleton. State Rep. Jeff Olsommer, who represents Sgt. Drake in the Pennsylvania State House and worked with Bresnahan to ensure the award was received, could not attend the ceremony in person. "Mr. Drake is a true local hero," said Olsommer. "It was an honor to meet him, and when I learned that he was still waiting to receive his Congressional Gold Medal, I was deeply concerned. I shared those concerns with our Congressman, Rob Bresnahan. He and his team responded immediately and worked diligently to ensure Mr. Drake received the recognition he so greatly deserves. I'm proud to have played a small part in that process. I'm thrilled for Mr. Drake and his family — and I'm incredibly proud to have him as a constituent of the 139th District." "It was a privilege to witness Sgt. Drake receive the Congressional Gold Medal today," said Watro. "He is an American patriot whose legacy will inspire generations to come and his service is an example of the extraordinary strength of our WWII heroes. I am pleased I was able to join him today for this incredible ceremony, and I thank Rep. Bresnahan for inviting me to witness this great honor." Drake was drafted on April 30, 1943, and sent to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, with the newly formed 69th Infantry Division. He later joined the Ranger Company A, 2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion, where he patrolled the area around the landing sites in search of enemy troops. He fought in some of the fiercest campaigns of the war, including the Battle of Brest, the Huertgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. He was honorably discharged in December 1945 after the deactivation of the 2nd Ranger Battalion. The Congressional Gold Medal is awarded to the World War II Army Rangers in recognition of their extraordinary bravery, sacrifice and critical contributions during the war. This medal serves as a lasting symbol of the nation's gratitude. It honors not only the courage of the Army Rangers during one of the most critical moments in modern history but also acknowledges the enduring legacy of an elite group that once numbered 7,000 and now includes just five living members. Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
WWII Army Ranger from NEPA honored with Congressional Gold Medal
Jun. 27—HAWLEY — At 100 years old, World War II veteran Sgt. Joseph Drake of Hawley is a living testament to courage and sacrifice, U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan Jr. said this week. Rep. Bresnahan, R-Dallas Township, joined Congressional leaders and Presidential Cabinet members to honor Sgt. Drake with the Congressional Gold Medal — the highest honor presented by Congress. Sgt. Drake and Pfc. John Wardell accepted the medal on behalf of all WWII Army Rangers. "Today, we honor Sgt. Joseph Drake for his valor and service to our country as a WWII Army Ranger," said Bresnahan. "As a WWII Army Ranger, Sgt. Drake answered the call of duty with extraordinary bravery, scaling cliffs and storming enemy lines so that others might live in freedom. His service with the 2nd Ranger Battalion reminds us of the extraordinary bravery that helped secure our freedom." The ceremony included remarks from U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and others. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest honor given by Congress. It recognizes individuals or groups whose achievements have made a lasting impact on American history and culture. Since the first medal was awarded to George Washington in 1776, it has honored military leaders, scientists, artists and others who have shaped our nation. To date, the award has been presented to less than 200 recipients. "This medal is not only a symbol of Sgt. Drake's heroism, but a testament to the sacrifice, grit and unbreakable spirit of every Ranger who fought beside him," said Bresnahan. "It is an immense honor to pay tribute to him today, and I am incredibly proud to represent him in Congress. Sgt. Drake's legacy and service drive the work I do in Congress every day." Bresnahan was joined in Washington, D.C., by Pennsylvania State Rep. Dane Watro, R-Hazleton. State Rep. Jeff Olsommer, who represents Sgt. Drake in the Pennsylvania State House and worked with Bresnahan to ensure the award was received, could not attend the ceremony in person. "Mr. Drake is a true local hero," said Olsommer. "It was an honor to meet him, and when I learned that he was still waiting to receive his Congressional Gold Medal, I was deeply concerned. I shared those concerns with our Congressman, Rob Bresnahan. He and his team responded immediately and worked diligently to ensure Mr. Drake received the recognition he so greatly deserves. I'm proud to have played a small part in that process. I'm thrilled for Mr. Drake and his family — and I'm incredibly proud to have him as a constituent of the 139th District." "It was a privilege to witness Sgt. Drake receive the Congressional Gold Medal today," said Watro. "He is an American patriot whose legacy will inspire generations to come and his service is an example of the extraordinary strength of our WWII heroes. I am pleased I was able to join him today for this incredible ceremony, and I thank Rep. Bresnahan for inviting me to witness this great honor." Drake was drafted on April 30, 1943, and sent to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, with the newly formed 69th Infantry Division. He later joined the Ranger Company A, 2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion, where he patrolled the area around the landing sites in search of enemy troops. He fought in some of the fiercest campaigns of the war, including the Battle of Brest, the Huertgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. He was honorably discharged in December 1945 after the deactivation of the 2nd Ranger Battalion. The Congressional Gold Medal is awarded to the World War II Army Rangers in recognition of their extraordinary bravery, sacrifice and critical contributions during the war. This medal serves as a lasting symbol of the nation's gratitude. It honors not only the courage of the Army Rangers during one of the most critical moments in modern history but also acknowledges the enduring legacy of an elite group that once numbered 7,000 and now includes just five living members. Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Conservative Josh Hawley introduces bill to raise federal minimum wage to $15 an hour
WASHINGTON - Ultraconservative Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley introduced a bill on June 10 with Democratic Vermont Sen. Peter Welch to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, making him one of the few Republicans to support the cause. The bill, dubbed the 'Higher Wages for American Workers Act,' would raise the minimum wage starting in January 2026 and allow it to increase on the basis of inflation in subsequent years. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour and it's been unchanged since 2009. It is unclear whether the legislation will be taken up for a vote. Members of Congress have previously tried to raise the minimum wage, but to no avail. In 2021, Democratic lawmakers tried to tack a $15 per hour minimum wage provision in former President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus package, but a Senate official ruled that the measure couldn't be included in the bill. President Donald Trump said in December 2024 that he would 'consider' raising the minimum wage. However, he revoked a 2024 executive order that set the minimum wage for federal contractors at $17.75. 'For decades, working Americans have seen their wages flatline," Hawley said in a statement. One major culprit of this is the failure of the federal minimum wage to keep up with the economic reality facing hardworking Americans every day." Welch, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, echoed a similar sentiment. 'Every hardworking American deserves a living wage that helps put a roof over their head and food on the table–$7.25 an hour doesn't even come close,' he said. The Employment Policies Institute, a think tank dedicated to researching employment growth, opposed Hawley and Welch's push, arguing that it would result in a loss of jobs. 'Sen. Hawley should know better,' Rebekah Paxton, research director of the institute, said in a news release. 'This proposal would more than double the minimum wage and slash over 800,000 jobs. An overwhelming majority of economists agree that drastic minimum wage hikes cut employment, limit opportunities for workers, and shutter businesses.' The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found in an analysis that raising the minimum wage would 'raise the earnings and family income of most low-wage workers' but would cause other low-income workers to lose their jobs and their family income to fall. Hawley in February teamed up with progressive firebrand Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders to introduce a bill capping credit card interest rates at 10%, saying it would "provide meaningful relief to working people." He's also been a vocal critic of Medicaid cuts. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Josh Hawley introduces bill to raise federal minimum wage to $15
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Republicans are worried ‘too many Medicaid cuts' will derail Trump's ‘big, beautiful bill'
Senate Republicans might miss their self-imposed deadline to pass President Donald Trump's 'One Big, Beautiful Bill' because they remain too divided over potential cuts to Medicaid. 'There's too many Medicaid cuts in there,' Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri told The Independent. Hawley and other Republicans from states with large rural populations fear a proposed limit on states' ability to tax health care providers will force states to cut their Medicaid programs. The American Hospital Association has warned that cuts to Medicaid could be 'devastating' for rural hospitals, which typically have larger shares of patients without health insurance. Budget analysts argue that billions of dollars in reduced federal Medicaid spending could result in millions of uninsured Americans. Poll after poll shows that the bill remains incredibly unpopular among voters. But Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas blamed the press for the bill's unpopularity. 'They certainly have cornered the bill into a little piece,' Marshall told The Independent. 'So I think it's our job is to present it piece by piece and make our case to the American public.' Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee circulated a memo about a potential $15 billion stabilization fund for rural hospitals in an attempt to win over skeptical Republicans, Punchbowl News reported. But 'that wouldn't be sufficient,' Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina told The Independent. Tillis, who faces a difficult re-election in a state Trump barely won, said Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican from a state with a large rural population, was crafting another proposal 'more reflective of the need' of rural hospitals. Hawley said he wanted to take a look at the proposal before throwing his support behind it. 'I want to be sure that it's actually going to flow directly to rural hospitals,' he said. 'It's going to help hospitals in my state and replace a good portion of the funds that we're losing because of the provider tax, the ill-considered provider taxes.' Trump has said he wants the bill to be passed by the Fourth of July and called on Republicans to stay in Washington until the bill's passage. 'To my friends in the Senate, lock yourself in a room if you must, don't go home, and GET THE DEAL DONE THIS WEEK. Work with the House so they can pick it up, and pass it, IMMEDIATELY,' Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday. 'NO ONE GOES ON VACATION UNTIL IT'S DONE.' The bill seeks to extend the 2017 tax cuts that Trump signed during his first term and increase spending for immigration enforcement, the military and oil exploration. Trump's biggest supporters in the Senate say they would vote for a motion to proceed. Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio told The Independent that he would vote on a motion to proceed on the bill so it could pass this weekend. 'Absolutely,' he said. 'Not just a 'yes' but a 'hell yes.'' But not everyone is as sure. 'Do we have a bill yet?' Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, a major critic of the legislation, told The Independent. 'I think there's being pressure applied.' Republicans, who have only 53 seats in the Senate, plan to sidestep a Democratic filibuster by passing the bill using the reconciliation process, which allows a bill to pass with a simple majority if it relates to the budget. Stephen Miran, the Trump administration's chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, addressed the criticisms from moderates in the Senate. 'We don't really have the in-depth analysis of Medicaid in this paper, or of health insurance and healthcare markets in this paper, it is a super important area we've done some work on in the past,' Miran told reporters. Miran said that failing to pass the bill could result in 9 million people losing their health insurance because of the economic consequences. 'We want to avoid the biggest tax hike in history,' Miran said. 'We want to avoid plunging the economy into a recession as a result thereof. And we want to avoid te approximately 9 million sort of just flat-out losses of health insurance across the economy that occurs as a result of that.' But even if Senate Republicans manage to pass the bill, it would still need to go back to the House of Representatives, where many GOP members might want to change significant parts of the legislation. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, said Republicans need to act quickly. 'One thing we can't do is punt,' he told The Independent.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Not so fast, sir ... One Capitol Hill bureaucrat stands in the way of Trump's ‘Big Beautiful' Fourth of July
Senate Republicans' plan to pass President Donald Trump's 'One Big, Beautiful Bill' by their self-imposed July 4 holiday deadline is facing a major setback. Last week, the Senate Finance Committee released the tax and healthcare parts of the bill, which included a provision that would limit provider taxes. States levy taxes on health care providers like hospitals and nursing homes to raise the money to receive federal matching dollars for Medicaid. Immediately, hospitals denounced it, saying it could decimate rural hospitals, which led to Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine to criticize the provision. To get this massive bill over the finish line, Republicans plan to sidestep the 60-vote threshold known as the filibuster through the process of budget reconciliation, wherein they can pass a bill with a simple majority as long as it relates to taxes and spending. But on Thursday, the Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, said the Republicans' plan to cap a tax that states use to raise money for Medicaid did not pass the narrow rules of budget reconciliation, known as the 'Byrd rule,' which determines what can be included in a reconciliation bill. The parliamentarian serves as the nonpartisan rules arbiter in the Senate. Going back to the 1974 Budget Control Act, the parliamentarian determines which parts of a reconciliation bill comply 'the Byrd Rule.' Named for late Senate majority leader Robert Byrd, the rule determines whether legislative text directly relates to the budget, does not involve Social Security, produces a change in outlays or revenues, increase the deficit beyond the years described in the bill, or is 'merely incidental' to spending, which is to say the policy changes would outway any budgetary effects. Trump said on Friday that the July 4th deadline is 'It's important,' but added 'We can go longer.' Republicans might not have a choice. 'We have no idea what's going to happen here,' Hawley told The Independent afterwards. 'I mean we've got to work on some kind of a fix. Hopefully their fix will involve protecting rural hospitals.' Hawley said that he spoke to Trump about the legislation when the president flew back from the NATO summit in the Hague earlier this week. 'He likes the house framework, because he helped negotiate it,' Hawley said. 'Yeah, that's a pretty good framework, and I said, 'Yeah, I agree with that.' So, we'll see' In addition, the parliamentarian ruled against a provision to reduce the federal share of Medicaid expansion coverage under the Affordable Care Act from 90 percent to 80 percent for states that provide health care to undocumented immigrants, another to restrict Medicaid dollars to states that provide health care to certain immigrants who are not citizens and a provision that would have banned Medicaid from covering gender-affirming care for transgender people. 'There was a technical issue with it, and we think we got a technical fix, but that has that's not been done yet,' Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota told The Independent. Trump has called for the Senate to pass the bill that the House of Representatives passed last month by a narrow margin by July 4th. He has specifically said that the Senate should not go on vacation until the bill passes. 'I'm not planning to leave until this is done,' Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio told The Independent. But the setback with the parliamentarian means Republicans will need to rewrite the text of the bill for Medicaid to make it comply with the Byrd Rule. The bill poses a limited opportunity to pass most of Trump's domestic policy agenda, including extending the 2017 tax cuts he signed his first term and increasing spending for the military, immigration enforcement and oil exploration. Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Budget Committee, said the parliamentarian's rulings symbolized how Republicans had run roughshod over the process. 'It's designed to be only for deficit reduction,' he told The Independent. 'They're using it to increase debt massively.' In response, some Republicans called for the firing of the MacDonough, whom has been in the office since 2012. 'I don't think anyone should stay here that long and have power where she doesn't answer to anybody,' Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas told The Independent. 'I think that her rulings have very much would look like politically, that she's leading to the left, and I think we should have a term limit.' MacDonough came into her position when Democrats controlled the Senate. But she also irritated Democrats in the past, such as when she did not allow them to include a $15 minimum wage increase in the American Rescue Plan signed by President Joe Biden in 2021. But Collins, a swing vote, disagreed with the idea of firing the parliamentarian. 'She is doing her job, they are doing their jobs, and people should remember that what comes around goes around when it comes to the parliamentarian,' Collins told The Independent.
