Latest news with #JoeNeguse
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
House Dem Makes GOP Lawmaker Squirm With His Own Words: 'Let Me Read You A Quote'
Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) was confronted Tuesday over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, not because it was surprising to see a Republican support increased spending — but because Arrington himself recently urged Americans to tackle the U.S. debt. The House Budget Committee chairman was grilled by Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) during a House Rules Committee hearing. The Democrat asked Arrington about the public criticisms of the bill from President Donald Trump's former adviser Elon Musk. 'You think he's wrong?' Neguse inquired about Musk's apparent fiscal concerns. 'No, I think he has sincerely held convictions about the runaway spending,' said Arrington. Musk spearheaded the Trump administration's so-called Department of Government Efficiency and helped fire thousands of federal staffers with the stated aim of cutting wasteful public spending, but broke with Trump over the GOP's massive tax cut bill. Neguse asked Tuesday why Arrington doesn't follow Musk's lead, only for the Texan to claim he doesn't follow 'any man' and listens solely to his conscience. It was at this moment that Arrington unwittingly walked right into a carefully laid trap. 'You don't follow any man? Let me read you a quote,' Neguse said. 'Let me finish this quote, I'll read it to you, then you can respond. This is from your website on May 29. Quote, now this is the headline, 'Arrington Applauds Elon Musk's Leadership.'' The item, which warns about 'the looming threat of a debt crisis,' is indeed still online. Neguse continued Tuesday, 'And the quote here is, 'We should not only appreciate Elon's courageous leadership, but follow it by holding Washington accountable, rooting out waste, restoring fiscal sanity before the debt burden crushes the future of this great nation.'' The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is projected to add more than $3 trillion to the national debt. Nearly every single Republican voted for the bill on its first pass through the House; a Senate version was approved Tuesday in the upper chamber and awaits a House vote. Neguse couldn't help but reiterate that Arrington urged his constituents only weeks ago to follow Musk's lead, however, and told him 'it's a different tune you're singing today.' 'No, it's not,' Arrington argued. 'We cut twice the amount of spending that has ever been reduced in the people's government.' 'So if you're looking to make the argument that this bill isn't perfect when it comes to any principle, including fiscal discipline, you win,' he conceded. Neguse responded: 'Well, I appreciate that.' Paramount Agrees To Pay Trump $16 Million In Outrageous Settlement Authoritarianism Expert Reveals 'Chilling' Phrase Trump Used During New Threat 'We Will Not Accept This Intimidation': Zohran Mamdani Claps Back At Trump Threats
CBS News
22-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Colorado congressman pushing to continue program to honor Vietnam veterans
A Colorado congressman is pushing to make a program that honors the service and sacrifice of Vietnam veterans permanent. Assistant Minority Leader Joe Neguse says the commemoration is one of the most meaningful events he does each year. During the ceremony, Neguse gives each veteran a pin, a certificate and the welcome home they didn't receive when they returned from war some 50 years ago. CBS The program was started by President Obama and is set to end on Veterans Day this year. Neguse introduced a bill, along with two Republican colleagues, to extend it indefinitely. "Every year, we put in a lot of effort to try to find Vietnam veterans in our community. We've got 53 towns, 12 counties in my district, so we do a lot of outreach, and we're surprised every year we find more veterans from that war who have not been recognized," said Neguse. "It's one of the most meaningful things that I've been able to do as a member of Congress, personally. And I just don't see any reason why this shouldn't continue." In addition to honoring veterans, Neguse uses the ceremonies to connect vets with services. Last year, his "Mental Health for Military Families Act" became law, expanding access to mental health services for veterans and their families. Those who would like to participate in this year's commemoration can RSVP online here.
CBS News
21-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse leads effort to end corruption in the federal government
Americans' trust in the federal government has been eroding for years. According to Pew Research, 77% of Americans trusted the federal government to do the right thing "all or most of the time" in 1964. Today, only 22% do. Rep. Joe Neguse, the U.S. House Assistant Minority Leader and a Democrat who represents Colorado's 2nd Congressional District, is now leading a bipartisan effort aimed at restoring that trust. "End Corruption Now" is a sweeping package of bills that targets corruption and cronyism at the highest levels of government. While scandals involving bribery, extortion, kickbacks, and conspiracies have permeated American politics throughout history, Neguse says the graft today is next level. "The difference in my view is the normalization that I think citizens have become almost desensitized to the everyday corruption that is now so rampant in our nation's capital," he said. Rep. Joe Neguse, the U.S. House Assistant Minority Leader and a Democrat who represents Colorado's 2nd Congressional District, during the House Democrats 2025 Issues Conference at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia, on March 12, 2025. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images From insider trading by members of Congress, to self-dealing by the president, Neguse says corruption is endemic in D.C. Many politicians have lost their moral compass, he says, and the public has lost faith. "I think the president and frankly I think members of Congress are constantly testing to see how much they can get away with. And the more that voters become and citizens become apathetic and desensitized to this type of corruption, the more corruption will occur," Neguse said. Which is why he is leading an effort to change the status quo with bills that among other things ban members of Congress from ever serving as lobbyists, prohibit them from serving on corporate boards, and bar them, their spouses, and children from trading stocks. "We ought to be willing to condemn that and to stand up and say that that's wrong irrespective of one's political affiliation," he said. The bills also take aim at the executive branch by prohibiting CEOs convicted of financial crimes from serving in the White House. They also install new oversight measures for the president after Neguse says Trump dismantled many of them. He fired about 18 inspector generals -- government's independent watchdogs -- and suspended enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act even as he accepts a luxury jetliner from Qatar and other foreign governments spend billions of dollars on his family's real estate ventures and his crypto meme coin. Neguse says Trump's pay-to play schemes are brazen and dangerous. "It gives him an immense amount of power that no chief executive has had or has attempted to acquire in our country's 250-year history. The silver lining here is we have the agency to be able to stop it, right? We can ameliorate all this corruption. We can prevent it, we can end it and we can end it now with these common sense measures if we have the political will to do it." The package of bills also includes legislation to clearly define an "official act" by a public official after the Supreme Court redefined the definition of bribery and a bill called the "Musk Act," which requires government employees to recuse themselves from any matters that affect their financial interests or that of previous employers. Neguse says when he first introduced the bill placing a lifetime ban on members of Congress serving as lobbyists seven years ago, he had two co-sponsors. He now has 85. But while leadership in both parties and President Trump support reforms like banning members of Congress from trading stocks, Neguse says the bills will only pass if the public demands it.
CBS News
14-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse pushes back against plan to sell millions of acres of public land
Republicans in the U.S. Senate have introduced a proposal to sell millions of acres of federal land in eleven western states, including Colorado. The proposal is part of President Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" and would require the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service to auction off 2.2 - 3.3 million acres of land. Colorado has more than 24 million acres of federal land, which is about 36% of the state's total area. The BLM manages 8.3 million acres, and the Forest Service manages 16 million acres. Under the proposal, the two federal agencies would publish a list of parcels for sale every sixty days. They would give priority to land identified by state or local governments that is near existing development and infrastructure. National parks, monuments and recreation or wilderness areas would be excluded, and the land could only be used to develop housing. Colorado Democratic Congressman Joe Neguse managed to kill a similar proposal in the House. The Senate version is far more expansive, and he says it should concern anyone who cares about public lands, "In my view, this is a five-alarm fire for hunters, for ranchers, for fishermen, for recreationists, for conservationists," said Neguse. Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum says the federal government owns about 640 million acres and the proposal would leave 99% of the land untouched. "This is not about our most sacred and beautiful places. This is often about barren land next to highways with existing billboards that have no recreational value," Burgum said. Burgum says the public will be allowed to weigh in on the sales, but the final decision on what land is privatized will be up to the federal agencies. Neguse says public lands belong to everyone and should be held in trust for future generations, "Some of my most meaningful memories as a kid growing up in Colorado, camping with my parents, hiking with my dad. And to think that we may not be able to make the same commitment and promise to our children, our children's children, if these same lands are ultimately auctioned off, I think it should deeply concern every Coloradan." Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert supports the proposal, saying, "It promotes coordination, respects state and local priorities, and reflects a more sustainable approach to land management. The outrage from the far left is not only unwarranted, it's out of touch with the real challenges facing rural America." Colorado's other Republican members of Congress, Gabe Evans, Jeff Hurd and Jeff Crank, haven't said where they stand on the Senate proposal. Hurd opposed the House version. All of Colorado's Democratic members of Congress oppose the plan, saying it will also hurt Colorado's $17 billion outdoor recreation industry. The land sales are expected to generate $5 - $10 billion over the next ten years, with most of the money going to reduce the deficit.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Public lands sell-off plan draws blowback among Colorado Democrats
U.S. House Assistant Minority Leader Joe Neguse, a Lafayette Democrat, speaks at a press conference on protecting public lands May 28, 2025, at the Lake Estes Marina. (Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline) Democratic members of the Colorado congressional delegation criticized a recent proposal by U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, to allow the federal government to sell off more than 2 million acres of public land. The proposal covers 11 Western states, including Colorado. Introduced Wednesday, the proposal would target 'underused' public lands to sell for housing development, roads, water infrastructure and other projects, according to Lee. During a remote news conference Friday, the proposal drew disapproval from U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, as well as Reps. Joe Neguse of Lafayette, Jason Crow of Centennial and Brittany Pettersen of Lakewood. '(This proposal) is a five alarm fire for hunters, for fishermen, for conservationists, for recreationists and for everyday Colorado folks who enjoy these lands and who are committed to preserving them for future generations,' Neguse said. 'The fact that they are potentially trying to auction off these lands to pay for President (Donald) Trump's reckless tax agenda, tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations, in my view, is shameful.' Neguse represents Colorado's 2nd Congressional District, 60% of which is made up of public lands. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Lee's proposal would insert the public lands sell-off measure into the GOP 'big, beautiful' tax and spending bill, which was passed by the House and is now before the Senate. Under the proposal, state and local governments would have priority to purchase the federal lands, and areas that already have a designation — like national parks, national monuments and mining claim sites — would be safe from sale. Public lands advocates fear for Colorado's national parks under Trump budget proposals Colorado is home to 23 million acres of federal public lands, which play a significant role in many local economies. Sarah Shrader, the president of the Grand Valley Outdoor Recreation Coalition in Grand Junction, called on Congress to save Colorado's public lands from sale. 'These lands must remain protected, accessible and managed for the benefit of everyone, not just a few,' Shrader said. 'It's an economic imperative, an environmental responsibility and a moral commitment to future generations.' Tony Prendergast, a hunting guide and rancher based in Crawford, pointed to the widespread support of his community for the protection of public lands, regardless of their political affiliation. 'There's nothing like this issue that will fire up people like me to get involved politically,' Prendergast said. 'The depth of the anger I feel, and the disappointment in those elected officials who are putting this proposal forward and those who will support this, is intense for me.' After bipartisan opposition to a recent public land sale proposal in the House, the plan was axed. Bennet said he hopes there will be enough common ground to defeat the Senate proposal through continued negotiations. 'Public lands make Colorado, Colorado,' Bennet said. 'They make the West, the West. They're the foundation of our economy, and they represent treasured parts of our culture, our geography and our history.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
