Latest news with #SENATE
The Star
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
Hun Sen: I was betrayed first
SENATE president Hun Sen went live on Facebook just a day after warning that he would expose former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Speaking in Khmer, he delivered a combative message, claiming betrayal and threatening to reveal damaging information about the Shinawatra family. 'The time has come,' Hun Sen said. 'They have betrayed me. Today, I will speak on eight points.' He said further details would be shared with diplomats scheduled to meet him later that day, adding: 'If they want it today, I will expose the Thaksin family.' He began yesterday's livestream with the leaked audio clip of a June 15 call he had with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, saying it was recorded intentionally. 'I recorded that conversation as I have been betrayed before,' he stated, justifying the leak. His second point was an accusation against Paetongtarn of deceiving him: 'Paetongtarn said it was just part of the negotiation tactic. But clearly, you don't know me at all.' He went on to criticise Thaksin for failing to instil values in his children: 'On June 14, Thaksin attacked me online. Meanwhile, the Thai Prime Minister disrespects her own military and monarchy. I will reveal the truth today. 'You may insult your own army and monarch, but you cannot do the same to me. It won't work.' Rejecting suggestions that his recording was illegal, Hun Sen said: 'There is no law preventing me from recording conversations. Why is the Thai Prime Minister afraid of a leaked audio clip?' 'If you want to take it to the International Court of Justice, go ahead. I'm in Cambodia. File your 5,000 complaints – I don't care.' He continued his tirade against the Thai leadership, accusing Paetongtarn of using a call centre crackdown as a pretext for hostile action and border aggression. 'As Thai Prime Minister, you shouldn't behave this way. You claimed you went to the border to tackle call centre scams, but you ordered the border closed starting on June 7 and extended the shutdown further,' he said. 'You closed the border under the guise of suppressing scams, when in fact your intention was aggression. 'I have always said online fraud is far from over – we need cooperation to address it. So why are you using it to attack Cambodia?' He asserted that Cambodia had exercised patience for the sake of bilateral ties, while suggesting that Thailand had been the one backing criminal groups operating along its borders with Myanmar and Laos. In response, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said he had not listened to Hun Sen's livestream and had no intention of doing so, describing the latter's remarks as inconsistent. 'I don't see the point in listening. Much of what he says contradicts itself, like his claims about border closures,' Phumtham said. 'If he was sincere or honest about his actions, he would have spoken clearly. Besides, I don't understand the language, so why bother?' When asked about the potential release of audio clips that would expose sensitive issues involving Thailand, he remained unfazed. 'I'm not interested. It has nothing to do with the Thai government. We don't even know what his actual motives are. But what's clear is that he's engaged in information warfare and psychological games,' he said. 'Everything he's doing is aimed at weakening the Thai government's credibility and capacity. If our government becomes unstable, Mr Hun Sen stands to benefit, whether in territorial disputes or negotiations.' Phumtham insisted that Thailand remains firmly committed to legality and transparency. Asked whether the Thai government would take legal action, he said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant agencies were monitoring the situation. 'If there is any breach of international law that affects Thailand, we'll take appropriate legal steps,' he said. — The Nation/ANN
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
GOP senator calls for Senate parliamentarian to be fired after ruling against Medicaid cuts
Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R) on Thursday called for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to fire Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough 'ASAP,' hours after she delivered a major ruling against a Republican proposal to slash hundreds of billions of dollars in federal Medicaid spending to help pay for President Trump's tax agenda. The parliamentarian also ruled against provisions to prohibit federal funding of Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for adults or kids whose immigration status cannot be immediately verified and to lower federal Medicaid funding for states that provide Medicaid coverage to immigrants in the country illegally. 'The WOKE Senate Parliamentarian, who was appointed by Harry Reid and advised Al Gore, just STRUCK DOWN a provision BANNING illegals from stealing Medicaid from American citizens. This is a perfect example of why Americans hate THE SWAMP,' Tuberville posted on the social platform X. 'Unelected bureaucrats think they know better than U.S. Congressmen who are elected BY THE PEOPLE. Her job is not to push a woke agenda. THE SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN SHOULD BE FIRED ASAP,' he said. Tuberville posted his comments publicly around the same time that Thune told reporters that he would not attempt to overrule the parliamentarian with a simple-majority vote on the floor. A Senate GOP source familiar with the parliamentarian's ruling on Medicaid eligibility and health care provider taxes said Republicans will try to rework the provisions to keep them in the massive bill. 'We'll continue our work and find a solution to achieve the desired results. Also, this is not as fatal as Dems are portraying it to be,' the source said. Republican Sen. John Kennedy (La.) told reporters Thursday that he doesn't think the GOP leadership would attempt to oust MacDonough from the parliamentarian's office, asserting Republicans 'respect' her rulings. 'I don't think that will happen,' he said. 'We all have respect for the parliamentarian. I think that she's very fair, and I don't think that she should be fired nor do I think she will be fired.' Thune told reporters Thursday morning that he would not push a vote to overrule the parliamentarian. 'That would not be a good outcome for getting a bill done,' he said. Thune said he doesn't view the parliamentarian's ruling against the biggest spending cut in the bill as necessarily fatal to getting the legislation passed. 'We were obviously trying to get as much in terms of savings as we could. We pushed hard to try and achieve that, and we knew that it was going to be an interesting conversation and we didn't know for sure how she was going to come down on it,' he said. 'There are things we can do. There are other ways of getting to that same outcome. We may not have everything that we wanted in terms of the provider tax reforms, but if we can get most of the reforms there, get the savings that come with it — this is all about saving the taxpayers money,' Thune said. Senate Republicans are using budget reconciliations rules to pass their bill so they can get around a Senate filibuster, which would otherwise allow Democrats to block the measure. The parliamentarian is charged with determining whether parts of the bill comply with the Byrd rule, which requires provisions in a budget reconciliation measure to pass a multi-part test including that they are primarily budgetary in nature. Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) appointed MacDonough in January 2012 to serve as parliamentarian. She is the first woman to serve in the role. She is the sixth Senate parliamentarian, and worked in the parliamentarian's office for nearly a decade before she was tapped to replace Alan Frumin. Al Weaver contributed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Senate parliamentarian scraps GOP's Medicaid reforms in ‘big beautiful bill'
WASHINGTON — Republicans faced another obstacle to passing President Trump's 'big beautiful bill' Thursday after the Senate parliamentarian ruled several health care spending reforms would need 60 votes to pass muster rather than the 51 sought by the GOP — likely preventing hundreds of billions of dollars in potential savings. Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough determined some of the megabill's Medicaid provisions — including changes to federal funding for US states' share of health care provider taxes — were not eligible for approval via the simple majority gambit, known as reconciliation. Other axed provisions eliminated some Medicaid eligibility for non-citizen adults and children and lowered Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) funding percentages for states that let non-citizens obtain health care coverage from 90% to 80%. Still another section that failed to pass muster with MacDonough blocked federal funding for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to provide gender-transition medical care. 'The WOKE Senate Parliamentarian, who was appointed by Harry Reid and advised Al Gore, just STRUCK DOWN a provision BANNING illegals from stealing Medicaid from American citizens,' erupted Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.). 'This is a perfect example of why Americans hate THE SWAMP.' 'Unelected bureaucrats think they know better than U.S. Congressmen who are elected BY THE PEOPLE,' he added. 'Her job is not to push a woke agenda. THE SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN SHOULD BE FIRED ASAP.' 'How is it that an unelected swamp bureaucrat, who was appointed by Harry Reid over a decade ago, gets to decide what can and cannot go in President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill?' griped Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.). 'It is time for our elected leaders to take back control. [Vice President JD Vance] should overrule the Parliamentarian and let the will of the people, not some staffer hiding behind Senate procedure, determine the future of this country.' 3 Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough determined some of the megabill's Medicaid provisions can't pass by a simple majority because they violated the Byrd Rule. via REUTERS The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) determined that the House-passed version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which the Senate has been revising, would add up to $3 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade. House Republicans had previously boasted that as much as $1.6 trillion in spending cuts were included in their version of the tax-and-spending package. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) described MacDonough's ruling as a 'speed bump' in the bill's progress. 3 Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has indicated in the past that overruling the parliamentarian would be tantamount to abolishing the 60-vote filibuster. AP Thune, 64, has indicated in the past that ignoring the parliamentarian would be tantamount to abolishing the 60-vote filibuster, a feature that sets the upper chamber apart from the lower and provides a check for the party out of power. Vance, though president of the Senate, can't overrule the parliamentarian's decision outright either, but would need a vote by the full chamber. Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, celebrated the ruling in a statement, sharing other provisions that had been struck down by the upper chamber's referee. 3 Republicans are balking at the Senate parliamentarian's decision on Thursday to scrap several health care spending reforms tucked into President Trump's 'big beautiful bill.' AP 'Democrats are continuing to make the case against every provision in this Big, Beautiful Betrayal of a bill that violates Senate rules and hurts families and workers,' Merkley (D-Ore.) said. 'Democrats are fighting back against Republicans' plans to gut Medicaid, dismantle the Affordable Care Act, and kick kids, veterans, seniors, and folks with disabilities off of their health insurance – all to fund tax breaks for billionaires.' Reconciliation legislation is subject to parliamentary scrutiny under the so-called 'Byrd Rule' — named for former Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd — which requires bills to focus strictly on fiscal issues.
The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
GOP senator calls for Senate parliamentarian to be fired after ruling against Medicaid cuts
Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R) on Thursday called for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to fire Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough 'ASAP,' hours after she delivered a major ruling against a Republican proposal to slash hundreds of billions of dollars in federal Medicaid spending to help pay for President Trump's tax agenda. The parliamentarian also ruled against provisions to prohibit federal funding of Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for adults or kids whose immigration status cannot be immediately verified and to lower federal Medicaid funding for states that provide Medicaid coverage to immigrants in the country illegally. 'The WOKE Senate Parliamentarian, who was appointed by Harry Reid and advised Al Gore, just STRUCK DOWN a provision BANNING illegals from stealing Medicaid from American citizens. This is a perfect example of why Americans hate THE SWAMP,' Tuberville posted on X, the social media site. 'Unelected bureaucrats think they know better than U.S. Congressmen who are elected BY THE PEOPLE. Her job is not to push a woke agenda. THE SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN SHOULD BE FIRED ASAP,' he said. Tuberville posted his comments publicly around the same time that Thune told reporters that he would not attempt to overrule the parliamentarian with a simple-majority vote on the floor. A Senate GOP source familiar with the parliamentarian's ruling on Medicaid eligibility and health care provider taxes said that Republicans will try to rework the provisions to keep them in the massive bill. 'We'll continue our work and find a solution to achieve the desired results. Also, this is not as fatal as Dems are portraying it to be,' the source said. Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) appointed MacDonough in January of 2012 to serve as parliamentarian. She is the first woman to serve in the role. She is the sixth Senate parliamentarian, and worked in the parliamentarian's office for nearly a decade before she was tapped to replace Alan Frumin.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Indiana governor freezes college tuition, citing 'broken system' in need of reform
Print Close By Joshua Nelson Published June 26, 2025 EXCLUSIVE – Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said in a new interview that post-secondary education expenses have exceeded healthcare costs, leading to him requesting a freeze in college tuition increases in the state. "I think that's all part of a system that's broken," the Republican governor told Fox News Digital. Braun has wanted to reform education and healthcare since he served in the U.S. Senate from 2019-2025. Now that he's the state's governor, he says he can leverage his power and resources to get it done. SENATE PANEL NAVIGATES DELICATE COMPROMISES ON MEDICAID, TAXES IN LATEST CHUNK OF TRUMP'S MEGABILL "You have to remember that things most important in our lives are not market-driven," Braun added. "[Healthcare] runs like an unregulated utility. Put that aside. But I cite it because, between it and education, they trade places in terms of what goes up the most each year. I think right now, post-secondary education has eclipsed healthcare. That's not good." The governor explained further, "And for parents and kids, especially when it's all kind of ensconced in a system that pushes you into something that 50% of the kids that pursue it don't end up with a degree. Many that get a degree don't have a market for it in their own hometown. That's a broken system." Per Braun's request, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education voted to maintain flat fees for in-state undergraduate students for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 academic years. This policy was the first time in Indiana's history that the Commission unanimously voted in support of Braun's recommendation to hold tuition and mandatory fees flat. TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' CRACKS DOWN ON BIDEN'S STUDENT LOAN 'SCHEME,' TOP REPUBLICAN SAYS The move indicated Braun's commitment to making education affordable amid skyrocketing college debt and universities providing dubious value. A press release obtained by Fox News Digital announced that it's been over 10 years since more than two campuses simultaneously held tuition flat. College tuition has increased tremendously over the years and forced students into debt. During the fourth quarter of 2023, student loan balances stood at $1.6 trillion, according to data from the New York Federal Reserve. "And the fact that it costs so much, that is always seen in a debt bubble, just like our federal government," Braun said. "Can't figure out how to spend less than it takes in." He went on to say higher education needed to act more like a business with an improved product. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Education for Indiana, for instance, K through 12 is about half our budget and post-secondary is about 15%. Another 15% would be our share of Medicaid," Braun said. "These are all challenges that states are going to have to grapple with, but higher ed's got to do a better job of running itself like a business, giving us a product that's got a market, and right now I think enterprising governors and state legislatures will actually get it done." Print Close URL
