Trump Urges McConnell to Use Nuke Option, Pass Wall Funding
President Trump on Friday publicly urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to deploy the so-called “nuclear option” to jam through a controversial spending package that includes billions in border-wall funds, as Washington’s warring parties remain on a collision course toward a government shutdown at midnight. “Mitch, use the Nuclear Option and get it done! Our Country is counting on you!” the president tweeted, referring to congressional slang for overhauling the Senate filibuster so legislation can pass with just 51 votes, as opposed to the usual 60. The president prodded McConnell to shatter Senate precedent after the House approved ... Read More
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Defense Secretary James Mattis' Resignation 'Stuns,' Concerns Lawmakers
Defense Secretary James Mattis gave President Trump his notice on Thursday — a move that has given lawmakers across both sides of the aisle some cause for concern. In a signed resignation letter, which was released by the Pentagon, Mattis said he would remain in the role through Feb. 28, closing out a 2-year working relationship with Trump. The announcement came a day after Trump surprised U.S. allies and members of Congress by announcing the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Syria, and as he continues to consider shrinking the American deployment in Afghanistan. In a lengthy letter to the president, Mattis alluded to ... Read More
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Schumer: House Spending Bill Dead on Arrival in Senate
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said a House-passed spending bill providing $5.7 billion for a border wall is dead-on-arrival in the Senate, The Hill reported. The comment Thursday appeared to raise the odds of a partial government shutdown at midnight Friday, the news outlet noted. Schumer accused House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., of "cynically" putting the bill on the House floor "knowing it can't pass the Senate." "Everyone knows it can't pass the Senate," Schumer said, The Hill reported. "It's a cynical attempt to just hurt innocent people and do just what President Trump wants, ... Read More
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Graham Warns of 'Second 9/11' Amid Report Afghanistan Pullout
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., warned of "a second 9/11" amid reports the Trump administration is pulling thousands of U.S. troops out of Afghanistan. Graham returned from a trip to Afghanistan this week and said in a series of tweets that withdrawing the U.S. military from the volatile Middle East could have dire consequences. "I have just returned from Afghanistan and can say — without hesitation — ISIS-K remains a direct threat to our homeland and they would dramatically benefit from a reduced American troop presence," he said. "Our Afghan partners are incapable of subduing the threat posed by ISIS-K alone. In addition, our ... Read More
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Policy Forces Migrants To Wait In Mexico
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced migrants who seek asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border must return and wait in Mexico while their claims are processed. In what might be one of the Trump administration’s most aggressive reforms of the U.S. immigration system to date, Secretary of Homeland Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen revealed Thursday her department will no longer allow migrants to enter the U.S. after claiming asylum. Instead, asylum seekers who tried getting into the country through the U.S. southern border will have to wait in Mexico while their cases move through the immigration courts. It won’t apply to “children traveling alone or ... Read More
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