USA News and Discussions

[caltrek]

McCarthy 'Considering' Heading for the Exits — Would Leave New Speaker with Even Thinner Majority
by David Badash
October 6, 2023

Introduction:

(Alternet) Kevin McCarthy, just days after being ousted as Speaker of the House by his own Republican conference, reportedly is considering leaving Congress before the end of his term, but will stay at least until the House elects another Speaker.

Politico first reported the news, citing two people familiar with the matter.

“The deposed former speaker has made clear he plans to stay at least through the speakership election that begins next week before ending his House career, these people said, in order to help the party steady itself after a seismic shakeup.”

If he does exit before the end of his term, that would leave the incoming Speaker with an even thinner majority than McCarthy had. California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, depending on timing, has the option of calling a special election to replace McCarthy, or leaving the seat unfilled, as he did in 2020 when convicted felon Duncan Hunter, a Republican, resigned.

Hours after losing his Speakership, McCarthy refused to say if he would stay in Congress, CNN’s Manu Raju reported.

Read more here: https://www.alternet.org/mccarthy-2665822628/

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California becomes the first state to ban four chemicals in food, including red dye No. 3
Source: NBC News

Oct. 10, 2023, 1:20 PM EDT

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill that bans four food additives linked to health problems, marking the first time that a state has outlawed chemicals allowed by the Food and Drug Administration.

Starting in 2027, California will prohibit red dye No. 3, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil and propylparaben after Newsom, a Democrat, signed Assembly Bill 418 into law Saturday. All four ingredients have already been made illegal in the European Union and some other parts of the world, but can be found in commonly sold items in the United States, such as some brands of orange soda, icing, hamburger rolls, candies and processed foods.

The chemicals have been associated with issues ranging from hyperactivity in children to cancer. Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, who introduced the bill with Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, a fellow Democrat, said he was “elated and deeply grateful” to the governor for signing it. “The state is stepping up to protect people,” he said in a phone interview Tuesday.

The law won’t result in any foods getting banned from shelves, Gabriel said. Instead, he said, food companies will be required to make “really minor” modifications using alternative ingredients they already use overseas. “We have incredible confidence that consumers are still going to be able to enjoy all the products that we know and love here in the United States, just without those harmful chemicals,” he said.

The law is likely to have a ripple effect across the country, according to the Environmental Working Group, a research and advocacy health organization that backed the bill. Food and drink manufacturers are unlikely to make a version of their products just for California and could tweak the ingredient lists for as many as 12,000 products sold nationwide, the organization estimated, based on its food database.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ca ... rcna119660

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Tonight House Democrats unanimously voted to renominate Leader Hakeem Jeffries as Speaker of the
https://www.threads.net/@housedemocrats ... IwNjQ2YQ==

Tonight House Democrats unanimously voted to renominate Leader Hakeem Jeffries as Speaker of the House.

His vision for a bipartisan governing coalition will lead us out of this Republican-manufactured chaos so we can get back to our work of putting People Over Politics.

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Steve Scalise drops out of House speaker race
Source: Axios

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) announced Thursday he's abandoning his campaign for House speaker after a persistent group of GOP holdouts refused to budge.

Why it matters: It leaves Republicans without a GOP nominee for the job nine days after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was ousted – to the growing frustration of GOP lawmakers.

"I was very clear we have to have everybody put their agendas on the side and focus on what this country needs this country is counting on us," Scalise told reporters on Thursday.

"But there's some folks that really need to look in the mirror over the next couple of days and decide are we going to get it back on track, or they're going to try to pursue their own agenda," he said.

Read more: https://www.axios.com/2023/10/12/steve- ... se-speaker

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[raklian]

Hmm....

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[caltrek]

Hmm....

This is almost too good to be true. We will find out on Tuesday what actually comes to fruition.

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Republican Jim Jordan falls short in first vote for US House speaker
Source: Reuters

October 17, 2023 1:52 PM EDT Updated a few seconds ago

WASHINGTON, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Combative right-wing Republican Jim Jordan fell short on Tuesday in a vote to serve as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, but more votes were expected to follow that could wear down his opponents.

The Ohio lawmaker and ardent ally of former President Trump won 200 votes, short of the 217 needed to win the job, as 20 of his fellow Republican voted against him. All 212 Democrats voted for their leader, Hakeem Jeffries. It is not clear how many of those Republican opponents would hold firm in subsequent votes.

If he prevails, the Ohio lawmaker who has spent years fighting with leaders of his own party could end up in one of the most powerful jobs in Washington, putting him second in line for the presidency.

Republicans who control the chamber nominated Jordan as a replacement for Kevin McCarthy was ousted as speaker by a small group of his fellow Republicans on Oct. 3.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/hardli ... 023-10-17/

[caltrek]

Republican Jim Jordan falls short in first vote for US House speaker
Source: Reuters

October 17, 2023 1:52 PM EDT Updated a few seconds ago

WASHINGTON, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Combative right-wing Republican Jim Jordan fell short on Tuesday in a vote to serve as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, but more votes were expected to follow that could wear down his opponents.

The Ohio lawmaker and ardent ally of former President Trump won 200 votes, short of the 217 needed to win the job, as 20 of his fellow Republican voted against him. All 212 Democrats voted for their leader, Hakeem Jeffries. It is not clear how many of those Republican opponents would hold firm in subsequent votes.

If he prevails, the Ohio lawmaker who has spent years fighting with leaders of his own party could end up in one of the most powerful jobs in Washington, putting him second in line for the presidency.

Republicans who control the chamber nominated Jordan as a replacement for Kevin McCarthy was ousted as speaker by a small group of his fellow Republicans on Oct. 3.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/hardli ... 023-10-17/

McCarthy Defends Jordan After Jordan Loses on First Round of Votes for Speaker
October 17, 2023

Introduction:

(CNN) Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy defended Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan after Jordan lost the first round of votes for the speakership, saying Jordan “has just as many votes as I had on the first round.”

“The difference here is we have rules and we can sit down and talk to the other members and be able to move forward,” he said, brushing away claims by Jordan allies that he was in striking distance when 20 Republicans voted against him. “What I saw was the exact same vote I got when I ran and I became speaker.”

McCarthy said that unlike in January, the chamber can pause to allow discussions to happen between members.

“Now we have rules. We don’t have to be stuck on the floor,” he said, and blamed “every single Democrat” who he said “voted to stop one branch of government.”

“We’ll go sit down, we’ll talk to those who have a difference of opinion and come back,” he said.

Read more here: https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news ... x.html

caltrek’s comment: McCarthy is full of it. Republicans could have just as easily voted for Jeffries making him Speaker. McCarthy is simply passing the buck for the fact that Republicans can’t get their act together. Moreover, unsurprisingly he is being inconsistent: 1) No major problem here because we are going to rectify the situation under the rules. 2) The major problem we face is the Democrats unwilling to support a Republican. I suppose there are ways of reconciling those two statements, but the point that is overlooked is that being a Democrat by nature involves not supporting the Republicans just as being a Republican by nature involves not supporting Democrats. It is just the sort of arrogance and passing of the buck for things that go wrong that McCarthy displays which reinforced the Democrats decision not to support McCarthy in his earlier fight.

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[caltrek]

These malignant narcissists would rather BURN the country down than relinquish power

Unfortunately, this sounds like an accurate assessment to me.

[raklian]

Dominoes are falling.