Congress

• Current members of Congress are struggling to effectively meet the needs of 21st-century Americans due to systemic institutional failures. • Researchers Kornberg and Whitehead argue that the $174,000 annual salary is too low, effectively barring working-class individuals from serving in office. • This pay gap is exacerbated by the requirement for legislators to maintain two separate residences: one in their home state and another in expensive Washington, D.C.

Out-going Louisiana senator’s rebuke over Iran war is rare instance of a Republican politician standing up to TrumpBill Cassidy, the Republican senator from Louisiana who is being ousted from his position after Donald Trump successfully backed a challenger in May’s primary, has accused the US president of treating Congress as “merely an appendage” in his handling of the Iran war.In an interview on Sunday with CBS News’s Face the Nation, the out-going Cassidy explained his recent face-to-face row with Trump over the president’s failure to brief Congress on the prosecution of the hostilities with Tehran. In a fleetingly rare instance of a Republican politician directly standing up to Trump, Cassidy let rip at a Capitol Hill lunch over the senator’s support for a war powers resolution that was a symbolic rebuke to the White House. Continue reading...

• The BJP has rejected criticism from Congress leader Sonia Gandhi regarding the Indian government's "silence and inaction" over the ongoing Gaza conflict. • The ruling party defended its approach as balanced, highlighting that India has consistently extended humanitarian aid and voted in favor of relevant UN resolutions. • The BJP accused the Congress party of engaging in "vote bank politics" rather than focusing on a constructive diplomatic strategy.

• House Committee Chairmen Jim Jordan, Bryan Steil, and James Comer sent a formal letter to former Biden White House Counsel Dana Remus demanding documents and communications. • The request focuses on ActBlue's fraud prevention policies following New York Times reporting that Remus possesses direct, firsthand information regarding the matter. • This action is part of a broader oversight effort by House Republicans to investigate potential fraud and misleading statements made to Congress.

House committee seeks records after two agency scientists were charged over undeclared samplesThe US House committee on energy and commerce is “examining concerns” about the National Institutes of Health after two NIH scientists were charged with allegedly smuggling mpox into the United States and misleading investigators.Federal law enforcement alleges that Dr Vincent Munster, 53, a Dutch national and chief of the virus ecology section at the NIH’s Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML) in Montana, and Claude Kwe, 38, a research fellow from Cameroon, transported vials containing monkeypox, now known as mpox, into the country without declaring them to customs and then “lying about it”. Continue reading...

• The Congress party is planning a leadership reshuffle within its Punjab unit to prepare for the upcoming assembly elections. • The decision to restructure the leadership has reportedly intensified internal factionalism and created confusion among party members. • This move matters as the party seeks to unify its ranks and strengthen its organizational structure to remain competitive in the state.

• A U.S. House Appropriations subcommittee hearing escalated into a heated shouting match between Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. • The confrontation centered on accusations of hypocrisy during the exchange, reflecting deep partisan tensions within the congressional oversight process. • This clash highlights the ongoing friction between Democratic lawmakers and the Department of Homeland Security's leadership regarding policy implementation and governance.

• Pro- and anti-AI interest groups spent a combined $24 million on a single congressional race in New York's 12th district. • The spending was funneled through Super PACs, which are permitted to raise and spend unlimited funds to support or oppose specific candidates. • This high-spending contest serves as a bellwether for how the AI industry intends to influence political outcomes through massive financial injections.

Pro- and anti-AI groups spent $24m on a congressional contest in New York, but it’s unclear to what endUS politics live – latest updatesWhen the Democratic primary for New York’s 12th congressional district was called on Tuesday night, the result capped off one of the most expensive races of its kind in the state’s history. More than $24m poured into the Manhattan contest from tech-backed financial groups as the campaign turned into a battleground for pro- and anti-AI groups to test their influence.Much of the spending targeted candidate Alex Bores, a member of the state assembly who sponsored an AI safety bill and subsequently became a lightning rod for the tech industry. Pro-AI political action committees (Pacs) put more than $8m into the race to oppose Bores, according to Tech Influence Watch, while industry groups supporting regulation spent more than $16m to counter the attacks. Continue reading...

• Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera criticized the BJP on Monday following "Operation Tiger," a move led by ally Eknath Shinde to further weaken Uddhav Thackeray's camp. • Khera likened the current political maneuvering to "Operation Lotus" and described the actions as "dacoity" aimed at destabilizing opposition forces. • The conflict highlights the ongoing volatility within Maharashtra's political landscape and the BJP's broader strategy for a "Congress-mukt Bharat."

In NY-12, four Democrats, including one Kennedy, are vying to replace Jerry Nadler – and potentially shake things upWhen news broke that a safely Democratic seat in New York’s wealthiest congressional district was becoming vacant, it was inevitable that there would be a crowded field of candidates.What people might not have expected is that the subsequent Democratic primary, would become one of the country’s most closely watched and action-packed, the race coming to reflect a range of Democrats’ national political priorities: who is the strongest against Trump; who is the most critical of artificial intelligence companies; and who is, basically, the coolest. Continue reading...

• A Uttar Pradesh minister has claimed that several MPs and MLAs from the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress are in contact with the ruling party, suggesting potential defections. • The Samajwadi Party has denied these claims, asserting that their house is in order and all their lawmakers are fully accounted for. • These developments follow recent political shifts involving the TMC and Shiv Sena, raising the possibility of the BJP-led NDA achieving a two-thirds parliamentary majority.

• The proposed "Stop Lawmakers From Predicting Act" aims to prohibit members of Congress from betting on prediction markets concerning elections and policy outcomes. • A new Federal Reserve chairman recently held his first press conference, where he was characterized as knowledgeable, humble, and collegial. • Projections indicate the U.S. national debt is on track to double over the next 30 years due to increased spending by Congress and the White House.

Jackson Lahmeyer, a Christian nationalist and Pastors for Trump founder, loses Trump endorsement to competitorThe Oklahoma congressional candidate Jackson Lahmeyer announced on Wednesday that he was suspending his campaign, after the Christian pastor once endorsed by Donald Trump, who had advanced to a Republican primary runoff, was reported to have sent extramarital, intimate text messages.“After prayerful consideration with my wife, Kendra, and my team over the last twenty four hours, I’ve made the difficult decision to suspend my campaign for Congress,” the Christian nationalist and Pastors for Trump founder wrote in a statement on Wednesday afternoon. “I do not want to be a distraction to my family, my church, and the great people of Oklahoma’s 1st congressional district, who deserve a strong conservative voice representing them in Washington. Continue reading...

Lawmakers cite rushed timeline and public input despite pressure to redraw districts after supreme court opinionGeorgia Republicans declined to redraw the state’s congressional map during a special session, citing a rushed timeline and incomplete understanding of the ramifications of a recent US supreme court decision that effectively gutted a major section of the Voting Rights Act.“We believe that it’s important to do things the Georgia way, responsibly, transparently, and with ample opportunity for public input,” said Jon Burns, the Georgia house speaker. Continue reading...

• Representative Barry Moore, endorsed by President Trump, won the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat in Oklahoma. • Moore defeated Jared Hudson, a political newcomer who ran a conservative grassroots campaign to challenge the incumbent. • The election was triggered by Senator Tommy Tuberville vacating his seat to run for governor of Oklahoma.

President is first in US history to be impeached twice, over abuse of power and inciting an insurrectionDonald Trump is pressing Congress to erase one of the darkest chapters of his political career, urging Republicans to pass a resolution that would symbolically nullify the two impeachments he suffered during his first term in office.The effort, first reported by the Wall Street Journal and confirmed by a White House official, would allow Trump to claim a symbolic victory on a key grievance from his first term. But experts say it would have little legal significance, since the constitution provides no procedure for undoing an impeachment. Continue reading...

Law due to expire at midnight tonight following unhappiness over Trump’s pick for intelligence chiefA key provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa) is due to expire on Friday night amid a backlash to Trump’s announcement that Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and a major Republican donor, would be acting DNI.While Trump has moved to contain the furor – announcing his nomination of another top official, Jay Carney, to take the role on a permanent basis – US Congress has so far failed to extend section 702 of Fisa in time for Friday’s deadline.Pulte has to go. He cannot be in the DNI role. It’s too important.Donald Trump declared “a great settlement” with Iran, which could be signed soon “maybe in Europe, over the weekend”.Trump’s hand-picked board at the Kennedy Center is mounting a last-minute effort to keep his name on the facade of the performing arts facility before a court-ordered deadline to remove it by Friday. The board voted on Thursday to seek a stay of US district judge Christopher Cooper’s 29 May ruling that said Trump’s name was illegally added to the Kennedy Center, according to a person familiar with the move who requested anonymity to discuss a private meeting.Congressman Robert Garcia, who is in line to chair the House oversight committee next year if Democrats win back the majority in November, called for testimony from vice-president JD Vance and other senior officials over what he called “the White House cover-up” of the Epstein files revealed by the New York Times.US federal authorities are investigating what appears to be a massive etching of “8647” into the grass of the National Mall. Live webcam footage from atop the Washington Monument as of Thursday afternoon shows the markings, with a highly visible “8,” along with less visible “6”, “4” and “7”. Continue reading...

Pennsylvania’s Bob Brooks one of a slew of working-class Democrats on the ballot – can he beat a Koch-backed rival?Bob Brooks has worked a lot of jobs, sometimes several at once to make ends meet.He was a paper boy at age 10, and then a dishwasher, prep cook, pizza deliverer, bartender and truck driver. Even after he became a firefighter in 2005, Brooks managed to start a snow-removal and lawn-care business and coach baseball. Continue reading...

• Allies of the INDIA bloc have expressed support for the Cockroach Janta Party’s youth-led protests, while the Congress party has remained strategically silent. • The divide highlights internal differences within the opposition alliance, as some partners embrace the controversial movement while Congress adopts a cautious stance. • Political observers suggest Congress is avoiding the issue to prevent potential internal complications or public embarrassment.

• A proposed White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) rule threatens research by using PEPFAR as a justification to increase political oversight of federal grantmaking. • Vaccine development is accelerating in response to the growing Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak to mitigate the spread of the virus. • The US Secretary of State is facing questioning from multiple Congressional committees regarding the future and strategic direction of PEPFAR.

Revealed: AIEF, a charitable affiliate of pro-Israel lobby Aipac, has spent millions on travel for lawmakers from both parties, even as voters’ support for Israel plummetsDozens of members of Congress and Capitol Hill staffers have enjoyed lavish gifted travel to Israel funded by an Aipac affiliate since 7 October 2023, amid Israel’s expanding wars on its neighbors and despite plummeting levels of support among Americans for the country’s policies, a Guardian analysis has found.Congressional ethics filings and other public records show the trips, led by the American Israel Education Foundation (AIEF), revolved around one-sided briefings on Middle East politics and Israeli domestic and foreign policy. Lawmakers and their staffers from both parties met Israeli officials, military contractors and civil society figures, including Benjamin Netanyahu and advocates for the annexation of the West Bank and the displacement of Palestinians from Jerusalem. Continue reading...

Robert Garcia became the lead contender in Tuesday’s primaries for congressional district 42 after redistrictingThe conservative California community of Huntington Beach, known for banning the Pride flag from city property and fighting the state over pandemic and housing policy, could soon be represented by a gay, Democratic congressman.Robert Garcia, an incumbent two-term Democratic LGBTQ+ congressman, immigrant and Donald Trump critic, is considered the leading contender in Tuesday’s primary race for the US House seat. Thanks to a successful restricting effort that redrew California’s voting maps to favor Democrats, Huntington Beach is now part of Garcia’s congressional district 42. Continue reading...

• Driven by public demand and survivor advocacy, members of the U.S. Congress are attempting to set aside party politics to seek accountability for Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse network. • The effort focuses on identifying those who enabled Epstein, though survivors argue that the U.S. response has been insufficient compared to international efforts. • In contrast to the U.S., senior government officials in the UK, Sweden, Norway, and Slovakia have already been forced to resign due to their ties to Epstein.

Treasury secretary says banknote would celebrate US’s 250th anniversary but Democrats vow to block moveThe White House is pushing Congress to approve a $250 bill bearing Donald Trump’s portrait, US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said, which would require changing longstanding federal law that prohibits any living person from appearing on US currency.Speaking from the White House at a news conference, Bessent said the bill would be in celebration of the country’s 250th anniversary of independence, and that the treasury has already started preparing for the possibility of the new currency. Continue reading...

• The Congress party criticized a Supreme Court judgment on Wednesday that cleared the Election Commission (EC) regarding the Special Summary Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. • Congress alleges the ruling ignored "major flaws and contradictions" in the EC's process, which they claim has deprived millions of citizens of their right to vote. • The party clarified that the legal challenges brought by civil society and political groups focused on the EC's conduct rather than the legal validity of the SIR itself.

• A federal three-judge panel temporarily blocked Alabama’s newly redrawn congressional map, ordering the state to keep using its current districts while litigation continues. • The ruling is a major development in an ongoing redistricting fight tied to race and representation, with the map potentially affecting partisan control in the 2026 midterms. • Alabama Republicans may appeal, including to the Supreme Court, after the panel issued a preliminary injunction.

Christian Menefee wins 18th district race after Republican gerrymandering carved up Green’s reliably Democratic seatChristian Menefee, a freshman Democratic US representative, beat veteran congressman Al Green on Tuesday in a fierce runoff that was the product of Republican gerrymandering.Last year, the Republican-dominated Texas legislature unveiled a congressional map designed to flip seats in the GOP’s favor. Donald Trump had urged the state’s lawmakers to safeguard the party’s congressional majority. Continue reading...