Us Congress

US Congress passes bill to avert shutdown, deferring spending talks to Dec

The US Congress has passed a temporary measure that keeps government agencies funded into December, avoiding a shutdown for now while punting final spending decisions until after the November 5 election. The Senate approved the measure on Wednesday by a vote of 78-18 shortly after the House easily approved it. The bill generally funds agencies at current levels through December 20. But an additional USD231 million was included to bolster the Secret Service after the two assassination attempts against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Money was also added to aid with the presidential transition, among other things. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden's desk to be signed into law. This bipartisanship is a good outcome for America, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said moments before the vote. I hope it sets the tone for more constructive, bipartisan work when we return in the fall. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., billed the measure as doing only what's absolut

US Cong leaders agree on 3-month funding, avoiding shutdown before Oct 1

Congressional leaders announced an agreement Sunday on a short-term spending bill that will fund federal agencies for about three months, averting a possible partial government shutdown when the new budget year begins October 1 and pushing final decisions until after the November election. Lawmakers have struggled to get to this point as the current budget year winds to a close at month's end. At the urging of the most conservative members of his conference, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had linked temporary funding with a mandate that would have compelled states to require proof of citizenship when people register to vote. But Johnson could not get all Republicans on board even as the party's presidential nominee, Donald Trump, insisted on that package. Trump said Republican lawmakers should not support a stop-gap measure without the voting requirement, but the bill went down to defeat anyway, with 14 Republicans opposing it. Bipartisan negotiations began in earnest shortly .

US senators bill aims to support Taiwan, counter Chinese influence

The act also proposes that the US transfer 'obsolete or surplus items' to Taiwan, including equipment that could be used as reserve stock

US FAA chief to testify before Congress on Sept 24 on Boeing quality plan

Boeing faces mounting scrutiny from Congress since a Jan. 5 mid-air emergency in a new Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9.

China wants Trump to win presidential elections: Congressman Krishnamoorthi

China wants Republican candidate Donald Trump to win the presidential election this November, Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said Thursday. Krishnamoorthi, who represents the eighth Congressional district of Illinois, is the only Indian-American Congressman to address the Democratic National Conference in Chicago. America against America is the title of a book by one of China's highest-ranking leaders, and it's how they think they'll win. They know the only way they'll beat America is if we beat ourselves,' said Krishnamoorthi, who is a ranking member of the powerful China committee in the House of Representatives. In the Congress, he said, his job is to study China's economy. Mark my words, they want to see Donald Trump across the bargaining table. Because he'll start endless trade wars that raise prices for Americans. Because he'll cut programmes that train workers in America. But most of all, Trump will hit American against American. And that's what China wants,

Microsoft pushes US Congress to pass law for crackdown on deepfakes

The company also is pushing for Congress to label AI-generated content as synthetic and for federal and state laws that penalize the creation and distribution of sexually exploitive deepfakes

US Congress creates bipartisan task force to probe Trump assassination bid

The US House of Representatives has announced the creation of a 13-member bipartisan congressional task force on the attempted assassination of former president and Republican Party presidential nominee Donald Trump. Trump, 78, survived the attempt on his life on July 13 when a 20-year-old shooter fired multiple shots at him at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, injuring his right ear. The shooting left one person attending the rally dead and two others in serious condition. The suspected shooter was shot and killed by a member of the Secret Service. We have the utmost confidence in this bipartisan group of steady, highly qualified and capable Members of Congress to move quickly to find the facts, ensure accountability, and help make certain such failures never happen again, said House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Monday. The task force has been formed to understand what went wrong on the day of the attempted assassination, to ensure accountabil

Harris' endorsement has created burst of energy in Democrats: Congressman

President Joe Biden's decision to endorse Kamala Harris as the presidential nominee has generated a burst of energy and enthusiasm within the party and it now has the chance to win back the White House, prominent Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has said. Over the weekend, Vice President Harris was endorsed by Biden, who announced his decision to drop out of the race for the White House. On Wednesday he told the nation that he did this to unite the party. Following Biden's dismal performance at the debate against Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, there was a sense of disappointment in the party. It's exciting. I mean, I think there's no other word for it. It's exciting. It created a burst of energy and enthusiasm, positivity within the Democratic Party, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi told PTI in an interview. Krishnamoorthi, a 51-year-old Democratic Party lawmaker from Illinois, said he plans to campaign for Harris in the key battleground state of .

In fiery speech to US Congress, Netanyahu seeks support for war in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended Israel's ongoing war in Gaza and condemned American protesters in a scathing speech to Congress Wednesday that triggered boycotts by many top Democratic lawmakers and drew thousands of protesters to the Capitol to condemn the war in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis it has created. Nine months into the war in Gaza, Netanyahu vowed to press on with the war until total victory. He also sought bolster U.S. support for his country's fight against Hamas and other Iran-backed armed groups, and bitterly condemned widespread opposition in the United States to the war. America and Israel must stand together. When we stand together something really simple happens: we win, they lose. said Netanyahu, who wore a yellow pin expressing solidarity with the Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Netanyahu's speech quickly took on a darker tone as he defended his country but also derided those protesting the war, gesturing to demonstrations happening as he .

CrowdStrike CEO called to testify to Congress over global tech outage

US House leaders are calling on CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz to testify to Congress about the cybersecurity company's role in sparking the widespread tech outage that grounded flights, knocked banks and hospital systems offline and affected services around the world. CrowdStrike said this week a significant number of the millions of computers that crashed on Friday, causing global disruptions, are back in operation as its customers and regulators await a more detailed explanation of what went wrong. Republicans who lead the House Homeland Security committee said Monday they want those answers soon. While we appreciate CrowdStrike's response and coordination with stakeholders, we cannot ignore the magnitude of this incident, which some have claimed is the largest IT outage in history, said a letter to Kurtz from Rep. Mark E. Green of Tennessee and Rep. Andrew Garbarino of New York. They added that Americans "deserve to know in detail how this incident happened and the mitigation ste

US Sen Menendez convicted of taking bribes & acting as an agent for Egypt

US Sen. Bob Menendez was convicted on Tuesday of all the counts he faced at his corruption trial, including accepting bribes of gold and cash from three New Jersey businessmen and acting as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government. The jury's verdict followed a nine-week trial in which prosecutors said the Democrat abused the power of his office to protect allies from criminal investigations and enrich associates, including his wife, through acts that included meeting with Egyptian intelligence officials and helping that country access millions of dollars in US military aid. As the verdict was read in court, Menendez, 70, looked toward the jury at times as he appeared to mark a document in front of him. Afterward, he sat resting his chin against his closed hands, elbows on the table. He and his lawyers vowed to appeal as they left the courthouse. I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country. I have never, ever been a foreign agent, Menendez ...

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu set to address US Congress on July 24

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to address a joint meeting of Congress on July 24, setting the stage for what is expected to be a contentious speech at a crucial moment for the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Congressional leaders confirmed the date of the address late Thursday after formally inviting Netanyahu to come speak before lawmakers last week. It is the most recent show of wartime support for the longtime ally despite mounting political divisions over Israel's military assault on Hamas in Gaza. The existential challenges we face, including the growing partnership between Iran, Russia, and China, threaten the security, peace, and prosperity of our countries and of free people around the world, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, along with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, said in the letter. "To build on our enduring relationship and to highlight ..

TikTok, ByteDance sue to block US law seeking divestiture or ban of app

Driven by worries among U.S. lawmakers that China could access data on Americans or spy on them with the app, the measure was passed overwhelmingly in Congress just weeks after being introduced

Senate passes $95.3 bn package for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and Indo-Pacific

The Senate has passed USD 95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars. The bill passed the Senate on an overwhelming 79-18 vote late on Tuesday after the House had approved the package on Saturday. Biden, who worked with congressional leaders to win support, said in a statement immediately after passage that he will sign it on Wednesday and start the process of sending weapons to Ukraine, which has been struggling to hold its front lines against Russia. "Tonight, a bipartisan majority in the Senate joined the House to answer history's call at this critical inflection point," Biden said. The legislation would also send USD 26 billion in wartime assistance to Israel and humanitarian relief to citizens of Gaza, and USD 8 billion to counter Chinese threats in Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. US officials said about USD 1 billion

'Key provisions of CAA may violate certain Articles of Indian Constitution'

Key provisions of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which came into law this year may violate certain provisions of India's Constitution, a report issued by an independent research wing of the US Congress has claimed. CAA, which amends India's 1955 Citizenship Act, came into force in March this year. The CAA's key provisions allowing immigrants of six religions from three countries a path to citizenship while excluding Muslims may violate certain Articles of the Indian Constitution, said a brief 'In Focus' report of Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS is an independent research wing of the US Congress that prepares reports on issues of interest to the members of Congress so that they can make informed decisions. CRS reports are not considered to be an official report of views of the Congress. The Indian government and other proponents of the CAA have asserted that the aim is purely humanitarian. India has also trashed the criticism against the CAA and said "vote-bank ...

Pak sustained its nuclear programme despite economic turmoil: US official

Pakistan sustained its nuclear modernisation efforts last year despite its economic turmoil as its contentious relationship with India continues to drive its defence policy, the top US intelligence official has told Congress. The remarks by Lt Gen Jeffrey Kruse, Director of the Defence Intelligence Agency came during a Congressional hearing on China on Monday???. Kruse told lawmakers that Pakistan has sought international support, including from the UN Security Council, to resolve its dispute with India about Kashmir. Separately, Islamabad and New Delhi have maintained an uneasy ceasefire along the shared Line of Control since February 2021, he said. Pakistan has sustained its nuclear modernisation efforts despite its economic turmoil. Terrorist violence against Pakistani security forces and civilians also rose last year, he said. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Pakistan is reported to have 170 nuclear warheads as of January 2023. Cash-strapped .

Boeing CEO to testify on jetliner safety after whistleblower charges

A Senate subcommittee has summoned Boeing CEO David Calhoun to testify about the company's jetliners in an inquiry prompted by new safety-related charges from a whistleblower. The panel said it will hold a hearing next week featuring a Boeing quality engineer, Sam Salehpour, who is expected to detail safety concerns involving the manufacture and assembly of the 787 Dreamliner. The subcommittee said in a letter that those problems could create potentially catastrophic safety risks. Boeing would not say whether Calhoun plans to attend the April 17 hearing. In response to a query from The Associated Press, a spokesperson said only that the company is cooperating with the subcommittee's inquiry and has offered to provide documents, testimony and technical briefings. The Federal Aviation Administration has also been investigating Salehpour's allegations since February, according to the subcommittee. The FAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Salehpour, whose concerns

Republicans invite Prez Biden to testify as impeachment inquiry stalls

House Republicans on Thursday invited President Joe Biden to testify before Congress as part of their impeachment inquiry into him and his family's business affairs. Rep James Comer, chair of the House Oversight Committee, sent a letter to the Democratic president, inviting him to sit for a public hearing to "explain, under oath", what involvement he had in the Biden family businesses. "In light of the yawning gap between your public statements and the evidence assembled by the Committee, as well as the White House's obstruction, it is in the best interest of the American people for you to answer questions from Members of Congress directly, and I hereby invite you to do so," the Kentucky Republican wrote. While it is highly unlikely that Biden would agree to appear before lawmakers in such a setting, Comer pointed to previous examples of presidents' testifying before Congress. "As you are aware, presidents before you have provided testimony to congressional committees, including ..

US Congress rushes to approve package of spending bills to prevent shutdown

Lawmakers are racing on Friday to pass the final spending package needed for the current budget year, a long overdue action that will set funding for federal agencies and push any threats of a government shutdown to the fall. With spending set to expire for several key federal agencies at midnight on Friday, the House and Senate are expected to take up to spare a USD 1.2 trillion measure that combines six annual spending bills into one package. More than 70 per cent of the money would go to defence. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is bringing the bill up under a streamlined process that requires two-thirds support for approval. It will pass. We're whipping the bill and I expect a good number," Johnson said, referring to how leadership rallies support for a bill. While lawmakers could miss the midnight deadline for funding the government action in the Senate could take time the practical impact would be minimal. With most federal workers off duty over the weekend, and many government

Nearly 8 in 10 AAPI adults in US think abortion should be legal: Poll

With abortion rights poised to be one of the major issues in the 2024 election, a new poll shows that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the United States are highly supportive of legal abortion, even in situations where the pregnant person wants an abortion for any reason. The poll from AAPI Data and The Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research finds that nearly 8 in 10 Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders think abortion should be legal in all or most cases. They're also supportive of federal government action to preserve abortion rights: Three-quarters of AAPI adults say Congress should pass a law guaranteeing access to legal abortions nationwide. By comparison, an AP-NORC poll conducted last June found that 64 per cent of US adults think abortion should be legal in all or most cases, and 6 in 10 US adults overall say Congress should pass a law guaranteeing access. AAPI adults are more likely than Americans overall to ...