Page 3 - Us Congress

Melania Trump invites 'everyday Americans' to President Trump's address

The family of a firefighter killed by a gunman who had shot US President Donald Trump last summer, an American teacher held hostage by the Russian government and family of a young female nursing student murdered by an illegal immigrant are among the special guests invited for the President's first Joint Session of Congress Tuesday. First Lady Melania Trump has invited everyday Americans" as Special Guests who will join her and Trump at the US Capitol when the American President delivers his closely-watched first address to a joint session of Congress in his second term at the White House. These men, women, and families come from all di?erent walks of life with incredible stories about the disaster wrought by the previous administration, and the historic achievements President Trump has already enacted to usher in the Golden Age of America, a press statement said. The guests include Helen Comperatore and her daughters Allyson and Kaylee. Helen Comperatore is the widow of Corey ...

'Tomorrow night will be big,' hints Trump before joint Congress address

US President Donald Trump sparked speculation with a cryptic social media post on Monday, saying, 'Tomorrow night will be big. I will tell it like it is'

Trump's next first speech to Congress will differ sharply from his last one

The nation will hear a new president sing a far different tune in his prime-time address before Congress on Tuesday night. Some Americans will lustily sing along. Others will plug their ears. The old tune is out the one where a president declares we strongly support NATO, I believe strongly in free trade and Washington must do more to promote clean air, clean water, women's health and civil rights. That was Donald Trump in 2017. That was back when gestures of bipartisanship and appeals to national unity were still in the mix on the night the president comes before Congress to hold forth on the state of the union. Trump, then new at the job, was just getting his footing in the halls of power and not ready to stomp on everything. It would be three more years before Americans would see Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, then the House speaker and his State of the Union host in the chamber, performatively rip up a copy of Trump's speech in disgust over its contents. On Tues

US Congressmen slam Biden admin for 'misguided crusade' against Adani Group

The six Congressmen questioned why the DOJ proceeded with the indictment despite the allegations being centred in India, involving Indian officials

Donald Trump vows to close Department of Education, seeks Congress' help

Trump said that some of his advisers had said he could shutter the Education Department through an executive order, but that his preference was to work with Congress as well as teachers' unions

US Congress blocks DeepSeek AI over security concerns; Italy launches probe

US Congress bans Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek over security risks, citing malware threats. Italy follows suit, blocking access and launching a probe into its data practices

Ro Khanna, Rich McCormick to co-chair India Caucus in new US Congress

Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna and Republican lawmaker Rich McCormick would co-chair the India Caucus in the US House of Representatives in the new Congress, an announcement said here Wednesday. Congressmen Andy Barr and Marc Veasey will continue serving as vice co-chairs. Congressman Brad Sherman, who formerly served as chair, will continue to serve as chair emeritus, the announcement said. "A strong partnership with India is critical for our economy and national security. It is an honor to continue serving as co-chair of the India Caucus and to welcome Rep. Rich McCormick as the caucus's new co-chair, Khanna said. McCormick, who represents the 7th Congressional District of Georgia, has supported policies to strengthen the US-India relationship, he said. "I have the great privilege of serving many hard working Indian Americans in my district and will continue to strengthen our relationship with India, McCormick said. The dedication, innovation, and contributions of this ..

US to pass sanctions against those not cooperating on deportation: Speaker

The US Congress is ready to pass sanctions on countries which refuse to cooperate with the Trump administration's order on deportation of undocumented immigrants, House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson has warned. Soon after taking over, the Trump administration started massive mass deportation. Raids are being reported from across the country. Colombia and all nations should be on notice - Congress is fully prepared to pass sanctions and other measures against those that do not fully cooperate or follow through on requirements to accept their citizens who are illegally in the United States, Johnson said. "President Trump is putting America first, just like he said he would. And Congress will implement policies that reinforce his agenda, he said. Johnson came out in support of Trump's decision to impose tariffs on Colombia after its President Gustavo Petro turned away two US military aircraft full of detained Colombian migrants. The White House later on Sunday night that ..

Trump pauses all US foreign aid for 90 days; orders review; NGOs decry move

Donald Trump's directive, which halts all non-military foreign assistance for 90 days pending a review, has sparked widespread concern among humanitarian organisations

Trump's second week tests his hold over Congress for agenda, cabinet picks

Facing him this week are talks to shape his tax and immigration bills and getting more cabinet nominees confirmed in the Senate

Irritated with WADA, US Congress may give govt authority to stop payments

A bipartisan group of lawmakers looking for reforms at the World Anti-Doping Agency reintroduced a bill that would give the White House permanent authority to withhold money from the drug-fighting agency. The Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency Act would make permanent an already temporary ability to hold back the money. It would put more teeth behind the government's recent decision not to pay $3.6 million to WADA a move WADA said would cost the U.S. its seat on one of its top policymaking boards. The federal government has long been critical of WADA. The agency's handling of a doping case involving Chinese swimmers who were allowed to compete despite testing positive reignited tensions that have simmered since the Russian doping scandal erupted in 2014. My colleagues and I have a message for WADA, the IOC, and any other international organization who tries to strong-arm the United States: we are calling your bluff, and we won't be silenced in our mission to promo

Trump suspends foreign assistance programmes for 90 days pending reviews

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday temporarily suspending all US foreign assistance programmes for 90 days pending reviews to determine whether they are aligned with his policy goals. It was not immediately clear how much assistance would initially be affected by the order as funding for many programs has already been appropriated by Congress and is obligated to be spent, if not already spent. The order, among many Trump signed on his first day back in office, said the foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values and serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly inverse to harmonious and stable relations internal to and among countries. Consequently, Trump declared that no further United States foreign assistance shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United ...

TikTok's fight against shut down gains support from key US lawmakers

Trump's incoming national security adviser said the new Republican administration will keep the social media app used by 170 million Americans alive in the US if there is a viable deal

Krishnamoorthi leads resolution for Tamil language, heritage month in US

The resolution highlights the significance of Tamil language, one of the world's oldest languages, spoken by over 80 million people globally

Look forward to more Indian American members in US Congress: Lawmakers

Celebrating the largest representation of the community in the history of the US Congress, Indian American lawmakers on Friday said that they are looking forward to welcoming more Indian American members of Congress in the future. When I first took office in 2013, I was the only Indian American member of Congress and the third ever in our nation's history, said Congressman Dr Ami Bera, the senior-most Indian American lawmaker in the House of Representatives. Since that day, I have been committed to ensuring we grow our representation in Congress. In the past decade, I am proud to be joined by incredible Indian American colleagues from around the country -- Representatives Jayapal, Khanna, Krishnamoorthi and Thanedar, he said. With the swearing-in of the 119th Congress, our cohort has grown to a record six members with the election of Representative Subramanyam in Virginia. I look forward to welcoming even more Indian American Members of Congress in the future! Bera said, days after

Jimmy Carter eulogised by Harris, congressional leaders at US Capitol

Nearly 44 years after Jimmy Carter left the nation's capital in humbling defeat, the 39th president returned to Washington for three days of state funeral rites starting Tuesday. Carter's remains, which had been lying in repose at the Carter Presidential Centre since Saturday, left the Atlanta campus Tuesday morning, accompanied by his children and extended family. Special Air Mission 39 departed Dobbins Air Reserve Base north of Atlanta and arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. A motorcade carried the casket into Washington for a final journey to the Capitol, where members of Congress will pay their respects. In Georgia, eight military pallbearers held Carter's casket as cannons fired on the tarmac nearby. They carried it to a vehicle that lifted it to the passenger compartment of the aircraft, the iconic blue and white Boeing 747 variant that is known as Air Force One when the sitting president is on board. Carter never travelled as president on the jet, which first flew as Ai

Biden govt informs Congress of planned $8 bn weapons sale to Israel

The State Department has informed Congress of a planned USD 8 billion weapons sale to Israel, US officials say, as the American ally presses forward with its war against Hamas in Gaza. Some of the arms in the package could be sent through current US stocks but the majority would take a year or several years to deliver, according to two US officials Saturday who spoke on condition of anonymity because the notification to Congress hasn't been formally sent. The sale includes medium-range air-to-air missiles to help Israel defend against airborne threats, 155 mm projectile artillery shells for long-range targeting, Hellfire AGM-114 missiles, 500-pound bombs and more. The weapons package would add to a record of at least USD 17.9 billion in military aid that the US has provided Israel since the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, launched the war. The Biden administration has faced criticism over mounting deaths of Palestinian civilians. There have been demonstrations on college campuses

Here's how Congress will certify Trump's electoral college victory on Jan 6

The congressional joint session to count electoral votes on Monday is expected to be much less eventful than the certification four years ago that was interrupted by a violent mob of supporters of then-President Donald Trump who tried to stop the count and overturn the results of an election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. This time, Trump is returning to office after winning the 2024 election that began with Biden as his party's nominee and ended with Vice President Kamala Harris atop the ticket. She will preside over the certification of her own loss, fulfilling the constitutional role in the same way that Trump's vice president, Mike Pence, did after the violence subsided on January 6, 2021. Usually a routine affair, the congressional joint session on January 6 every four years is the final step in reaffirming a presidential election after the Electoral College officially elects the winner in December. The meeting is required by the Constitution and includes several distinct ...

Speaker Mike Johnson faces crucial vote as new US Congress convenes

The new Congress has opened with one major task at hand the election of the House speaker. Newly-elected lawmakers are in place at the US Capitol but current Speaker Mike Johnson's weak grip on the gavel threatens not only his own survival but President-elect Donald Trump's ambitious agenda of tax cuts and mass deportations as Republicans sweep to power in Washington. With opposition from his own GOP colleagues, Johnson arrived with outward confidence after working into the night to sway hardline holdouts. A flop by Johnson could throw Monday's congressional certification of Trump's 2024 election victory into turmoil without a House speaker. Even backing from Trump himself, usually a sure bet for Republicans, was no guarantee Johnson will stay in power. "We don't have time for drama, Johnson said as he walked into the Capitol. The Louisiana Republican said the speaker election is not just about one person but about moving forward with the America First agenda". And he had a renew

Trump endorses Mike Johnson to stay on as Speaker despite funding turmoil

President-elect Donald Trump on Monday endorsed House Speaker Mike Johnson, providing crucial backing for the Louisiana Republican as he prepares for what is expected to be another contentious speakership race this week. Trump said in a post on his social media platform that Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man and said he will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement," he wrote. Johnson thanked Trump for the endorsement and added, The American people demand and deserve that we waste no time. Let's get to work! The signal of support from Trump comes despite his frustration with a spending deal Johnson pushed through the House days before Christmas that failed to achieve his central goal of raising the debt limit. But other Republicans have been less forgiving. Far-right criticism over the spending ordeal has left Johnson's continued leadership of the incoming GOP majority once again in jeopardy. Though a deal was reached,