Author: Patricia Zengerle
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House committee chair gives Monday deadline to Blinken in Afghan subpoena threat
WASHINGTON • The Republican chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday gave the State Department until Monday to produce documents related to the August 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, or face a subpoena. “I have the subpoena. it’s right here. And I’m prepared to serve this,” Rep. Michael McCaul told…
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Blinken promises review of Afghan withdrawal to Congress by mid-April
WASHINGTON • U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told lawmakers on Wednesday that the State Department has been putting together a review of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and will share findings with Congress by mid-April. “We’ve now been spending time putting all of this together to make sure that we look at some of…
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House GOP votes to oust Omar from major committee
WASHINGTON • House of Representatives Republicans on Thursday ousted Democrat Ilhan Omar from a high-profile committee over remarks widely condemned as antisemitic, two years after Democrats removed two Republicans from committee assignments. The deeply divided House voted 218-211 along party lines to remove Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee with Republicans citing the 2019 remarks…
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U.S. Senate passes record $858 billion defense act, sending bill to Biden
By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate passed legislation on Thursday authorizing a record $858 billion in annual defense spending, $45 billion more than proposed by President Joe Biden, and rescinding the military’s COVID vaccine mandate. Senators supported the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, an annual must-pass bill setting policy for the Pentagon,…
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Sen. Menendez wants ‘freeze’ on Saudi cooperation
WASHINGTON • The Democratic chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee called Monday for a freeze on cooperation with Saudi Arabia, including most arms sales, accusing the kingdom of helping underwrite the Russian war on Ukraine after OPEC+ announced last week it would cut oil production. The Saudi-led OPEC+ cartel agreed to cut output…
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Jan. 6 panel plans next hearing for Sept. 28
WASHINGTON • The House of Representatives committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol is planning to hold its next hearing Sept. 28, the panel’s chairman said on Tuesday. Rep. Bennie Thompson told reporters he expected the public hearing would be the panel’s last, unless something else happens. The Democratic-led Select Committee…
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Senators introduce bill to designate Russia state sponsor of terrorism
WASHINGTON • Democratic and Republican U.S. senators introduced legislation on Wednesday that would designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, a label pushed for by Ukraine but opposed by President Joe Biden’s administration. “The need for this measure is more pressing now than ever before,” Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, one of the bill’s sponsors,…
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U.S. Senate passes bill to boost chip manufacturing, compete with China
By David Shepardson and Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed sweeping legislation to subsidize the domestic semiconductor industry, hoping to boost companies as they compete with China and alleviate a persistent shortage that has affected everything from cars to weapons and video games. The Senate passed the long-awaited bill by…
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Biden makes push for chips legislation with CEOs meeting
By David Shepardson and Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden met virtually on Monday with the chief executives of Lockheed Martin Corp, Medtronic PLC and Cummins Inc along with labor leaders as part of the administration’s push for legislation to boost the U.S. semiconductor industry. “This is about investing in the United States,” said…
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Senate to vote as soon on slimmed-down China chip bill
WASHINGTON • Voting in the Senate on a bill to boost the U.S. semiconductor industry and improve competitiveness with China could begin as early as Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been telling lawmakers, a source familiar with the issue said on Thursday. The source said the bill would include, at a minimum, billions…