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Republicans slam Dems for abruptly postponing key hearing where Interior secretary set to testify

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Republicans slam Dems for abruptly postponing key hearing where Interior secretary set to testify

NEWNow you can hearken to Fox Information articles!

FIRST ON FOX: A prime Home Republican strongly criticized Democratic management Thursday for abruptly suspending a listening to wherein Inside Secretary Deb Haaland was set to testify.

Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., the GOP chief on the Pure Assets Committee, wrote to Chairman Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., criticizing the Democratic chief for stopping “a lot wanted transparency” into the Division of the Inside’s (DOI) decision-making course of. The listening to was slated to be Haaland’s first look earlier than a Home committee this yr and first earlier than the Pure Assets panel in 14 months.

“How can our committee perform important oversight if administration officers gained’t even come to Congress to reply questions?” Westerman instructed Fox Information Digital in an announcement. “It’s unacceptable that Secretary Haaland has not appeared earlier than the Pure Assets Committee since June of 2021.”

“All the things from skyrocketing vitality prices to the environmental impacts of unlawful immigration to western drought to catastrophic wildfire falls below DOI’s purview, and the truth that Secretary Haaland hasn’t appeared to reply for this administration’s failed insurance policies this yr is extraordinarily telling,” he continued. “Chair Grijalva wants to right away reschedule this cancelled listening to.”

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BIDEN ADMIN SIDES AGAINST NATIVE AMERICANS IN CRACKDOWN ON OIL LEASING NEAR INDIGENOUS SITE

Home Pure Assets Rating Member Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., speaks close to an oil rig on Feb. 10, 2021, in Midland, Texas.
(AP Photograph/Jack Dempsey, File)

The listening to, which was scheduled for Thursday, has been indefinitely postponed and changed with a markup listening to.

In his letter, Westerman famous Grijalva’s earlier feedback to the Trump administration stating that transparency is “elementary to good governance and accountability.” In February 2019, Grijalva and former Rep. TJ Cox, D-Calif., penned a letter to former Inside Secretary David Bernhardt demanding extra data on closed-door administration conferences.

BIDEN DEPT. OF INTERIOR RELEASES NEW NAMES OF FEDERAL LANDS DEEMED ‘RACIST AND DEROGATORY’

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The Arkansas Republican added that committee Democrats are seemingly shielding Haaland from answering robust questions regardless of Grijalva’s previous rhetoric. He mentioned the DOI has repeatedly failed to completely reply to Congressional inquiries.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland testifies before a Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on Feb. 24, 2021.

Inside Secretary Deb Haaland testifies earlier than a Senate Committee on Vitality and Pure Assets on Feb. 24, 2021.
(Sarah Silbiger/Pool by way of AP)

“Secretary Haaland ought to seem earlier than this Committee to reply for the selections her company makes, and we sit up for the immediate rescheduling of the postponed listening to,” Westerman wrote to Grijalva.

“The American folks deserve to listen to immediately from the Secretary as to why the Biden administration refuses to unleash our home vitality assets, implements poor federal lands administration methods, and appeases environmental activist teams on the taxpayers’ expense,” he concluded.

Grijalva’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

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Video: Biden Says Trump Is Responsible for ‘Nightmare’ State Abortion Laws

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Video: Biden Says Trump Is Responsible for ‘Nightmare’ State Abortion Laws

new video loaded: Biden Says Trump Is Responsible for ‘Nightmare’ State Abortion Laws

transcript

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Biden Says Trump Is Responsible for ‘Nightmare’ State Abortion Laws

President Biden tied a six-week abortion ban that will soon take place in Florida to former President Donald J. Trump and Republican efforts to ban abortion nationwide.

Let’s be real clear. There’s one person responsible for this nightmare. And he’s acknowledged and he brags about it: Donald Trump. [crowd boos] Now he’s worried the voters will hold him accountable for saying he’s responsible for getting Roe v. Wade overturned. Donald Trump is worried voters are going to hold him accountable for the cruelty and chaos he created. Folks, the bad news for Trump is we are going to hold him accountable. Don’t think he’s making a deal right now with MAGA extremists to ban nationwide abortion in every single state, because he’s making it. In fact, the MAGA majority in the House of Representatives has introduced three separate bans to ban choice nationwide. It’ll be all of us who restore those rights for women in America. [crowd cheers] And when you do that, we’ll teach Donald Trump and extreme MAGA Republicans a valuable lesson. Don’t mess with the women of America.

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Columbia University protests: Rep. Elise Stefanik calls on Biden admin to deport terrorist supporters on visas

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Columbia University protests: Rep. Elise Stefanik calls on Biden admin to deport terrorist supporters on visas

House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., sent a scathing letter to top Biden officials about the ongoing anti-Israel protests at Columbia University, demanding federal intervention to protect Jewish students.

In a letter dated Tuesday, Stefanik wrote to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Attorney General Merrick Garland. The New York congresswoman did not mince words when describing the disarray caused by the anti-Israel protests at the New York City Ivy League institution, threatening Jewish students and faculty.

Classes at Columbia will be entirely virtual for the rest of the semester due to the protesters “taking over” the campus. New York City Mayor Eric Adams blamed “outside agitators” for fanning the flames during a press conference on Tuesday.

Stefanik called attention to the antisemitic sentiment among protesters in her letter.

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS: 5 DRAMATIC MOMENTS FROM A WEEK OF CHAOS

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House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., sent a scathing letter to top Biden officials about the recent anti-Israel protests at Columbia University. (Getty Images)

“Over the past few days, anarchy has engulfed the campus of Columbia University and created an environment that is unsafe for Jewish students and faculty,’ she wrote. “You have the ability and authority to put a stop to this and take concrete steps to hold accountable those responsible.”

The House Republican went on to describe the protesters as an “unsanctioned mob of students and agitators permitted to continue to target Jewish students,” and cited antisemitic incidents that have occurred as a result of their activity.

“Consequences are needed for those who are calling for terrorism and violent attacks,” she wrote. Stefanik cited the Immigration and Nationality Act, which states that anyone who endorses terrorism can become ineligible for American residency, and noted that protesters are “brazenly endorsing Hamas and other terrorist organizations.”

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT ORDERS VIRTUAL CLASSES AS ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS TAKE OVER: ‘WE NEED A RESET’

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Stefanik speaks with House GOP leaders

House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., speaks during a news conference as Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., left, and Rep. Marc Molinaro, R-N.Y., look on. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“By allowing this support for terror to continue, this wicked ideology is able to spread,” Stefanik argued. “I demand that you enforce existing law to revoke the visas and deport students here on visas who are suspended for their antisemitic actions.” 

The Republican also called for the Department of Education to hold Columbia accountable by revoking any federal funding that the Ivy League school receives.

“It is past time for the Department of Education to publish the findings of [President’s Biden’s Title VI] investigation and hold the university accountable,” she wrote. “Furthermore, the Department must take action to revoke any federal funding flowing to Columbia and similar institutions so taxpayers are not funding the ongoing discrimination.”

Anti-Israel agitators construct an encampment on Columbia University’s campus

Anti-Israel agitators construct an encampment on Columbia University’s campus in New York City Monday.   (Peter Gerber)

Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Secretary Mayorkas and Attorney General Garland for comment.

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Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

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How an expensive bet by Emily's List in an Orange County congressional race went awry

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How an expensive bet by Emily's List in an Orange County congressional race went awry

For Emily’s List, the Democratic political group that has helped elect hundreds of women who support abortion rights, backing Joanna Weiss just made sense.

Weiss, a first-time candidate for Congress in a competitive Orange County district, had founded a Democratic advocacy group and was proving to be a formidable fundraiser.

But the sheer amount of money that Emily’s List spent in support of Weiss raised eyebrows. During a single week in the congressional primary, the group’s independent expenditure arm spent more than $813,000 on television and online ads for Weiss. She is the only candidate that the super PAC has backed this year.

Weiss finished third in the 47th District primary, behind Democratic state Sen. Dave Min and Republican Scott Baugh. The losing bet by Emily’s List in Orange County left Democrats scratching their heads.

“I had just assumed that they were smarter with their donor dollars,” said Mari Fujii, the first vice chair of membership for the Democrats of Greater Irvine.

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The group’s super PAC, called Women Vote, typically saves the bulk of its war chest for the November ballot. But the group has also frequently waded into early primary races, often in districts without an incumbent candidate.

When a record number of American women ran for office in 2018, Women Vote backed candidates in a dozen House primaries, including two in Southern California. Women Vote also spent in several House primaries in 2022, including a border district in Texas where the group tried to oust Rep. Henry Cuellar, the last antiabortion Democrat in the House. Challenger Jessica Cisneros lost by 281 votes.

Emily’s List said its work to support women running for office extends beyond independent expenditures to recruitment, campaign advice and fundraising help, including bundling contributions and introducing candidates to major donors. Spokeswoman Christina Reynolds said the organization does “not comment on strategic decisions about specific races.”

The super PAC reported having $1.5 million on hand at the end of March, raising questions about the group’s ability to influence November races in media markets where an effective outside expenditure campaign can top $1 million.

The 47th District is one of the hottest races in the country, pivotal to both Democrats and Republicans fighting for control of Congress. The coastal district, which runs from Seal Beach to Laguna Beach and inland to Costa Mesa and Irvine, is represented by Rep. Katie Porter (D-Irvine), who is leaving Congress in January.

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Porter’s decision to give up her House seat and run for the Senate, a bid that fell short in the March 5 primary, kicked off a flurry of campaigns to replace her in Washington.

Before Weiss announced her candidacy, Emily’s List approached her to ask if she was interested in running, said Mike McLaughlin, a senior advisor to the Weiss campaign.

Former Rep. Harley Rouda and Min had both announced they would run, and Emily’s List was “very invested in trying to keep a women in that seat,” McLaughlin said. By then, Weiss had already decided she would run, he said.

Emily’s List did not promise to fund Weiss’ campaign, McLaughlin said. But, he said, the group signaled that it would watch to see if Weiss merited an endorsement, and if she had the kind of fundraising chops needed to win in a battleground House district.

Then the already competitive race took several unexpected turns.

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Rouda suffered a brain injury after a fall and dropped out of the race last April. In May, Min was arrested for driving under the influence in Sacramento and pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor.

In June, Emily’s List endorsed Weiss, saying that her history as “a community organizer, lawyer, and advocate for women is unparalleled.”

By election day, Weiss had raised more than $2 million from individual contributions — more than any other non-incumbent woman running for Congress in the U.S., McLaughlin said. (That figure does not include the $225,000 Weiss loaned her campaign.)

“That is what led Emily’s List to then decide to make an investment,” McLaughlin said. “It was a competitive race, and she was doing her part to build a broad coalition of support.”

The main political committee controlled by Emily’s List has given to dozens of candidates across the country, but in far smaller amounts. Federal law restricts such committees from giving big amounts directly to candidates. Independent expenditure committees — including the Emily’s List super PAC, Women Vote — can receive and spend an unlimited amount, however.

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Women Vote began buying ads for Weiss on Jan. 30, spending more than $827,000 in a week on television ads and mailers, federal records show.

“If you’re going to spend that kind of money, you’d expect to see it spent over a longer amount of time and it would be targeted better,” said Jon Gould, the dean of the School of Social Ecology at UC Irvine. “It had the feel that someone suddenly committed a lot of money at the last minute.”

The board of the Irvine Democrats, which backed Min, took the unusual step of writing to the president of Emily’s List, chiding the group for investing so heavily in Weiss. Their letter spelled out what the group saw as Weiss’ biggest problems, including her lack of experience as a candidate and her decision to send her children to private schools outside the district.

“Backing the flawed campaign of Ms. Weiss will harm the chances of electing a Democratic House majority in 2024,” the group wrote. They suggested that Emily’s List redirect the money to two other races in Orange County with strong Democratic women candidates.

This year is not the first time Min has been at odds with Emily’s List.

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During the bruising 2018 primary for California’s 45th Congressional District, Min ran against Porter in a crowded field to unseat then-Rep. Mimi Walters, a Republican.

After Emily’s List endorsed Porter, the group’s super PAC spent more than $241,000 on ads and mailers to support her.

Min’s campaign then released an ad suggesting Porter, Walters and another candidate were being funded by “special interests.” In a voice-over, a narrator said: “Washington insiders have spent over $100,000 to elect Katie Porter.”

In a terse statement, the then-president of Emily’s List dismissed Min’s ad as “dishonest.”

“In a year where we’re seeing a record number of women step up and run for office, it’s unfortunate that there are those who are trying to diminish our success,” Stephanie Schriock said. She called Min’s comments “disparaging” to more than 5 million supporters of Emily’s List, including many who lived in his district.

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The 47th District wasn’t the only race in California where choices by Emily’s List rankled Democratic leaders. One Democratic consultant, who requested anonymity to speak frankly about an organization that works closely with Democratic campaigns, said the group has made “many weird decisions in California this year.”

State Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) told The Times that the group had contacted her about running in the Central Valley’s 22nd Congressional District, hoping oust incumbent GOP Rep. David Valadao of Hanford. But Rudy Salas, a Democrat and a former member of the state Assembly, already had the backing of Washington’s Democratic leadership. Hurtado said she had weekly meetings with Emily’s List until it became clear the organization was not going to support her financially. She finished in a distant fourth place in the primary.

Emily’s List did not endorse a candidate in the 45th Congressional District in inland Orange County, represented by GOP Rep. Michelle Steele. Democrat Kim Nguyen-Penaloza, a Garden Grove councilmember and the daughter of Mexican and Vietnamese immigrants, finished third in the primary, losing by 367 votes to Democrat Derek Tran.

In the 40th Congressional District, an inland suburban district mostly in Orange County, Emily’s List endorsed Allyson Muñiz Damikolas in her bid to unseat GOP Rep. Young Kim. The endorsement helped Damikolas bring in more money, but the group did not spend a significant amount to help her. She finished a distant third behind Kim and Democrat Joe Kerr, a retired firefighter.

The results of both those races, Gould said, suggest that Emily’s List “probably made the right call.”

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