Press secretary Sanders reacts to Scaramucci interview

After newly hired White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci set off a firestorm Thursday with vulgar remarks in a New Yorker magazine interview, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was quick to try to put out the blaze.

Sanders told reporters outside the White House on Thursday that she hoped Scaramucci could learn to use more restraint in his rhetoric – especially when discussing fellow Trump administration staffers.

“Anthony has put out a statement that has made pretty clear that sometimes he is a passionate guy and he has made pretty clear that sometimes he has let that passion get the better of him,” Sanders told a reporter outside the West Wing. “I don’t anticipate he will do it again.”

Scaramucci "is a passionate guy and he has made pretty clear that sometimes he has let that passion get the better of him. I don’t anticipate he will do it again.”
- Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House press secretary

Sanders also addressed concerns that Scaramucci might be serious in wanting to “kill” leakers in the White House, as he was quoted as saying.
“In terms of people’s safety, I certainly hate that somebody feels that way, but I have worked with an incredible team over the last six months,” Sanders told Fox News. “We have a great group of people. I love coming to work every day. I consider it a privilege. I certainly feel very safe in the building, and happy to be here.”
In the interview, Scaramucci bluntly assailed his top White House rival, chief of staff Reince Priebus, as well as Trump’s chief strategist, Steve Bannon. He also threatened “leakers” among his new staff, or White House staffers who serve as unnamed sources to the White House press corps.
“They’ll all be fired by me,” Scaramucci told a New Yorker reporter, after the reporter refused to divulge a source. “I fired one guy the other day. I have three to four people I’ll fire tomorrow. I’ll get to the person who leaked that to you.”
One White House official expressed concern about Scaramucci’s comments since being hired.
“This is getting out of hand. I am honestly getting concerned for my safety in the office tomorrow,” the official, who is well liked by many among the different factions in the White House, told Fox News exclusively Thursday.
The official said Scaramucci’s tough language in the article was not only concerning but below the dignity and decorum of White House traditions and etiquette.
“This type of behavior is unbelievable,” the official told Fox News. “Working in the White House and something like that is said … it is a disgrace.”
Thursday’s Scaramucci episode has become a combustible and potentially defining moment of the first six months of the Trump White House. The new communications director, with smooth-talking skills in the briefing room and a stellar Wall Street background, unleashed a barrage of expletive-laden comments to the New Yorker.
“Reince is a (expletive) paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac,” he told the New Yorker about the White House chief of staff, who has apparently fallen out of favor with Trump.
Scaramucci also took a shot at Bannon.
“I’m not Steve Bannon, I’m not trying to suck my own (expletive),” Scaramucci said. “I’m not trying to build my own brand off the (expletive) strength of the president. I’m here to serve the country.”
Scaramucci later tweeted his response to the article.
“I sometimes use colorful language. I will refrain in this arena but not give up the passionate fight for @realDonaldTrump's agenda.  #MAGA”

Senate rejects amendment to 'skinny repeal' of ObamaCare as 3 Republicans vote no

Senate Republicans failed to pass Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s proposed “skinny repeal” amendment in a vote Friday morning, signaling what could be the end to any hopes of repealing and replacing ObamaCare.

As the clock neared 2 a.m. ET, the amendment proposal failed, 51-49, with Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joining Democrats in voting no.

“It is time to move on,” McConnell said after the vote.
Added Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.: "We are not celebrating. We are relieved."
Shortly after, President Trump took to Twitter to express his disapointment in the three Republicans who voted against the amendment, saying they "let the American people down."
"3 Republicans and 48 Democrats let the American people down. As I said from the beginning, let ObamaCare implode, then deal. Watch!" Trump tweeted.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Republicans will now have to work on improving the current health care legislation alongside their Democratic counterparts
"The American people have spoken loud and clear against the higher costs and monstrous cruelty of Trumpcare," Pelosi said.
The decision came after House Speaker Paul Ryan honored Republican senators’ request that the body vote on a vehicle to continue moving forward with discussions to repeal and replace the health care legislation through a conference committee.
“Senators have made clear that this is an effort to keep the process alive, not to make law. If moving forward requires a conference committee, that is something the House is willing to do,” Ryan said in a statement Thursday night.
But McCain said he was skeptical that the House would take the bill to committee and approve it as is, so he voted no, dooming the "skinny repeal" after his triumphant return to Washington this week following a brain cancer diagnosis and surgery.
"We must now return to the correct way of legislating and send the bill back to committee, hold hearings, receive input from both sides of the aisle, heed the recommendations of the nation's governors, and produce a bill that finally delivers affordable health care for the American people," McCain said in a statement.
After McConnell's pared-down ObamaCare bill failed to receive enough votes early Friday, he took to the podium and delivered a somber message on the Senate floor.
“This is clearly a disappointing moment. From skyrocketing costs to plummeting choices and collapsing markets, our constituents have suffered through an awful lot under ObamaCare,” McConnell said. “We thought they deserved better. It's why I, and many of my colleagues, did as we promised and voted to repeal this failed law. We told our constituents we would vote that way. When the moment came, most of us did. We kept our commitments."
“So yes, this is a disappointment, a disappointment indeed,” he added.
However, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said he hasn't lost faith in the GOP's promise to ultimately repeal and replace ObamaCare, and believes "in time, we will honmor our promise."
Cruz added that the focus needs to shift to lowering premiums in order to reach the majority.
Failure to pass the amendment underscored the ongoing struggle within the Republican Party between moderates and conservatives who can’t seem to reach a consensus on their efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, the 2010 law that is considered the signature legislation of President Barack Obama’s presidency.
The GOP will now have to grapple with the real possibility of failing to deliver a full repeal and replace of the law, something the party has been promising its supporters for more than seven years.

Great Britain to Challenge Chinese Naval Power in South China Sea

Chinese naval soldiers stand guard on China’s first aircraft carrier Liaoning, as it travels towards a military base.(REUTERS/Stringer)

July 27, 2017

OAN Newsroom
Britain’s defense minister plans to send aircraft carriers to the South China Sea sometime next year.
On Thursday, Michael Fallon said Britain is eager to exercise freedom of navigation, and plans to do so in an effort to challenge Chinese naval escalation in the region.
Officials claim an influx of British activity could anger the Chinese, and possibly have a negative effect on relations between the nations.
China previously condemned nations trying to get involved in the South China Sea dispute.
Fallon says no deployments are planned yet.

Russia Signs Deal to Keep Air Base in Syria for Nearly 50 Years

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, reacts during a joint media conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto in Savonlinna, Eastern Finland, on Thursday July 27, 2017. (Martti Kainulainen/Lehtikuva via AP)

OAN Newsroom
Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a law formalizing a deal with the Syrian government to keep an air base in Syria.
Putin approved the agreement Wednesday after it was supported by the Russian parliament earlier this month.
It now allows the Russian air group to use the air base in Latakia for 49 years free of charge.
The Russian air group used the air base since 2015 to help Syria fight against ISIS.
The deal could be extended for another 25 year period.

Kid Rock Cartoons

Kid Rock tables US Senate run, stresses voter registration

Musician Robert James Ritchie (aka Kid Rock) left his fans, as well as political junkies, guessing Wednesday about whether he will actually run for a U.S. Senate seat in his home state of Michigan – something the artist teased in a series of tweets July 12.

In a statement released on his website, kidrock.com, the rocker announced a new initiative to create a “non-profit organization for the promotion of voter registration,” while he continues to explore the idea of challenging incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich, in 2018.

“As part of the excitement surrounding this possible campaign, I decided to take a hard look to see if there was real support for me as a candidate and my message or if it was just because it was a fresh new news story,” Rock said. “The one thing I've seen over and over is that although people are unhappy with the government, too few are even registered to vote or do anything about it.”

“The one thing I've seen over and over is that although people are unhappy with the government, too few are even registered to vote or do anything about it.”

Rock added he will hold a news conference in roughly six weeks “to address this issue amongst others, and if I decide to throw my hat in the ring for US Senate, believe me … it’s game on m***********.”
Stunt? Maybe not
Democrats, who were blindsided by Donald Trump’s presidential election upset, have been cautious about dismissing the prospect of a Rock candidacy as a publicity stunt.
“I know a lot of people are thinking: this is some sort of joke, right?” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., wrote in an email, the Boston Herald reported.
“Well,” she continued, “maybe this is all a joke — but we all thought Donald Trump was joking when he rode down the escalator at Trump Tower and announced his campaign, too.”
Warren’s email links to a fundraising page for her own reelection campaign, as well as that of Stabenow.
Critics of Trump initially thought that revelations of his past, including vulgar talk in an “Access Hollywood” video with former NBC host Billy Bush, would be detrimental to his presidential campaign, but Trump’s victory in November proved them wrong.
Leading in polls
So, the idea of a rocker with a salacious past of assault and provocative comments, plus a partying persona, running for a Senate seat in a largely blue-collar state might not be that farfetched.
In fact, a mock poll by Delphi Analytica found Rock would defeat Stabenow by four points in the 2018 election.
Of the 688 Michigan residents polled, the majority were undecided at 44 percent. However, when asked to choose Rock or Stabenow, Rock won by 54 percent to 46 percent.
Wednesday’s announcement didn’t provide much clarity on whether Rock will actually run for Senate. But if he does run, Trump has already prepared the Democratic Party to expect the unexpected. 

Scaramucci on White House leaks: 'We're going to let people go if we have to'

White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci vowed Wednesday to take a hard line against leaks from the West Wing, telling Fox News' "Hannity," "we're going to let people go if we have to."

"One of the big problems that I’m discovering," said Scaramucci, who was named communications director Friday, which led to the resignation of press secretary Sean Spicer, "is that senior people are really the guys doing the leaking and they ask junior people to leak for them.

"I’m very proud to be reporting directly to the president so I can hermetically seal off the [communications] team from this sort of nonsense," Scaramucci added.
WHITE HOUSE SENIOR ASSISTANT PRESS SECRETARY MICHAEL SHORT RESIGNS
Scaramucci spoke to Fox News' Sean Hannity one day after the resignation of senior assistant press secretary Michael Short, who claimed he offered to step down of his own accord. Short's departure came as sources told Fox News that Republican National Committee officials who followed Spicer and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus to the White House feared for their jobs.
"We let somebody go yesterday, but I’ve told people that if there’s a civil war, and people are fighting internally, we have to dial that down," Scaramucci said. "I don’t think you can let people go ... just for the sake of letting them go. I think we have to give them ... some level of amnesty to see if they’ll stop and work together.
"But I’ll move very quickly if they cannot do that, because I have the president’s authority to do so."
Earlier Wednesday evening, Scaramucci tweeted that he planned to contact the FBI and the Justice Department, claiming that his own financial disclosure information had been leaked. But the tweet was later deleted.
Scaramucci also claimed that some leaks from other executive agencies came from what he called "political holdovers from the Obama administration that want to put a hurt on the Trump administration." In response, he said he was planning to meet with communications people from those agencies in an effort to "curtail leaks on their side."
After Scaramucci appeared on "Hannity," Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores issued the following statement:
"We have seen an astonishing increase in the number of leaks of classified national security information in recent months. We agree with Anthony that these staggering number of leaks are undermining the ability of our government to function and to protect this country. Like the Attorney General has said, 'whenever a case can be made, we will seek to put some people in jail,' and we will aggressively pursue leak cases wherever they may lead."

New Audit Shows IRS Paid Out $24B in Potentially Improper Refunds

OAN Newsroom
The IRS is paying out more than $24 billion in potentially fraudulent refunds claimed under controversial tax credits.
An audit of the agency in 2016 says $17 billion were payments made on improper claims under the earned income tax credit.
It estimates another $8 billion in wrong payments between the additional child tax credit, and a higher education tax credit.
$118 million were also paid to people not authorized to work in the U.S.
The audit suggest the IRS follow a 2015 law delaying refunds claiming those credits so agents have more time to flag suspicious returns.

Wasserman-Schultz Aide Arrested While Trying to Flee the Country

Democrat

OAN Newsroom
The FBI arrests an aide of Debbie Wasserman Schultz as he was trying to flee the country.
37-year-old Imran Awan, an IT staffer for Schultz, had been under investigation for bank fraud.
Federal agents say Awan was headed to Pakistan, and had no intention of returning to the United States.
In a Washington D.C. court on Tuesday Awan pleaded not guilty to the fraud charges, and was released on high supervision.
He must wear a GPS tracking device, and is restricted to the 50 mile radius around his Virginia home.
Awan will be back in court August 21st.

Moderate Republican Cartoons

Sessions to announce investigations into intelligence leaks: source

Attorney General Jeff Sessions will soon announce several criminal leak investigations, Fox News has learned.

A U.S. official familiar with the discussions said Tuesday that the planned announcement surrounding stepped-up efforts on leak investigations has “been in the works for some time and will most likely happen sometime in the next week.”

The news comes in the wake of days of intense pressure on Sessions, with President Trump lashing out and expressing his “disappointment” with the attorney general, through tweets, interviews and news conferences.
The investigations will look at news reports that publicized sensitive intelligence material, according to officials who have been briefed on the matter.
Meanwhile, it appears that Sessions has no plans to step down at this point.
A source familiar with the conversation tells Fox News that Sessions’ chief of staff, Jody Hunt, recently told White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus that the attorney general had no intention of resigning.
Anthony Scaramucci, Trump's new communications director, said Tuesday that he was prepared to "fire everybody" to stop unauthorized information coming from the press office.
Speaking to reporters, Scaramucci said that he was "not doing an investigation. I'm just going to get the leaking to stop." He stressed that he had "the authority from the president to do that."
"You're either going to stop leaking or you're going to get fired," Scaramucci said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report 
Jake Gibson is a producer working at the Fox News Washington bureau who covers politics, law enforcement and intelligence issues.

Senate Republicans who defected on health care test vote

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, left, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Ak., were the only Republicans to vote against Tuesday's motion to proceed  (AP)

Vice President Mike Pence was needed in the Senate Tuesday to cast the tie-breaking vote on a motion to move forward with a bill to overhaul ObamaCare after two Republicans voted "no."

The votes by Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Ak., eliminated the GOP's margin of error on the motion. Every other Republican senator voted "aye," while every Democratic senator joined Collins and Murkowski in voting "no."

Collins and Murkowski are among several moderate Senate Republicans concerned about possible Medicaid cuts in any ObamaCare overhaul. In separate statements last week, both women opposed an attempt by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to pass legislation repealing ObamaCare without new legislation in place.

–– ADVERTISEMENT ––

Murkowski — who backed a Senate bill repealing ObamaCare in 2015 that was vetoed by then-President Barack Obama, the law's namesake — said the Senate should "take a step back and engage in a bipartisan process to address the failures of [ObamaCare] and stabilize the individual markets."
Collins, who did not vote for the 2015 repeal, said that ObamaCare is "so interwoven in our health care system that to repeal it completely with no idea what it's going to be replaced with is not the right approach."
As for potential political consequences of their votes, Murkowski is not due to come up for re-election until 2022. Collins' turn will come in 2020, though she has not ruled out stepping down to run for governor of Maine next year.

Scaramucci: “If they don’t stop leaking I’m going to put them out on Pennsylvania Ave.”

Washington, D.C- Trey Yingst, OAN Chief White House Correspondent
The new White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci is cracking down on leaks. Already, one staffer has resigned as a result.
Michael Short, a former White House Press Assistant, resigned Tuesday after reports surfaced that he would be fired.
The resignation comes following a tumultuous week at the White House. On Friday Press Secretary Sean Spicer resigned following the news that Scaramucci would be the new Communications Director.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Scaramucci said the President has given him full authority to fire anyone in the administration if they leak to the press.
“You wanna sell postcards to the tourists outside the gate or work in the West Wing?” Scaramucci asked outside the West Wing.
When asked how he would address future leaks, Scaramucci said he would ‘fire everyone’ if necessary.
President Trump has expressed frustration with leaks coming out of his administration, leaving open questions about more resignations in the coming days.

Beijing Demands U.S. End Flights Over China’s Illegally Occupied Islands

China has been expanding its maritime activity over the past few years. (Reuters/PHOTO)

OAN Newsroom
Pearson Sharp
China takes an aggressive approach to defending islands its occupying illegally, warning U.S. aircraft to stay away.
A pair of armed Chinese fighter jets swooped in to harass a U.S. Navy Reconnaissance plane flight over the East China Sea on Sunday.
U.S. officials say the dangerous behavior nearly caused a collision.
One of the Chinese jets dove under the American plane, then climbed suddenly and popped up just in front of the U.S. pilots.
China dismissed the claims saying it didn’t happen, and then rushed to scold the U.S. for flying over its annexed territory.
Both of the Chinese jets were carrying air-to-air missiles, posing a legitimate threat to the unarmed Navy plane.
The U.S., the UN, and numerous nations in the region—including Japan, the Philippines, and Vietnam—have condemned China’s expansion.
Earlier this month, the U.S. sailed a destroyer near one of China’s annexed islands.

Amazon Political Cartoons

McCain to return to Senate on Tuesday ahead of crucial health care vote

Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., will return to the Senate on Tuesday -- the day of a crucial vote to open debate on legislation to repeal and replace ObamaCare, his office announced on Monday night. 

McCain, 80, has been recovering at home in Arizona following a brain tumor diagnosis.

“Senator McCain looks forward to returning to the United States Senate tomorrow to continue working on important legislation, including health care reform, the National Defense Authorization Act, and new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea," his office said in a statement.
With McCain's return - and barring any other absences - there will now be a full complement of senators on hand for the health care test vote.
JOHN MCCAIN HAS BRAIN TUMOR, HOSPITAL SAYS
That includes 52 Republicans and 48 senators who caucus with the Democrats. Republicans can lose only two votes and have Vice President Pence vote to break the tie and start debate.
A tweet from McCain's account Monday night read: "Look forward to returning to Senate tomorrow to continue work on health care reform, defense bill & #RussiaSanctions."
McCain was diagnosed with a brain tumor following a July 14 craniotomy to remove a blood clot from above his left eye, the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix said last week.
The hospital's examination of the tissue revealed that a primary brain tumor, know as a glioblastoma, was associated with the blood clot.
TRUMP CALLS OBAMACARE 'BIG, FAT, UGLY LIE'
Earlier Monday, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, discussed plans to get McCain back to the Senate.
"They were trying to get approval [from his doctors] for his travel arrangements. I've personally volunteered to rent an RV," Cornyn said, according to Politico.
Fox News' Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Trump asks if The Washington Post is an Amazon 'lobbyist weapon'

President Trump took to Twitter late Monday to call out The Washington Post and asked if Amazon’s billionaire-owner Jeff Bezos is using the paper as a “lobbyist weapon against Congress.”

“Is Fake News Washington Post being used as a lobbyist weapon against Congress to keep Politicians from looking into Amazon no-tax monopoly?” Trump tweeted.

Bezos bought the paper in 2013. He made the purchase as an individual and Amazon.com Inc. was not involved.
Trump was apparently upset with the paper's report on Syria.
Amazon.com collects state sales taxes in all 45 states with a sales tax and the District of Columbia, according to their website. State governments have sought to capture sales taxes lost to internet retailers, though they have struggled with a 1992 Supreme Court ruling that retailers must have a physical presence in a state before officials can make them collect sales tax.
This is not the first time that Trump has taken aim at the website’s use of the tax system. In June, Trump took to Twitter and blasted the “#AmazonWashingtonPost, sometimes referred to as the guardian of Amazon not paying internet takes (which they should).”
Both Amazon and The Post, in June, did not respond to Trump’s tweet.
Kim Ruebin, a senior fellow in the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, told CBS’ MoneyWatch at the time, "They're (Amazon) being good citizens, and they're collecting the taxes and remitting it. … If you want more and more of your deliveries to be done in a day or two, you actually need warehouses and physical presence in places to get your goods to other places."
Bezos was one of a number of technology executives who visited the White House recently for a strategy session on modernizing government.
In 2015, he wrote that Bezos bought the Post “for purposes of keeping taxes down at his no profit company, @amazon.” He added that “If @amazon ever had to pay fair taxes, its stock would crash and it would crumble like a paper bag. The @washingtonpost scam is saving it!”

GOP Senators Are Expected to Hold Obamacare Repeal Vote This Week

In this July 18, 2017 photo, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. There are many reasons why the Senate will probably reject Republicans’ crowning bill razing much of “Obamacare.” There are fewer why Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell might revive it and avert a GOP humiliation. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

OAN Newsroom
Senate Republicans are determined to make way on the repeal of Obamacare.
GOP senators are set to return to Washington Monday, and talk with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on which repeal bill to bring up for a procedural vote.
Ultimately, it will be up to McConnell to pick either the House’s partial repeal measure, or the Senate’s own repeal and replace bill.
If the House measure is chosen its unclear what the replacement will be.
President Trump has pushed Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare, but said he would accept its repeal if senators can’t come to an agreement.
The vote’s expected to come as early as Tuesday, and will allow senators to begin debate and make amendments.

Trump Administration to Roll Back Obama-Era Fracking Regulation

OAN Newsroom
The Trump administration is set to roll-back another Obama-era rule, making it easier to frack on public lands.
The Interior Department is sending a proposal in an effort to completely repeal the federal hydraulic fracturing rule implemented by former President Obama.
The administration claims the current regulation would cost the oil and gas industry around $45 million dollars annually.
The latest rollback keeps President Trump’s campaign promise to end regulations limiting fossil fuel production.

Common Sense or lack of it Cartoons

Republican health bill still a mystery before planned vote

The Senate will move forward with a key vote this week on a Republican health bill but it's a mystery what exactly they will be voting on.

It is not yet known whether the legislation will seek to replace President Obama's health care law or simply repeal it.

Sen. John Thune of South Dakota said Sunday that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will make a decision soon on which bill to bring up for a vote, depending on ongoing discussions with GOP senators. Thune sought to cast this week's initial vote as important but mostly procedural, allowing senators to begin debate and propose amendments.
But he acknowledged senators should be able to know beforehand what bill they will be considering.
Both versions encountered opposition from enough GOP senators to doom the effort, but McConnell, R-Ky., is making a last-gasp attempt this week after Trump insisted that senators not leave town for the August recess without sending him some kind of health overhaul bill to sign.
Some senators told The Wall Street Journal that McConnell told them that they would find out before any vote if they will be asked to repeal and replace.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who called the bill a “porkfest” in an interview said that the current legislation will not work.
“I think it keeps the fundamental flaw of ObamaCare, the death spiral will continue and we’re going to subsidize it,” Paul, the Kentucky Republican, told Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures.”
McConnell, was making a last-gasp effort to resuscitate the legislation, cannot afford to lose any more than two Republican votes, The Journal reported.
President Trump tweeted on Sunday, "If Republicans don't Repeal and Replace the disastrous ObamaCare, the repercussions will be far greater than any of them understand!"
Trump has had a complicated relationship with the Republican Party, but GOP lawmakers have continued to be generally supportive of the president, even as his approval ratings slip.
“There’s less money from the government going to poor people, but there’s more money from the government going to rich people who run insurance companies,” Paul explained. “I think when voters find out that Republicans gave billions of dollars to rich insurance companies and took money away from poor people getting Medicaid, I think that’s a disaster.”
Still, at least two Republican senators Sunday appeared to reaffirm their intention to vote against the procedural motion if it involved the latest version of the GOP's repeal-and-replace bill.
Moderate Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said she continued to have concerns about reductions to Medicaid and criticized the Republican process, saying lawmakers were being unfairly kept in the dark. Under McConnell's plan, 22 million more people would become uninsured by 2026, many of them Medicaid recipients. She wants to hold public hearings and work with Democrats.

Gregg Jarrett: Donald Trump Jr. did not violate campaign laws -- Pelosi and others are wrong

The law is common sense. Yet, it is created by lawmakers who seem to be lacking any sense at all.  Many of them do not understand their own laws.    

Nancy Pelosi recently proved this point. The House Minority Leader held a news conference, surrounded by like-minded Democrats, during which she declared that Donald Trump Jr. had broken campaign laws when he met with a Russian lawyer during last year’s presidential campaign to obtain negative information on the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton.  Here is what Pelosi said:

“This is a campaign violation: soliciting, coordinating, or accepting something of value --opposition research, documents, and information—from a foreign national. Plain and simple.”       
In truth, it is plain and simple that Pelosi is wrong. And so are many others who have joined the chorus of condemnation based on laws they have surely never read. Allow me to help them out.  
The Federal Election Commission is the independent regulatory agency which enforces campaign laws enacted by Congress.  On its government website, the FEC makes it clear that it is perfectly lawful for foreign nationals to be involved in American political campaigns:  
“Even though a foreign national cannot make campaign contributions, he or she can serve as an uncompensated volunteer for a campaign or political party”.
The Commission goes on to explain that foreigners are “allowed to attend campaign strategy meetings and events”. They are allowed to contribute ideas, information, and even advice. They are allowed to open their mouths and speak.
None of this is considered to be a donation or “anything of value” under the campaign statutes, as some Democrats and many in the media allege.  To the contrary, the Commission specifically states, “an individual may volunteer his or her personal services to a campaign without making a campaign contribution”. 
The same language is found in both the Federal Election Campaign Act (52 USC 30101 8-B) and the Code of Federal Regulations (100.74):
“The value of services provided by any individual who volunteers on behalf of a candidate or political committee is not a contribution.”
Why are foreigners on American soil allowed to volunteer their services and provide information to political campaigns in U.S. elections? The reason should be obvious –the Constitution.    
The First Amendment gives Americans the freedom to associate with whomever they want, including Russians. It gives people the freedom to exchange ideas and information , even with Russians. As long as the information is neither stolen nor classified, there is no crime. There is no civil wrong.  
We do not criminalize free speech and free association in America.  Yet, there is this false mentality that all Russians are boogeymen.  And talking to them is somehow a crime.  It is not.  The founders of our Constitution would be mortified at that notion.
One commentator recently said, “Donald Trump Jr. had an absolute duty to notify the FBI”. Why? Where is that law or duty written?  If it is not a crime to exchange information with a Russian, why should the FBI be notified? Why would FBI agents be interested in legal activity? Trust me, they are not. Even if a citizen learns of a crime, there is no affirmative duty imposed by law to report it to law enforcement.
Talking with a Russian and gathering information is not a crime.  Yet Pelosi and others allege that the president’s son may also be guilty of conspiracies to commit espionage and defraud the government.
As explained in an earlier column, the Trump Jr. meeting is not treason because we are not at war with Russia. It is not collusion in any criminal sense, because that only applies to anti-trust cases.  It is not conspiracy to defraud the government, because the statute requires deceit and dishonesty. And it is not a violation of election laws, because foreign nationals are specifically permitted to volunteer personal services and information to political campaigns.  As for espionage…seriously? What U.S. secrets or classified information is Pelosi talking about?  
Democrats and even some Republicans, like Gov. Chris Christie, are perpetuating the myth that laws must have been broken without ever knowing or studying the law. And many in the media are so ignorant of basic laws and oblivious to the Constitution, they are complicit in misinforming the public.
Rarely do we see a reporter or anchor ask a lawmaker the tough, challenging question, “What laws, specifically, have been broken? Can you identify a precise statute?” The answer would be a deafening silence.
Our Constitution was never intended to embody a political point of view. It was made for people of fundamentally differing views. Unfortunately, those in Washington who should know that… do not.  
And the media, which owes its existence to that esteemed document, seem to have forgotten its precious guarantees of freedom.

Schumer: If Trump fires Mueller it’ll cause ‘cataclysm’ in DC

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer predicted Sunday that a "cataclysm" could be triggered if President Trump fires Special Counsel Robert Mueller or pardons himself.

The high-ranking senator from New York made the comments on Sunday during an interview on ABC’s This Week despite Trump’s lawyers saying on the same program that pardons are not being discussed.

"It would be one of the greatest, greatest breaking of rule of law, of traditional democratic norms of what our democracy is about," Schumer said. "It would cause a cataclysm in Washington.''
A sitting president may have constitutional power to grant pardons but Trump’s legal team claims they have not discussed it with him.
"We're not researching the issue because the issue of pardons is not on the table,'' Jay Sekulow, one of Trump's personal attorneys, said on ABC. ”There's nothing to pardon from.''
The president and his inner circle are facing Congressional and FBI investigations for possible collusion with Russia in its interference with the 2016 presidential election. Mueller is also examining a broad range of transactions involving Trump's businesses as well as those of his associates, a person familiar with the probe said.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Trump suggested that Mueller would be crossing a “red line” if he looked into the allegations. He also mentioned pardons in a series of tweets on Saturday.
The president also suggested on Twitter that Mueller and his legal team have conflicts of interest of their own, because of donations made to Democratic candidates.
Trump’s incoming White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci said on Fox News Sunday that the president brought up the issue of pardons in the Oval Office recently, but that he does not need to use it.
"There's nobody around him that has to be pardoned,'' Scaramucci said. “He was just making the statement about the power of pardons.''
Sekulow also said on Sunday that Trump's legal team is monitoring potential conflicts even though they have not made an issue with the deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein appointing Mueller after Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the investigation.
"We're going to be constantly evaluating that situation,'' Sekulow said on ABC. "And if an investigation were to arise and we thought that the conflict was relevant, we would raise it without question.''

VP Pence: President Trump Delivering Agenda at a ‘Historic Pace’

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence walk out with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis following Trump’s visit to the Pentagon, Thursday, July 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

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Vice President Mike Pence touts President Trump’s first few months in office, saying he’s delivering his agenda at a ‘historic pace.’
In a Fox News op-ed published Sunday, Pence claimed the president has taken bold action to restore prosperity, keep Americans safe and secure, and hold government accountable.
He added the President is just getting started and will continue to work with congress on health care reform, tax reform, and kick-starting the economy.
Additionally, Pence said serving under President Trump is the greatest privilege of his life.

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Vice President Mike Pence: Trump's triumphs are many after only six months and he's just getting started

In the first six months of this administration, President Donald Trump has fought every day to deliver on his promises to the American people. At a historic pace, this president has taken bold action to restore prosperity, keep Americans safe and secure, and hold government accountable.

President Trump has signed more than 40 bills and nearly 40 executive orders on everything from health care to energy, infrastructure and more.

While the previous administration turned to federal agencies to enact its agenda, President Trump has signed more laws to slash through federal red tape than any president in American history and has saved businesses up to $18 billion a year in costs.
And whereas the last administration stifled the use of America’s vast energy resources, President Trump has put a renewed emphasis on American energy – approving the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, rolling back the Clean Power Plan, and putting America First by withdrawing from the Paris climate accord.
President Trump inherited an economy that would barely budge – but under his watch, American businesses small and large have already created more than 800,000 new jobs since January. Company after company is responding to the president’s agenda with optimism – investing billions of dollars in American jobs, American workers and America’s future.
As the father of a United States Marine, I couldn’t be more proud to serve alongside a president who cares so deeply about the men and women of the armed forces of the United States of America.
After years of so-called “sequestration” and budget cuts to our armed forces, President Trump has already signed the largest increase in defense spending in nearly 10 years and called for the greatest investment in military readiness since the days of President Ronald Reagan.

It is the greatest privilege of my life to serve as vice president to a president who is fighting every single day to restore an America of freedom, prosperity and opportunity for all.

And this president calls our enemy by its name – radical Islamic terrorism – and with the leadership of this commander-in-chief our armed forces are taking the fight to ISIS on our terms on their soil.
When it comes to security here in the homeland, President Trump has taken decisive steps to secure our borders and enforce our laws – a direct contrast with the previous administration.
And while illegal immigration was rampant in recent years, our administration has been working with local law enforcement to take drug dealers, members of gangs like MS-13, and other violent criminals off our streets. Illegal crossings at our southern border are down by more than 60 percent since the start of this year.
After the previous president tried to stack the courts with liberal jurists, our president made a commitment to appoint federal judges who will uphold the Constitution and the God-given liberties enshrined there. Look no further than the newest Supreme Court Justice, Neil Gorsuch.
President Trump’s accomplishments are nothing short of historic. But as the president likes to say, at this White House that's just what we call a good start.
President Trump will not rest and he will not relent until we keep our promise to the American people and repeal and replace ObamaCare.
President Trump has called on the Congress to do its job, and we will continue to work with both the House and Senate to give the American people health care reform built on the principles of personal responsibility, free-market competition and state-based reforms.
President Trump is firmly committed to passing the largest tax cut since the days of President Reagan. We’re going to cut taxes across the board for working families, small businesses and family farms.
We’ll simplify the tax code. We’ll eliminate the alternative minimum tax. We’ll make the code flatter and fairer for everyone. And under President Trump, we will repeal death taxes once and for all.
And to get this economy moving again, we’re going to cut business taxes in America so that companies in this country can compete with companies around the world and create good jobs right here in America.
We’ll end the broken system that penalizes companies for calling America home. And we’ll cut taxes on trillions of dollars that are locked away overseas so that American businesses can invest in America’s future.
It is the greatest privilege of my life to serve as vice president to a president who is fighting every single day to restore an America of freedom, prosperity and opportunity for all.
So with boundless faith in the American people, with faith in President Trump’s vision and determination, and with faith in God who has ever watched over this Land of the Free and Home of the Brave, I say with confidence: We will make America safe again. We will make America prosperous again. And to borrow a phrase, we will Make America Great Again.
Mike Pence is vice president of the United States.

Stuart Varney: Trump has already made America $4 trillion richer (with just six months in office)

It’s Thursday, July 20th. As of today, Donald Trump has been president for 6 months. The media coverage of the president is overwhelmingly negative: the press remains contemptuous, and they're pushing to get him out before he completes his first term.
Investors might think differently. The great success of the Trump presidency thus far, is not what he's done, but what he promises to do, namely, get the economy going again.  Evidently, investors believe he might yet get it done.
Look at this: since his election win, the Trump rally has added $4.1 trillion to the nation's wealth. Anyone with a 401k, an IRA, college savings, retirement savings, mutual funds. Anyone with a dime in the market has taken a piece of that $4 trillion.
Also, during this presidency, 5 American companies have emerged as global technology leaders. You know their names: Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft and Facebook. It’s a technology world, and American companies have seized the future.
I find it astonishing that the world of money is so exuberant, while the political world is so contemptuous of this president and his policy of growth.
One brief aside, can anyone tell me the democrats' growth plan? Do they have one? They apparently still cling to the belief that if we taxed the rich, and give to the poor, shackle capitalism and open the borders, we will somehow grow. Nonsense. Six months in, the left is mired in hate.
Let’s hope, hate loses, and growth wins.
Six months in, it’s the hope of growth that’s making America $4 trillion richer.
Adapted from Stuart Varney’s “My Take” on Thursday July 20, 2017.
Stuart Varney joined FOX Business Network (FBN) as an anchor in 2007 and is the host of "Varney & Co." (9-11 AM/ET) on weekdays. Click here for more information about Stuart Varney.

Pres. Trump Slams Washington Post, New York Times on Twitter

President Donald Trump boards Air Force One in Naval Air Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Va Saturday, July 22, 2017, en route to Dulles International Airport, in Dulles, Va. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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President Trump is blasting the mainstream media for using illegal leaks to target members of his Administration.
The President slammed the Washington Post on social media Saturday after an article was published accusing Attorney General Jeff Sessions of speaking to Russian officials about the campaign.
Sessions has since denied the allegations.
President Trump demanded the DOJ and the Special Counsel investigate the illegal leaks, as well as Hillary Clinton’s alleged ties to Moscow as part of the Russia probe.
And in another tweet, the President condemned The New York Times for ruining the effort to catch the world’s most wanted terrorist.
The Commander-in-Chief blasted the mainstream news outlet for foiling the Pentagon’s efforts to catch ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi in 2015.
The president was referring to a Friday interview, where a top U.S. military official said The Times leaked an intelligence lead about the whereabouts of Al-Baghdadi, allowing him to escape capture.
The New York Times responded to the President’s tweet, saying the Pentagon had no objections to the story at the time it was published.