House GOP leader sides with AOC on pay hike, says Congress at risk of being only for millionaires

Name a topic, and chances are good that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., are on opposite sides.
But now McCarthy appears to agree with AOC that members of Congress deserve a pay raise. Without a salary increase, McCarthy says, only millionaires will be able to serve.
The top Republican in the House made the comments this week as lawmakers scrapped the bill over the possible backlash from increasing salaries for themselves and their staffs.
“When you talk this subject about COLA, a cost-of-living increase, it does invoke an emotion, kind of an impulsive emotion," McCarthy told reporters, according to the Washington Examiner.

“I do not want Congress at the end of the day to only be a place that millionaires serve. This should be a body of the people.”
— House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy

“I think it's one that we should pause and look at. It's been more than 10 years in the process. The current study says that pay has decreased by 15 percent. I do not want Congress at the end of the day to only be a place that millionaires serve. This should be a body of the people.”
Members of Congress generally make $174,000 per year, with senior leaders earning more, and no cost-of-living adjustments have been made in the past nine years.
Last month, some vulnerable swing-state Democrats, concerned how the proposed $4,500 pay hike would look if it didn't also have Republican support, had signed onto amendments rejecting a similar measure to increase their pay.
McCarthy’s comments echoed previous remarks by Ocasio-Cortez, who argued that lawmakers deserve the increase, otherwise the politicians will turn to lobbying.
“It’s not even like a raise,” Ocasio-Cortez said. She called opposition to the pay increase “superficial. ... This is why there's so much pressure to turn to lobbying firms and to cash in on member service after people leave, because precisely of this issue.”
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) found in May that, adjusted for inflation, salaries for members of Congress "have decreased 15 percent since the last pay adjustment in 2009." Following a cost-of-living adjustment formula established in 2009, members of Congress should currently be making $210,900, the CRS found.
Fox News’ Gregg Re contributed to this report.

Trump 2020 campaign will attack Biden's Senate record, not his time as Obama's VP

President Trump’s 2020 campaign will seize on Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden’s mixed Senate record rather than his eight years as Barack Obama’s right-hand man.
The re-election campaign has been figuring out how – if Biden snatches the Democratic Party’s nomination – to respond to Biden’s candidacy that enjoys some protection among some voters due to nostalgia for the Obama years.
But Republican Party strategist Ford O’Connell, who works closely with the White House, told the Washington Times that the Trump campaign will attack Biden’s six-term record as a U.S. senator from Delaware.
“He’s got an Obama card he can play, but the problem is the 36 years of baggage before Obama. That’s the ticket in terms of getting him,” the strategist said.

“He’s got an Obama card he can play, but the problem is the 36 years of baggage before Obama. That’s the ticket in terms of getting him.”
— Ford O’Connell, GOP strategist

Blueprint for beating Biden?

The heated exchange during a debate last month between Sen. Kamala Harris and Biden over the issue of federally mandated busing, a measure Biden opposed it during his Senate years -- which also meant he had found a common cause with segregationist Democrats -- may be a blueprint how to damage Biden’s credibility in the eyes of the electorate.
Harris surged among voters after her stellar debate performance, in which she challenged Biden to apologize for opposing federally mandated busing as part of the broader desegregation effort.
“There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day — and that little girl was me,” she said. “So, I will tell you that on this subject, it cannot be an intellectual debate among Democrats. We have to take it seriously.”
Biden didn’t offer an apology and instead went on defense and damage control, insisting he went into politics because of civil rights.
Among other issues that could damage Biden is his support for the 1994 crime bill that greatly increased incarceration of African-Americans and is now widely agreed as having had a detrimental effect on the communities.
Biden was one of the leading proponents of the bill while in the Senate and the issue plays well with Trump’s legislative victories as his administration passed the First Step Act, the criminal justice reform that ramped up rehabilitation efforts.
Trump has already attacked Biden over the issue multiple times, most recently just before the Democratic debate.
“Ever since the passage of the Super Predator Crime Bill, pushed hard by @JoeBiden, together with Bill and Crooked Hillary Clinton, which inflicted great pain on many, but especially the African American Community, Democrats have tried and failed to pass Criminal Justice Reform,” Trump said.
In May, Trump said nobody associated with the 1994 bill could get elected and urged Biden to apologize for his involvement.
“Anyone associated with the 1994 Crime Bill will not have a chance of being elected. In particular, African Americans will not be able to vote for you. I, on the other hand, was responsible for Criminal Justice Reform, which had tremendous support, & helped fix the bad 1994 Bill!
“Super Predator was the term associated with the 1994 Crime Bill that Sleepy Joe Biden was so heavily involved in passing. That was a dark period in American History, but has Sleepy Joe apologized? No!”
Another issue that will likely draw scrutiny is Biden’s treatment of Anita Hill during the confirmation hearing of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas over 30 years ago.
Biden’s campaign is still reeling from a scathing op-ed penned by Hill on the onset of his 2020 candidacy, saying that the movement against sexual misconduct might have begun sooner had he done a better job of handling her claims of sexual harassment against Thomas.
“If the Senate Judiciary Committee, led then by Mr. Biden, had done its job and held a hearing that showed that its members understood the seriousness of sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence, the cultural shift we saw in 2017 after #MeToo might have began [sic] in 1991 — with the support of the government,” Hill, who is now a professor at Brandeis University, wrote.

Other Dems gaining momentum

Even though Biden has taken a hit recently, including a small decline in his poll numbers, while other candidates such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren or Mayor Pete Buttigieg are gaining momentum behind their campaigns, the campaign is working under the assumption that Biden will win the nomination.
“The opposition research is focused on Biden. And we hope we get Biden because when it comes to who’s got a better record, Trump has a significantly better record than Biden,” a Trump campaign official told the newspaper.

"When it comes to who’s got a better record, Trump has a significantly better record than Biden."
— Trump campaign official

Another campaign staffer told the Times that Biden’s close association with Obama is his biggest strength as people might perceive his candidacy as a “return to normalcy.”
But Tim Murtaugh, communications director for the campaign, struck a rather different tone. He said the campaign isn’t totally preoccupied with neutralizing Biden -- as Biden's record will likely do that by itself.
“Joe Biden is an existential threat to Joe Biden. His poor performance on the campaign trail and lame defense of his four decades in public office have already caused him problems,” Murtaugh said.

"Joe Biden is an existential threat to Joe Biden."
— Tim Murtaugh, Trump campaign communications director

“He was a bad candidate the first two times he ran for president, and there’s no reason to expect that he’s improved any. We are a year away from knowing who our opponent will be, and we are unconvinced that Joe Biden will be the nominee.”

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Rep. Justin Amash declares new political affilliation as Independent, leaves GOP

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 8:40 AM PT – Thur. June 4, 2019

Congressman Justin Amash announces he is leaving the Republican party, saying “modern politics is trapped in a partisan death spiral.”
In an op-ed in the Washington Post Thursday, Amash laid out his new values and, new political affiliation.

FILE – In this June 12, 2019 file photo, Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., listens to debate as the House Oversight and Reform Committee considers whether to hold Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt for failing to turn over subpoenaed documents related to the Trump administration’s decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Amash, the only Republican in Congress to support the impeachment of President Donald Trump, said Thursday, July 3 he is leaving the GOP because he has become disenchanted with partisan politics and “frightened by what I see from it.” (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File )

He claimed, recent years have caused him to become “disenchanted and frightened with party politics” and the two party system.
Amash said he will now become an Independent, and stated he will work to reject divisive loyalties.
The moves comes just weeks after Amash came forward as the only GOP member to call for the impeachment of President Trump back in May.
Meanwhile, President Trump said Amash’s departure from the Republican party is “great news”.
In a tweet Thursday the president slammed Amash, saying he is “one of the dumbest and most disloyal men in Congress.”

Great news for the Republican Party as one of the dumbest & most disloyal men in Congress is “quitting” the Party. No Collusion, No Obstruction! Knew he couldn’t get the nomination to run again in the Great State of Michigan. Already being challenged for his seat. A total loser!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 4, 2019

He said the congressman’s decision to quit was a guise for knowing “he couldn’t get the nomination to run again in the great state of Michigan.”
The president added he is already being challenged for his seat, and closed by calling Amash a “total loser.”

VP Pence speaks at naturalization ceremony

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 8:20 AM PT – Thur. June 4, 2019

Vice President Mike Pence marks the nation’s independence by welcoming in 44 new U.S. citizens at the National Archives D.C.
Speaking at the naturalization ceremony Thursday, Pence congratulated everyone for successfully going through the legal process in order to become a U.S. citizen.

Vice President Mike Pence speaks at a naturalization ceremony for new naturalized citizens in celebration of Independence Day at the National Archives in Washington, Thursday, July 4, 2019. Also at the event is Acting Director, US Immigration and Immigration Services, Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, left seated. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

He went on to praise their journeys and sacrifices to reach this point, as the new U.S. citizens hailed from 26 different countries.
Pence also informed them of the debates in America they will now take place in, including immigration, referring to the current system as broken. But touted the unmatched freedom in America that several across the globe pursue.
“Our freedom continues to inspired the world,” said Pence. “Millions over the generations now who you’ve joined who’ve come to these shores and nations around the world who inspire to be like us.”
The VP went on to encourage the new U.S. citizens to pursue their passions, saying no dream is too big in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Cruz adds ‘context’ after Kaepernick quotes from Frederick Douglass ‘Fourth of July’ speech

Sen. Ted Cruz responded Thursday night after former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick posted a passage earlier on the Fourth of July from a famous speech by Civil War-era abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
The passage Kaepernick cites is from Douglass’ speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”
Douglass delivered to the speech at a meeting of the Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society in Rochester, N.Y., on July 5, 1852 – nearly nine years before the Civil War began.
Kaepernick posted the following portion, without adding any comments: “What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence? This Fourth of July is yours, not mine…There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of these United States at this very hour.”
But the former San Francisco 49ers signal-caller includes a video montage of a longer version of the speech, accompanied by drawings depicting American slaves and photos from the Civil War era. Interspersed are videos from recent years, showing police using force against people of color.

“You quote a mighty and historic speech by the great abolitionist Frederick Douglass,” Sen. Cruz writes in response, “but, without context, many modern readers will misunderstand.”
Cruz goes on to acknowledge that slavery was an “abomination” in the U.S. but was eliminated through the efforts of Douglass and “so many other heroes.”
The senator then asserts that Douglass “was not anti-American; he was, rightly and passionately, anti-slavery.”
As evidence, Cruz quotes another portion of the same Douglass speech:
“Allow me to say, in conclusion, notwithstanding the dark picture I have this day presented, of the state of the nation, I do not despair of this country.
“There are forces in operation, which must inevitably, work the downfall of slavery. ‘The arm of the Lord is not shortened,’ and the doom of slavery is certain.
“I, therefore, leave off where I began, with hope. While drawing encouragement from ‘the Declaration of Independence,’ the great principles it contains, and the genius of American Institutions, my spirit is also cheered by the obvious tendencies of the age.”
After quoting Douglass, Cruz then writes: “Let me encourage everyone, READ THE ENTIRE SPEECH; it is powerful, inspirational, and historically important in bending the arc of history towards justice.”
The senator then includes a link to the full text of the Douglass speech.
Kaepernick has gained notoriety away in recent years for drawing attention to the issue of police use of force against African-Americans and other minorities. It began with his kneeling protests during the playing of the national anthem before NFL games and continued in other ways after he left the league.
Earlier this year, Kaepernick reached a settlement with the NFL after being unable to get a job with another team since leaving the 49ers.
This week, the former quarterback made headlines for opposing the so-called Betsy Ross flag added to a new design of Nike sneakers, viewing the flag as a reminder of slavery.
The apparel company agreed to halt sales of the sneaker after Kaepernick’s complaint, “based on concerns that it could unintentionally offend” people. Kaepernick has been an endorser of Nike products.
Others have argued that the 13-starred Betsy Ross flag is symbolic of America’s fight for independence from Britain, and is separate from the slavery issue.
Cruz was one of several top Republicans to oppose Nike's decision to end sales of the sneakers.

Trump urged to ignore Supreme Court, print census question: 'Because we should,' GOP lawmaker says

A Republican congressman has encouraged President Trump to ignore the Supreme Court and print the 2020 U.S. Census with the question about citizenship, as the president mulls an executive order.
Rep. Chip Roy, who represents the Lone Star State's 21st Congressional District -- covering much of the area north of San Antonio, plus much of Austin -- made the call on social media amid the controversy over the census citizenship question that caused some confusion within the Trump administration on whether the question will appear on the survey.
“It’s the lawyers advising him,” Roy wrote in a tweet. “[Trump] should ignore them. Completely. Print the Census with the questions — and issue a statement explaining why — ‘because we should.’ Done.”
The Supreme Court last week blocked the citizenship question for the time being until more reasoning from the administration can be provided.
This prompted Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to initially announce that his department would print the census without the citizenship question amid the Supreme Court objections.

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, made the call on social media amid the controversy over the census citizenship question that caused some confusion within the Trump administration of whether the question will appear on the survey. (Associated Press)

“The Census Bureau has started the process of printing the decennial questionnaires without the question,” Ross said in a statement. “My focus and that of the bureau and the entire department is to conduct a complete and accurate census.”
The Texas congressman, a freshman Republican, fired back on social media after being accused of openly calling on Trump to ignore the high court.
“Lawless is the state of our border. Lawless is being ruled by Judges on matters of policy choices,” he tweeted. “Lawless is NOT rightly advising the President to follow the Constitution and include a citizenship question on the census — particularly in light of the opinion.”
Trump has been critical of the Supreme Court block, attacking it as “totally ridiculous” that the U.S. government “cannot ask a basic question of Citizenship.”
On Wednesday, Trump said that reports that that Commerce had dropped the “quest” to put the question on the census were “fake!”
“We are absolutely moving forward, as we must, because of the importance of the answer to this question,” he tweeted.
On Thursday Trump said his administration is still working to add the question on the census, with reports saying he’s mulling an executive order to do so, a move that would lead to a showdown between his administration and the Supreme Court.
“So important for our Country that the very simple and basic ‘Are you a Citizen of the United States?’ question be allowed to be asked in the 2020 Census,” he tweeted.
Multiple outlets reported that Trump is considering using an executive order to move forward with the push. The Washington Post reported that Trump had told lawyers to fix the situation with an executive order and add it to the census later.
"The administration is considering the appropriateness of an executive order that would address the constitutional need for the citizenship question to be included in the 2020 census," a source told Axios.
Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.

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