Judy Shelton's Fed nomination fails to advance
Senate Democrats, with the help of two Republican colleagues, have successfully blocked the confirmation of Judy Shelton to the Federal Reserve’s board of governors -- for now, at least.
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The motion to advance Shelton’s nomination failed by a vote of 48-49. (Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell changed his vote after it was clear the motion would fail, allowing him to take up the matter again at a later date, so the final vote was technically 47-50.)
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Every Senate Democrat and two Senate Republicans -- Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah -- opposed advancing Shelton’s nomination.WatcH) Jingle Jangle A Christmas Journey (20:20) FULL
Republicans failed in part because two of their colleagues -- Rick Scott of Florida and Chuck Grassley of Iowa -- are quarantining right now, after being exposed to people who tested positive for coronavirus.Watch 123Movies After We Collided 2020
If Scott and Grassley were to return to Capitol Hill, McConnell could have the votes to advance Shelton’s nomination.
However, McConnell has little time to take up the matter again, as Democrat Mark Kelly of Arizona is expected to be sworn in by the end of the month, replacing Republican Martha McSally.Full Movie Jiu Jitsu (2020) Google,Drive
Kelly defeated McSally in a special Senate election two weeks ago.
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15:44
Pennsylvania lawyers ask judge to dismiss Trump’s bid to block Biden from being certified winner
Joanna Walters Joanna Walters
Lawyers for Pennsylvania asked a judge this afternoon to dismiss Donald Trump’s bid to block the president-elect, Joe Biden, from being certified as the victor in the state.WATCH The Last Vermeer Google,Drive ONLINE
The Republican president, with his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani arguing for him, is pursuing a long-shot legal challenge to his 2020 election loss.
Guardian cartoonist Steve Bell’s take.
Guardian cartoonist Steve Bell’s take. Illustration: Steve Bell/The Guardian
Giuliani, the former New York mayor, took a key role in spearheading Trump’s case before US district judge Matthew Brann in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
A loss in the case would likely doom Trump’s already-remote prospects of altering the election’s outcome, Reuters writes.
There was “widespread, nationwide voter fraud” in the election, Giuliani told Brann, but provided little evidence to back up that claim.
Daniel Donovan, a lawyer for Pennsylvania’s top election official, said Trump’s campaign did not allege irregularities that would change the outcome in the state.
The Trump campaign on Sunday narrowed the Pennsylvania case to focus on a claim that voters in the state were improperly allowed to fix ballots that had been rejected because of technical errors such as missing a “secrecy envelope.”
Pennsylvania officials have said a small number of ballots were fixed. Trump’s campaign, however, is asking Brann to halt certification of Biden’s victory in the state.
https://steemit.com/news/@moonhd/live-news-pennsylvania-lawyers-ask-judge-to-toss-trump-s-bid-to-block-biden-win
https://medium.com/@newbyme0112020/election-news-biden-begins-transition-plans-as-trump-refuses-to-concede-2020-3b6711d84f36
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Pennsylvania secretary of state Kathy Boockvar is due to certify the election results next Monday, meaning Brann is expected to rule quickly.
Biden is projected to have won the state by more than 70,000 votes, giving him 49.9% of the state’s votes to 48.8% for Trump.
Biden clinched the election by winning Pennsylvania to put him over the 270 state-by-state electoral college votes needed.
US election: what happens between now and inauguration day?
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Updated at 3.55pm EST
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25m ago
15:37
As she arrived on the Senate floor to vote against Judy Shelton’s nomination, Kamala Harris was warmly welcomed by her Republican colleagues, many of whom have refused to acknowledge Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election.
Senator Lindsey Graham, who has lent credibility to Donald Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud, offered Harris a fist-bump to congratulate her on the win.
Several other Senate Republicans -- including Tim Scott of South Carolina, Mike Rounds of South Dakota, James Lankford of Oklahoma and Ben Sasse of Nebraska -- also congratulated her.
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33m ago
15:29
Vice-president-elect Kamala Harris arrived on the Senate floor with a police escort and voted “no” on advancing Judy Shelton’s nomination to the Federal Reserve’s board of governors.
Kamala Harris
(@SenKamalaHarris)
We need a reliable Federal Reserve to help manage our economy in this pandemic.
Judy Shelton’s dangerous ideas would devastate our economy, and her lack of commitment to using the full force of the Fed to provide COVID-19 relief is unacceptable.
I voted no on her nomination.
November 17, 2020
Explaining her vote, Harris said in a tweet, “We need a reliable Federal Reserve to help manage our economy in this pandemic.
“Judy Shelton’s dangerous ideas would devastate our economy, and her lack of commitment to using the full force of the Fed to provide COVID-19 relief is unacceptable.
“I voted no on her nomination.”
The vote remains open, but with Harris’ vote logged, it seems likely Shelton’s nomination will be blocked for now.
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47m ago
15:15
Appearing on Capitol Hill today for the vote on Fed nominee Judy Shelton, vice-president-elect Kamala Harris was asked about the president’s refusal to acknowledge Joe Biden’s victory in the election.
Ali Zaslav
(@alizaslav)
VP-elect Kamala Harris told reporters “I think that we want to make sure that we are all focused on the priorities of the moment and the day” when asked her reaction to President Trump falsely claiming victory in the 2020 election pic.twitter.com/aejClWpwpJ
November 17, 2020
Harris told reporters, “I think that we want to make sure that we are all focused on the priorities of the moment and the day.”
The California senator specifically cited the coronavirus pandemic as the main focus of the Biden transition team right now.
Harris ignored questions about the Trump administration withholding resources from the Biden team and the announcement of US troop reductions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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1h ago
14:54
The Guardian’s Sam Levine reports on the hearing in the Trump campaign’s Pennsylvania lawsuit:
Rudy Giuliani launched into a series of baseless claims about the election during an appearance on behalf of the Trump campaign in federal court on Tuesday, seeking to block Pennsylvania from certifying its election results.
Giuliani, who requested to appear on behalf of Trump this morning, alleged there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.
That’s false; there isn’t a single state election official in the country who has seen widespread irregularities. The Department of Homeland Security described the 2020 election as “the most secure in American history.”
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1h ago
14:41
National security adviser Robert O’Brien briefly addressed the US troop drawdown in Iraq and Afghanistan while speaking to reporters at the White House.
O’Brien said the 2,500 troops who would remain in each of the two countries would focus on protecting US diplomats and facilities.
“By May, it is President Trump’s hope that they will come home safely and in their entirety,” O’Brien said.
The administration has said the partial troop withdrawal will happen by January 15, five days before the inauguration of Joe Biden.
Like acting defense secretary Christopher Miller, O’Brien did not take any questions from reporters about the troop reduction.
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2h ago
14:27
Acting defense secretary confirms US troop reduction in Iraq and Afghanistan
Christopher Miller, the acting secretary of defense, has confirmed reports that the outgoing Trump administration will reduce the presence of US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Miller, who was installed last week after the firing of Mark Esper, said the US will have 2,500 troops in each country by January 15, 2021 -- five days before Joe Biden’s inauguration.
ABC News
(@ABC)
NEW: Acting Defense Sec. Chris Miller announces reductions in troop levels in Iraq and Afghanistan by January 15.
"This is consistent with our established plans and strategic objectives...and does not equate to a change in U.S. policy or objectives." https://t.co/6PzvNG4wiw pic.twitter.com/nVaOv5myHj
November 17, 2020
“This is consistent with our established plans and strategic objectives, supported by the American people, and does not equate to a change in US policy or objectives,” Miller told reporters at the Pentagon.
After issuing the announcement, the acting defense secretary left the briefing room without taking reporters’ questions.
The announcement means Donald Trump will leave office without fulfilling his promise of withdrawing all US troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Reports of a potential troop drawdown were met with criticism from the president’s opponents and allies.
Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said yesterday that a troop reduction in the countries “would hurt our allies and delight -- delight -- the people who wish us harm.”
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2h ago
14:07
Update: vice-president-elect Kamala Harris has arrived at the Capitol, meaning she will likely break the tie to block Judy Shelton’s nomination to the Federal Reserve’s board of governors.
With Harris’ expected “no” vote, the final tally on Shelton’s nomination will likely by 48-49 against confirmation.
However, another Senate Republican -- Pat Roberts of Kansas -- has also said he is undecided about Shelton’s nomination, so the final vote numbers could look a bit different than that.
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2h ago
13:56
Vice-president-elect Kamala Harris will reportedly be back in the Senate today to vote against Judy Shelton’s nomination to the Federal Reserve’s board of governors.
Harris was supposed to participate in a national security briefing with Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware, but she is now expected to take part in the briefing virtually.
Chelsea Janes
(@chelsea_janes)
Update on this from Biden-Harris team: Harris is joining the briefing with Biden remotely from Washington today. So she will be in town. https://t.co/ojJlFH49BN
November 17, 2020
Assuming she arrives in time, Harris could provide the tie-breaking vote to block Shelton’s confirmation. Without Harris present, it seems the final vote would likely by 48-48, allowing vice-president Mike Pence to break the tie.
Three Republican senators have indicated they will oppose Shelton’s nomination, and two other Republicans -- Rick Scott of Florida and Chuck Grassley of Iowa -- could not vote because they are quarantining after being exposed to coronavirus.
Shelton is considered a controversial nominee, given her past comments on the US returning to the gold standard and her close ties to Donald Trump, but Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell is trying to have her nomination approved before the new Congress is sworn in.
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2h ago
13:43
Rudy Giuliani asked for $20,000 a day to assist the Trump campaign’s legal efforts in battleground states, according to the New York Times.
The Times reports:
The request stirred opposition from some of Mr. Trump’s aides and advisers, who appear to have ruled out paying that much, and it is unclear how much Mr. Giuliani will ultimately be compensated.
Since Mr. Giuliani took over management of the legal effort, Mr. Trump has suffered a series of defeats in court and lawyers handling some of the remaining cases have dropped out.
A $20,000-a-day rate would have made Mr. Giuliani, the former New York City mayor who has been Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer for several years, among the most highly compensated attorneys anywhere.
Giuliani denied the Times’ story, saying whoever claimed he made the request “is a liar, a complete liar.” (Multiple people confirmed the story to the Times.)
The former New York mayor is appearing in federal court in Pennsylvania this afternoon, as the Trump campaign seeks to delay the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the state.
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3h ago
13:25
Senator to Zuckerberg: Will you ban Bannon?
Martin Pengelly Martin Pengelly
In a Senate hearing today, the Connecticut Democrat Richard Blumenthal asked Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg a very direct question about a former Trump aide: “How many times is Steve Bannon allowed to call for the murder of government officials before Facebook suspends his account?”
Earlier this month, on Bannon’s own podcast, the former campaign manager, White House strategist and alleged fraudster referred to FBI director Chris Wray and top public health expert Anthony Fauci when he said: “I’d actually like to go back to the old times of Tudor England. I’d put their heads on pikes, right, I’d put them at the two corners of the White House as a warning to federal bureaucrats, you either get with the programme or you’re gone.”
Twitter banned Bannon’s War Room account permanently, for violating its policy on the glorification of violence.
Zuckerberg had already defended the decision not to ban Bannon from Facebook.
To Blumenthal, he said: “Senator, as you say, the content in question did violate our policies and we took it down. Having a content violation does not automatically mean your content, your account, gets taken down and the number of strikes varies depending on … the type of offence.
“So if people are posting terrorist content or child exploitation content then the first time that they do it, then we will take down their account. For other things, it’s multiple. I’d be happy to follow up afterwards.”
Blumenthal pressed: “Will you commit to taking down that account, Steve Bannon?”
Zuckerberg said: “Senator, no, that’s not what our policies would suggest that we should do in this case.”
Here’s Kari Paul’s live blog of the Senate hearing:
Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey face Senate grilling over tech platforms – as it happened
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3h ago
13:01
Today so far
Here’s where the day stands so far:
Joe Biden announced a new round of senior staff appointments. The president’s former campaign manager, Jen O’Malley Dillon, will serve as deputy chief of staff, and congressman Cedric Richmond, a key House ally for Biden, will join the administration as the director of the White House office of public engagement.
The Trump campaign’s lawsuit in Pennsylvania will receive a hearing in federal court this afternoon. The lawsuit, which seems unlikely to succeed, is aimed at delaying Pennsylvania’s certification of Biden’s victory there. The president’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has filed a request to appear on behalf of the campaign.
Biden is reportedly wary of continuing investigations of the Trump administration once he is sworn in. According to NBC News, one adviser to Biden said the president-elect has made it clear that he “just wants to move on.”
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.