Category: US House

Senator stunned by GOP’s determination to avoid the truth: ‘How will they ever look Pence in the face again?’

On MSNBC Thursday, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) tore into his colleagues who were unswayed by the damning testimony at this week’s Senate impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump.

“I don’t know how anyone can call themselves a defender of law and order when you say it’s okay for this mob, this raging mob, to rampage and pillage,” he said.

The House impeachment managers presented new evidence to the Senate on Wednesday, including never-before-seen footage of how the pro-Trump mob came close to harming senators, something which stunned even some Republicans watching. Continue reading.

Capitol rioters searched for Nancy Pelosi in a way that should make every woman’s skin crawl

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As rioters made their way through the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, some went looking for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. New footage of this was released at Wednesday’s session of the impeachment trial. The mob roamed hallways, searching for her office, and as they did, they called for her. “Oh, Nancy,” one man cried out, three syllables ricocheting off the walls. “Oh, Naaaaaaancy.”

If you cannot stomach reading an entire column about three syllables, you should stop here.

Oh, Naaaaaaancy is a very specific scene from a horror movie. Oh, Nancy is what the protagonist hears when she is hiding in a parking garage, or in a stairwell, or crouched under her desk, or pressed flat on the ground in a damp cornfield. Her terror is played out for entertainment, whether that means a narrow escape or a bloody death. Continue reading.

Bipartisanship in Congress isn’t about being nice – it’s about cold, hard numbers

Before he was even inaugurated as president, Joe Biden, elected at a time of strong political polarization, emphasized the importance of bipartisanship in dealing with Congress: “I think I can work with Republican leadership in the House and Senate. I think we can get some things done.” 

Incoming presidents routinely make such appeals, and for good reason. 

Senate rules require a “supermajority” – 60 out of 100 senators, including both Democrats and Republicans – to pass major legislation. But presidents have found it difficult to fulfill the promise of bipartisanship, which would require negotiation between Democratic and Republican leaders and the agreement of substantial numbers of lawmakers from both parties. Continue reading.

The Memo: New riot footage stuns Trump trial

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Shocking new footage of the Jan. 6 insurrection was presented in the Senate chamber Wednesday, dismantling the idea that the second impeachment trial of former President Trump would produce no fresh information.

The presentation packed an enormous emotional punch. Its impact was visceral, even as most Americans need no reminder of a day that was a low point in the nation’s history.

Clips shown by Democratic impeachment managers revealed Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) narrowly escaping the mob and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) breaking into a run in the Capitol’s halls after apparently being urged to change direction by a police officer.

The officer in question was Eugene Goodman of the Capitol Police, who has already won praise for diverting the mob of Trump supporters away from the Senate chamber at considerable risk to himself. Continue reading.

GOP aide’s friends texted her right-wing conspiracy theories as she hid from Capitol rioters

GOP aide Leslie Shedd barricaded herself in her office as pro-Trump rioters breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. But as she prayed for her safety, friends were texting her right-wing disinformation as the attack unfolded, according to an account published by VICE.

“As friends and family texted to make sure she was safe, two claimed in separate conversations that the rioters were really left-wing agitators in disguise, not the Trump supporters who’d flocked by the thousands to a rally where the president claimed the election was stolen from him. A third floated a conspiracy theory involving the Capitol Police,” VICE’s Cameron Joseph reports. 

One friend texted Shedd that the people storming the Capitol were really “BLM and antifa people” disguised as Trump supporters.  Continue reading.

5 takeaways from Day 4 of Trump’s impeachment trial

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Former president Donald Trump’s legal defense made its presentation Friday at his impeachment trial.

Below are some takeaways.

1. A heavy dose of whataboutism

The early part of the Trump team’s presentation was overwhelmingly focused on things that didn’t involve him. It was almost 100 percent whataboutism.

Democrats over the past three days have played lengthy videos of the insurrection at the Capitol, so Trump’s team played video of the unrest at racial justice protests this summer. Continue reading.

A running tally of Trump’s misleading impeachment defense

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“Contrast the President’s repeated condemnations of violence with the rhetoric from his opponents.”

— Former president Donald Trump’s defense lawyer Michael T. van der Veen, introducing an edited video montage featuring several Democratic lawmakers out of context, Feb. 12

For the past few days, House managers have taken great pains to connect the dots between Trump’s rhetoric leading up and after the deadly Jan. 6 attack at the Capitol. Lawmakers came armed with hours of source video, a barrage of presidential tweets and never-before-seen surveillance video of the attack. Their case to prove Trump indeed incited the violence of Jan. 6 has hinged on the concept that words, and more importantly context, matter.

Trump’s defense team has responded by arguing the House managers took Trump’s remarks out of context — and offered its own series of clips. But these often were taken out of context. Continue reading.

During Stimulus Markup, Phillips Announces He Will Lead Small Business Committee Hearing on $15 Minimum Wage


Phillips: “I invite American small businesses to come before our committee to discuss the $15 minimum wage proposal, its impact on their businesses, and how we might accomplish the trifecta of livable wages, more jobs, and thriving small businesses. They are not mutually exclusive objectives.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — During a late night stimulus markup yesterday, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) announced that he will lead a Small Business Committee hearing on the impact a federal $15 minimum wage would have on American small businesses and jobs. The upcoming minimum wage hearing will be the Congressman’s first as chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations and Regulations. 

WATCH: Rep. Phillips announces he will lead Small Business Committee hearing on $15 minimum wage

Remarks as prepared:

Continue reading “During Stimulus Markup, Phillips Announces He Will Lead Small Business Committee Hearing on $15 Minimum Wage”

New Plan for Vaccines and Restaurants


Hi Neighbors,

From meeting with constituents to advocating for Minnesota small businesses to supporting accelerated COVID-19 vaccine distribution, it’s another busy week in Washington. Here’s what I’ve been up to: 

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I had a great meeting with Climate Generation about the importance 
of combatting climate change in the 117th Congress

Saving Our Restaurants

Minnesota chefs got some love during the Super Bowl, but the COVID-19 pandemic is putting the survival of America’s 500,000 independent restaurants and their 11 million employees in jeopardy. As a new member of the House Small Business Committee, I helped lead my colleagues in calling for immediate support for restaurants, which are uniquely impacted by the pandemic. Restaurants are the heart of our communities, and a targeted grant program should be a top priority in our relief negotiations.

Continue reading “New Plan for Vaccines and Restaurants”

Four takeaways from Day 3 of Trump’s impeachment trial

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Day three of former president Donald Trump’s impeachment trialfeatured the remainder of Democratic House impeachment managers’ case against Trump.

Below, some takeaways.

1. A novel appeal to GOP senators about the consequences of acquittal

If there is one quote that summed up the Democrats’ argument for conviction of Trump, it came Thursday from Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.).

The fact that Trump is no longer in office renders the biggest punishment of the impeachment process — removal from office — moot. Beyond that, it’s about sanctioning him and preventing Trump from being able to hold high office again. Continue reading.