Neil M. Gorsuch was sworn in Monday as the newest Supreme Court justice, taking the constitutional oath administered by Chief Justice John Roberts before taking part in a ceremonial swearing-in at the White House. The other eight justices were in attendance at the Supreme Court building in Washington, in addition to the widow and son…
The U.S. Senate confirmed Neil M. Gorsuch to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, capping more than a year of bitter partisan bickering over the ideological balance of the nation’s highest court. Senators voted to confirm Gorsuch, 49, a Denver-based judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, who will become the…
Two Democratic senators — Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota — said Thursday that they would vote to confirm President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch. Manchin, who frequently crosses the aisle to side with the GOP, said he found Gorsuch to be “an honest and thoughtful man,” and that…
The chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives intelligence committee said he has seen no evidence to support President Trump’s claim that his phones were wiretapped by the Obama administration during his campaign. “I have not seen that evidence,” Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) said at a press conference Tuesday. “I think the bigger question that…
Sen. Al Franken said he thinks Attorney General Jeff Sessions might have committed perjury during his confirmation hearing, the Minnesota Democrat told CNN on Tuesday. “It’s hard to come to any other conclusion than he just perjured himself,” Franken said. During Sessions’s confirmation hearing, Franken asked the then-senator “if there is any evidence that anyone…
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign after The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday evening that he spoke with the Russian ambassador during Donald Trump’s campaign. In a statement released late Wednesday, Pelosi said Sessions is “not fit to serve as the top law-enforcement officer…
In a tweet Thursday morning, House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) called for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to “recuse himself” from investigations of the Trump administration’s ties to Russia. Chaffetz also urged Sessions to “clarify his testimony” in light of recent reports that Sessions twice spoke to Sergey Kislyak, Russian ambassador to the United…
A judged ordered Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency pick to release thousands of emails between his office and fossil fuel companies. Judge Aletia Haynes Timmons from Oklahoma County District said to Pruitt’s office that it would have to hand over the emails to the Center for Media and Democracy, or CMD,…
President Donald Trump on Thursday announced attorney Alexander Acosta as his next labor secretary pick, just one day after fast-food executive Andrew Puzder withdrew his bid over controversies seen as likely to upend his confirmation. Acosta, who is Latino, is an attorney who has served in the Justice Department’s civil rights division, and is the…
U.S. intelligence officials have withheld some sensitive intelligence from President Trump because of concerns about the information being leaked or compromised, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. This purported move underscores distrust between the intelligence community and the new administration as a result of reports that Trump’s campaign team had contacts with…
Regardless the attemps by Democrats in the final hours, the U.S. Senate voted on Tuesday to confirm Betsy DeVos as the next secretary of education. DeVos’ nomination faced fierce opposition from Democrats, and two Republican senators—Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine—had previously said they would vote against DeVos. After those GOP defections,…
President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet hearings continue Thursday with secretary of defense nominee James Mattis, secretary of housing and urban development nominee Ben Carson, and CIA director nominee Mike Pompeo. WATCH LIVE SENATE QUESTIONS TRUMP’S PICKS CIA CHIEF, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE & SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT < ----- While Rep. Pompeo (R-Kan.), a member…
The second day of Senate confirmation hearings started Wednesday morning with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, former ExxonMobil executive Rex Tillerson facing heavy questioning, especially due to his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Tillerson has downplayed his relationship with Russia, though, and his prepared remarks claim “Russia today poses a danger,…
Before the confirmation hearing for Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for U.S. attorney general, protesters shouted and interrupted the proceedings. “No Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA,” many demonstrators in the room yelled Tuesday morning before they were escorted out. Others held signs that said “End Racism—Stop Sessions.” The proceedings continued despite…
The Senate is scheduled to launch three days of confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks on Tuesday. First up in the morning is Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Trump’s nominee for attorney general. WATCH LIVE CONFIRMATION HEARING OF TRUMP NOMINEE SESSIONS Sessions is expected to tout his conservative legal credentials; Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.)…
Several protesters, including NAACP President Cornell William Brooks, were arrested Tuesday after an hours-long sit-in by about two dozen civil rights activists at the Mobile, Alabama, office of Sen. Jeff Sessions, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s nominee for attorney general. The protesters criticized Sessions’ record on voting rights and race relations, and Brooks said he was…
