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Biden-Harris 0 comments on Statement By President Biden on the Executive Order Advancing U.S. Leadership In Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure

Statement By President Biden on the Executive Order Advancing U.S. Leadership In Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure

January 14, 2025: The United States leads the world at the frontier of artificial intelligence (AI). Cutting-edge AI will have profound implications for national security and enormous potential to improve Americans’ lives if harnessed responsibly, from helping cure disease to keeping communities safe by mitigating the effects of climate change. However, we cannot take our lead for granted.

We will not let America be out-built when it comes to technology that will define the future, nor should we sacrifice critical environmental standards and our shared effort to protect clean air and clean water.

That is why today, I am signing an historic Executive Order to accelerate the speed at which we build the next generation of AI infrastructure here in America, in a way that enhances economic competitiveness, national security, AI safety, and clean energy.

This Executive Order will direct the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy to lease federal sites where the private sector can build frontier AI infrastructure at speed and scale. These efforts are designed to accelerate the clean energy transition in a way that is responsible and respectful to local communities, and in a way that does not impose any new costs on American families.

These efforts also will help position America to lead the world in clean energy deployment in the context of strategic competition abroad. Some of this new capacity will also be committed for use by small businesses and startups. This renewed partnership between the government and industry will ensure that the United States will continue to lead the age of AI.

President Biden Issues Executive Order To Advance U.S. Leadership In Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure

Today, President Biden issued an Executive Order to secure American leadership in artificial intelligence (AI) and ensure that the infrastructure needed for advanced AI operations — including large-scale data centers and new clean power infrastructure — can be built with speed and scale here in the United States.

Building AI infrastructure in the United States is a national security imperative. As AI’s capabilities grow, so do its implications for Americans’ safety and security. Domestic data center for training and operating powerful AI models will help the United States facilitate AI’s safe and secure development, harness AI in service of national security, and prevent adversaries from accessing powerful systems to the detriment of our military and national-security. It will also help prevent America from growing dependent on other countries to access powerful AI tools.

Building AI infrastructure is also vital to America’s continued economic competitiveness. AI is poised to have large effects across our economy, including in health care, transportation, education, and beyond, and it is too important to be offshored. In addition, the significant and growing electricity needs of large-scale AI operations present a new opportunity for advancing American leadership in the clean energy technologies that will power the economy. This infrastructure can and must be built without raising costs for American consumers and in ways that support continued progress on commercializing and deploying clean energy.

Today’s Executive Order enables an AI infrastructure buildout that protects national security, enhances competitiveness, powers AI with clean energy, enhances AI safety, keeps prices low for consumers, demonstrates responsible ways to scale new technologies, and promotes a competitive AI ecosystem. As described below, the Executive Order directs agencies to take sweeping steps to accelerate large-scale AI infrastructure development at federal sites, while directing the imposition of key requirements and safeguards on the developers building on these locations.

Accelerating AI Infrastructure Development

The Executive Order directs certain agencies to make federal sites available for AI data centers and new clean power facilities, facilitate this infrastructure’s interconnection to the electric grid, fulfill permitting obligations expeditiously, and advance the transmission development around federal sites. To accelerate AI infrastructure development, agencies will leverage their authorities to:

  • Lease federal sites owned by the Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Energy (DOE) to host gigawatt-scale AI data centers. DOD and DOE will select sites where the private sector can build AI data centers and clean power facilities based on those sites’ accessibility to high-capacity transmission infrastructure and minimized adverse effects on communities, the natural environment, and commercial resources. After selecting sites, for building, owning, and operating large-scale AI infrastructure — all at private expense.
  • Catalyze deployment of new clean energy generation to support AI infrastructure. Developers selected to build on DOD and DOE sites will be required to bring online sufficient clean energy generation resources to match the full electricity needs of their data centers, consistent with applicable law. To support these efforts, the Department of Interior will identify lands it manages that are suitable for clean energy that can support data centers on DOE and DOD sites, while enhancing permitting processes for geothermal projects. DOE will take further steps to promote distributed energy resources, advance siting or clean generation resources at existing points of interconnection, and support the safe and responsible deployment of nuclear energy.
  • Prioritize full and expeditious permitting of AI infrastructure on federal sites. Agencies will prioritize and dedicate staff toward permitting this infrastructure in a timely manner, and DOD will immediately undertake environmental analyses that will improve the speed and accuracy of future site-specific reviews. Agencies will identify further opportunities to support expeditious permitting at these sites, such as by applying or establishing “categorical exclusions” — the fastest form of review under the National Environmental Policy Act — for infrastructure that does not significantly affect the environment.
  • Facilitate interconnection of AI infrastructure to the electricity grid. DOE will engage utilities on their requirements for interconnecting AI infrastructure on federal sites and on opportunities to accelerate interconnection via grid-enhancing technologies, operational changes, and other measures. DOE will also share information about underutilized points interconnection that can serve federal sites and on clean energy projects that have preexisting interconnection approvals but are not yet built.
  • Ensure low electricity prices for consumers. Developers selected to build on DOD and DOE sites will be required, consistent with applicable law, to pay all costs of building and operating AI infrastructure so that this development does not raise electricity prices, and DOE will provide technical assistance to state public utility commissions regarding electricity tariff designs that can support connecting new large customers with clean energy.
  • Advance allies and partners’ development of AI infrastructure. The buildout of AI infrastructure must not only advance national security and competitiveness but also support U.S. clean energy leadership, a competitive technology ecosystem, low consumer prices, workers building AI infrastructure, and communities near it. To hold AI developers accountable, the Executive Order outlines certain contractional obligation that DOD and DOE will impose on developers on federal sites, consistent with applicable law. Those obligations include:
  • Paying the full cost of building, operating, and maintaining AI infrastructure – including the costs of building new data centers and clean power facilities, transmission development and upgrades.
  • Procuring new clean energy generation resources that can be delivered to the data center and that accurately match their electricity and capacity needs. This buildout will prevent electricity price increases and advance U.S. energy leadership.
  • Strengthening lab-security requirements and evaluating the national security implications of AI and models developed on federal sites. The evaluations will assess models for risks to safety and security, as well as their potential to advance national-security objectives.
  • Adhering to high labor standards, promoting positive labor-management relations, and paying workers prevailing wages.
  • Purchasing an appropriate share of domestically manufactured semiconductors to help ensure a robust domestic semiconductor supply chain.
by Jen
Biden-Harris 0 comments on FACT SHEET: Ensuring U.S. Security and Economic Strength in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

FACT SHEET: Ensuring U.S. Security and Economic Strength in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

January 13, 2025: The White House posted: Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming to both security and economic strength. The United States must act decisively to lead this transition by ensuring that U.S. technology undergirds global AI use and that adversaries cannot easily abuse advanced AI.

In the wrong hands, powerful AI systems have the potential to exacerbate significant national security risks, including by enabling the development of weapons of mass destruction, supporting powerful offensive cyber operations, and aiding human rights abuses, such a mass surveillance. Today, countries of concern actively employ AI — including U.S.-made AI — in this way, and seek to undermine U.S. AI leadership.

To enhance U.S. National security and economic strength, it is essential that we do not offshore this critical technology and that the world’s AI runs on American rails. It is important to work with AI companies and foreign governments to put in place critical security and trust standards as they build out their AI ecosystems.

To strengthen U.S. security and economic strength, the Biden-Harris Administration today is releasing an Interim Final Rule on Artificial Intelligence Diffusion. It streamlines licensing hurdles for both large and small chip orders, bolster US. AI leadership, and provides clarity to allied and partner nations about how they can benefit from AI. It builds on previous chip controls by thwarting smuggling, closing other loopholes, and raising AI security standards.

Six key mechanisms in the rule catalyze the responsible diffusion of U.S. technology:

  • No restrictions to chip sales to 18 allies and partners. This flexibility enables jurisdictions with robust technology protection regimes and technology ecosystems aligned with the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States to benefit from seamless large-scale purchases.
  • Chip orders with collective computation power up to roughly 1,700 advanced GPUs do not require a license and do not count against national chip caps. The overwhelmingly majority of chip orders are in this category, especially those being placed by universities, medical institutions, and research organizations for clearly innocuous purposes. Streamlined processing of these orders represents an improvement over the status quo, rapidly accelerating low-risk shipments of U.S. technology around the world.
  • Entities that meet high security and trust standards and are headquartered in close allies and partners can obtain highly trusted “Universal Verified End User” (UVEU) status. With this status, they can then place up to 7% of their global AI computational capacity in countries around the world — likely amounting to hundreds of thousands of chips. This trusted status is granted on a global and enduring basis, allowing responsible entities to expand rapidly and flexibly, and strengthening U.S. and allied global leadership while keeping frontier training at home.
  • Entities that meet the same security requirements and are headquarter in any destination that is not a country of concern can apply for “National Verified End User” status, enabling them to purchase computational power equivalent to up to 320,000 advanced GPUs over the next two years. This provision permits trusted national entities to benefit from advanced U.S. technology, serving local, governmental, and regional customers, while guarding against diversion risks.
  • Non-VEU entities located outside of close allies can still purchase large amounts of computational power, up to the equivalent of 50,000 advanced GPUs per country. This cap ensures that U.S. technology is available to service foreign governments, healthcare providers, and other local businesses.
  • Government-to-government arrangements cultivate an international ecosystem of shared values regarding the development, deployment, and use of AI. Governments that sign these arrangements — which align those nations’ export control, clean energy, and technology security efforts with the United States — can double their chip caps (up to 100,000 of today’s advanced GPUs)

Even as it encourages the diffusion of U.S. technology, the rule takes significant steps against countries of concern, constraining them from accessing advanced AI systems and the computing power used to train them. These actions include:

  • Continuing to ensure that advanced semiconductors sold abroad are not used by countries of concern to train advanced AI systems, while still permitting access for general-purpose applications from telecommunication to banking.
  • Restricting the transfer to non-trusted actors of model weights for advanced closed-weight models. The rule does not in any way inhibit the publication of model weights for open-weight models.
  • Setting security standards to protect the weights of advanced closed-weight AI models, permitting them to be stored and used securely around the world while helping prevent illicit adversary access.

The rule builds on previous regulations that aim to protect U.S. national security, including the October 2022 and October 2023 chip controls. It follows a broad range of relevant engagements over the past ten months with stakeholders, bipartisan members of Congress, industry representatives, and foreign allies and partners.

by Jen
Biden-Harris 0 comments on President Biden Changed Medicare Costs for the Better

President Biden Changed Medicare Costs for the Better

a bottle of a variety of pills spilled out of a white bottle with the cap off by Etactics Inc.

December 31, 2024: The White House posted: I believe that health care should be a right — not a privilege — and throughout my presidency I have advanced that goal. This week we take another step closer to an America where everyone can afford the quality health care they need, as Medicare’s new $2,000 cap on prescription drug costs from my Inflation Reduction Act goes fully into effect.

Before I took office, people with Medicare who took expensive drugs could face a crushing burden, paying $10,000 a year or more in copays for the drugs they need to stay alive. When I took on Big Pharma and won, we changed that, capping seniors’ out-of-pocket spending on drugs they get at the pharmacy for the first time ever.

Costs were capped at about $3,500 in 2024, and in just the first six months of the year, this policy saved people with Medicare $1 billion in cost-sharing. On January 2025, the cap on drug costs fully phases in, and costs are now capped at $2,000 per year. As a result, 19 million people are expected to save an average of $400 each. That’s a game changer for the American people.

My Inflation Reduction Act has changed Medicare for the better, and as a result Americans will have more money back in their pockets in the years to come.

WPTZ Plattsburgh-Burlington posted: “New Medicare cap on prescription costs goes into effect Jan. 1”

A new $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket spending on medications for Medicare Part D beneficiaries goes into effect in 2025, potentially saving seniors hundreds of dollars annually.

President Biden calls this a game changer.

Juliette Cubanski, of the Kaiser Family Foundation, said, “That’s a really big deal for people with Medicare since most folks on Medicare live on relatively low incomes”

The cap is part of the Inflation Reduction Act, which Congress passed and President Biden signed into law in 2022.

The White House estimates that 19 million seniors and people with disabilities on Medicare will save an average of $400 per year.

President Biden says, “This week, we take another step closer to an America where everyone can afford the quality health care they need.”

Research from AARP shows that 82 percent of Americans age 50 and older believe prescription drugs are too expensive.

Juliette Cubanski adds, Having to pay even hundreds of dollars in some cases but certainly thousands of dollars out of pocket for medications is a real burden and led to many people being able to unafford their prescriptions and having to go without.”

PhRMA, a group representing pharmaceutical research companies, acknowledges the cap as an important step but argues that other parts of the law, like price-setting provision, could reduce access to medicines for seniors and those with disabilities.

by Jen
Trump Lawsuits 0 comments on Insurrectionists Are Facing Consequences – Part 9

Insurrectionists Are Facing Consequences – Part 9

photo of the US Capitol by Cole Miller on Unsplash

Those who attacked their own nation’s Capitol failed to consider the consequences of doing so. This is part 6.

On January 6, 2021, a mob of Donald Trump supporters staged an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building. The Guardian reported that people stormed the chambers of the House and Senate while the Electoral College does were being tallied.

Former Texas Police Officer

December 10, 2021: Houston Public Media reported: “Former HPD officer sentenced to 45 days in jail for his role in the U.S. Capitol insurrection.” It was written by Lucio Vasquez.

A former Houston police officer on Friday was sentenced to 45 days in jail for his involvement in the U.S. Capitol insurrection.

Eighteen-year HPD veteran and Richmond resident Tam Dinh Pham Pham was arrested on January 20 and initially charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

On Sept 20, Pham entered an agreement, pleading guilty to parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol Building.

In an affidavit filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Pham was accused of entering the Capitol building during the Jan. 6 riot after attending President Donald Trump’s rally in the morning.

Investigators say Pham admitted to climbing over fallen-over fences and passed through barricades as he made his way inside. Pham told investigators that he stayed inside the building for about 10 to 15 minutes before exiting, according to court records.

Police say Pham initially denied entering the Capitol building, but backtracked after photos and videos of what appeared to show Pham inside the building were found in his phone’s “recently deleted” photo album.

December 10, 2021: WUSA9 posted: “Despite ‘inspiring’ immigrant story, former Houston Police officer gets 45 days in jail for Capitol riot.” It was written by Eric Flack, Jordan Fischer, and Stephanie Wilson.

In what appeared to be to be a very close call for a federal judge, former Houston Police Officer Tam Dihn Phan was sentenced to 45 days in prison for his conviction on a misdemeanor charge from the January 6 Capitol riot.

“You added an air of legitimacy to what happens that day because you are a police officer,” U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelley told Pham.

Pham told WUSA “no comment” as he walked out of the federal courthouse after his sentencing Friday. He will have to self-surrender in his home state of Texas to serve his prison time.

A request from Pham’s attorney, Nicole Hochglaube, to have Pham spend 45 days in home incarceration instead of prison was denied by Kelley. Hochglaube said they respect the judge’s sentence.

“I think the judges have an important responsibility to weigh the sentencing issues, which the judge did,” Hochglaube said. “Mr. Pham is looking forward to serving his sentence and getting it behind him.”

Pham is seen in photos and videos spending about 20 minutes inside the Capitol during the Capitol riot. Questioned a week later by the FBI, Pham initially lied about being inside the Capitol building. Investigators checked his phone and found pictures taken inside the Capitol in the “deleted photos” folder of his device.

Pham, an 18-year veteran patrol officer with Houston Police, resigned his position shortly after that FBI interview — just two year shy of qualifying for a pension. In court, Hochglaube told the judge the Vietnamese man moved to the U.S. penniless in 1991 and loved the country that helped him to build a life and a career.

Pham broke down in tears as he addressed Kelly before sentencing.

“The day I was on the news my sister in Vietnam called and said the whole village watched me. I lost my reputation and my career and brought shame on my family especially my children,” Pham said. “The U.S. has given me so many opportunities. I’m so sorry for what I did.”

Kelley told Pham he strongly considered giving him probation, noting that, overall, he played a minor role in the riot and lost his job and pension as a consequence. But Kelly was bothered by Pham’s seeming unwillingness to take full responsibility for his actions.

Pham repeatedly told the court he “stupidly followed people in the Capitol.”

Kelley said as a police officer, Pham knew he was breaking the law.

“Your immigrant story is inspiring. I have no doubt you love this country,” Kelley said. “But you violated your sworn duties to uphold the Constitution and you added an air of legitimacy to what happened that day because you are a police officer.”

Pham will have to pay $500 in restitution and a $1,000 fine in addition to his prison sentence.”

January 19, 2021: KHOU-11 posted: A federal judge set bond Thursday at $50,000 for the former Houston police officer accused of taking part in the deadly U.S. Capitol riot.

The judge also ordered Tam Dihn Pham to surrender his U.S. and Vietnam passports and to not have any communication with law enforcement and anyone who is a victim or witness in the case.

Pham turned himself in on Wednesday, according to his attorney.

Pham is charged with violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and unlawfully entering a restricted building. He’s expected to be released after appearing before a federal magistrate.

According to a federal warrant, Pham initially denied he was part of the pro-Trump mob the stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. But FBI agents say he confessed when they found deleted cell phone photos of him inside the building.

Attorney Nicole DeBorde said Pham is cooperating and “feels a great deal of shame for what happened” and believes President Joe Biden won the election, unlike other rioters.

“He went to see the last speech that President (Donald) Trump was giving and then ultimately ended up getting swept up in the crowd that moved from the speech down the mall to the Capitol,” DeBorde said.

Deborde said Pham wants to disassociate himself from what took place.

“I want to make it clear that Mr. Pham is a very devout Buddhist and is a very peaceful man,” she said.

In a statement, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said Pham’s record while serving on HPD will be scrutinized.

“We are also auditing arrests made by this former officer to ensure there are no irregularities, to include the review of his body worn camera footage related to his arrests,” the statement said. “While our community and members of our department are understandably upset about this breach of trust, all should be heartened by our swift, decisive, and transparent action.”

The investigation into Pham’s actions at the Capitol began after Acevedo received a tip.

During an interview at his Richmond home, Pham told FBI agents he went to Washington D.C. on a “business trip” with his wife and a friend. He said he went to the Trump rally to “see history.”

He admitted he followed the crowd to the Capitol, climbing over downed fences and going around barricades, according to the document.

While inside the building, Pham said “he looked at historical art” and took photos and videos.

FBI agents say he gave them permission to digitally copy those photos and videos.

One photo shows Pham standing next to a statue and under a Trump flag with an expletive. Others show him with the Capitol Rotunda in the background.

“The metadata associated with each of these photographs indicate that they were created on January 6, 2021 between 2:50 and 2:55 p.m., the document states.

Five people died during the riot, including a Capitol police officer.

Pham was placed on administrative leave last week and later resigned.

Attorney Nicole DeBorde’s full statement:

“DeBorde says Pham has been fully cooperative, speaking with agents, and is expected to go before a magistrate in federal court IN HOUSTON soon (she didn’t know day or time) but will ultimately face charges in federal court in D.C. DeBorde says Pham is a quiet man, has a strong Buddhist faith, and feels a great deal of shame for what happened, as well as sad and ‘wishes he hadn’t been there.” DeBorde also says Pham believes Joe Biden won the election, and wishes him well. DeBorde also notes the charges Pham faces are-despite the extraordinary circumstances- are basically federal misdemeanors.

January 19, 2021: The Texas Tribune reported: “Federal officials charge former Houston Police officer for participating in U.S. Capitol riot” It was written by Duncan Agnew.

Federal agents have charged the former Houston police officer who allegedly joined a violent mob that invaded the U.S. Capitol with knowingly entered a restricted government building and engaging in disruptive and disorderly conduct, according to media reports Tuesday. An affidavit written by FBI Special Agent Amie C. Stemen named the previously unidentified officer as Tam Dinh Pham.

In a press conference last week, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo sad he had notified federal authorities about Pham’s presence at the Capitol riot after seeing Facebook photos linking Pham to the pro-Trump supporters. Pham then agreed to meet with FBI agents at his home in Richmond on Jan. 12.

According to the affidavit published by media organizations, Pham told the agents that he had traveled to D.C. from Houston on Jan. 5 for his wife’s business trip. He initially denied entering the Capitol, but admitted to attending the Trump rally earlier in the day.

However, federal officers found photos of Pham standing in the Capitol rotunda in the deleted photos section of his phone. One agent warned Pham about making any false statements, and Pham agreed to cooperate for the rest of the investigation.

Pham also denied being a member of any far-right social media groups that had advertised the Jan. 6 rally, saying that he learned about the gathering on Facebook and attended because he wanted to “see history,” court documents show. After the president’s speech to the crowd that morning, he followed others to the Capitol, eventually climbing over toppled fences and barricades along the way. The photographs on Pham’s phone place him in the rotunda between 2:50 and 2:55 p.m. Eastern Time on Jan. 6.

Pham told FBI agents that he spent about 15 minutes inside the Capitol where “he looked at historical art on the walls and took photographs and videos inside.”

Acevedo announced last Thursday that Pham had resigned pending the federal investigation.

Since last week, political news site The Appeal has been tracking law enforcement officers who participated in the pro-trump riot that left five people dead. As of Tuesday, the site has identified over 30 offers from departments around the country who joined the mob at the Capitol.

The Washington Post also reported that ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, federal authorities are currently in the process of screening troops from the National Guard for any connections for extremist groups, a choice that Gov. Greg Abbott quickly decried on Twitter.

“This is the most offensive thing I’ve ever heard,” Abbott tweeted. “No one should ever question the loyalty or professionalism of the Texas National Guard. I authorized more than 1,000 to go to D.C. I’ll never do it again if they are disrespected like this.”

As part of this security screening process, officials have removed 12 members of the National Guard from helping secure Biden’s inauguration, the Associated Press reported Tuesday. All 12 troops either had links to far-right extremist groups, or had posted violent or extreme views on online platforms. It’s not know what units the 12 members served in.

June 23, 2023: WUSA9 posted: “Rioter among first to enter US Capitol sentenced to 45 years in prison.” It was written by Jordan Fischer and Stephanie Wilson.

In what appeared to be a very close call for a federal judge, former Houston Police Officer Tam Dion Pham was sentenced to 45 days in prison Friday for his conviction on a misdemeanor charge from the January 6, Capitol riot.

“You added an air of legitimacy to what happened that day because you are a police officer,” U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelley told Pham.

Pham told WUSA9 “no comment” as he walked out the federal courthouse after his sentencing Friday. He will have to self-surrender in his home state of Texas to serve his prison time.

A request from Pham’s attorney, Nicole Hochglaube, to have Pham spend 45 days in home incarceration instead of prison was denied by Kelley. Houchglaube said they resect the judge’s sentence.

“I think the judges have an important responsibility to weigh the sentencing issues, which this incarceration instead of prison was denied by Kelley. Hochglaube, to have Pham spend 45 days in home incarceration instead of prison was denied by Kelley. Hochglaube said they respect the judge’s sentence.

“I think the judges have an important responsibility to weigh the sentencing issues, which this judge did not,” Hochglaube said. “Mr. Pham is looking forward to serving his sentence and getting it behind him.”

Pham is seen in photos and videos spending about 20 minutes inside the Capitol during the Capitol riot. Questioned a week later by the FBI, Pham initially lied about being inside the Capitol building/ Investigators checked his phone and found pictures taken inside the Capitol in the “deleted photos” folder of his device.

Pham, an 18-year veteran patrol officer with the Houston Police, resigned his position shortly after that FBI interview — just two years shy of qualifying for a pension. In court, Hochglaube told the judge the Vietnamese man moved to the U.S. penniless in 1991 and loved the country that helped him build a life and a career.

Pham broke down in tears as he addressed Kelley before sentencing.

Pham repeatedly told the court he “stupidly followed people in the Captol.”

Kelley said as a police officer, Pham knew he was breaking the law.

“Your immigrant story is inspiring. I have no doubt you love this country,” Kelley said. “But you violated your sworn duties to uphold the Constitution and you added an air of legitimacy to what happened that day because you are a police officer.”

Pham will have to pay $500 in restitution and a $1,000 fine in addition to his prison sentence.

Colorado Man Asked Judge To Distance Himself From Other Insurrectionists

December 9, 2021: WUSA9 posted: “Alleged Insurrection from Colorado wants out of jail to get away from other accused insurrectionists” It was written by Erin Powell.

A Coloradan accused of violence during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol has asked to be released from jail to distance himself from other accused insurrectionists.

Robert Gieswein, of Woodland Park, petitioned the court in the week before Thanksgiving asking for reconsideration of his status before trial. Court documents say Gieswein and others arrested after the events on Jan. 6 are “vulnerable to radicalization” by remaining together.

…”Mr. Gieswein, a very young man who came to the District alone, is now trapped in a highly charged environment that could potentially exert undue influence on his thinking, and may eventually create pressure on him to conform, or to allow others’ political narratives to drive his thinking and decision-making,” his lawyers said.

In a handwritten letter to the judge, Gieswein himself said the would like to be released to live with his godparents to help his family financially and separate himself from the environment.

“That fact is that January 6 was one crazy day with many elements, and I will never put myself into a situation like that again,” he wrote. “… to spend every day in here like Groundhog’s Day … It is natural in this environment for the conversation always to turn to January 6, and for us to look to each other for strength.

Geiswein is accused of attacking police and spraying them with a chemical during the attempted coup that happened as Congress was set to certify the results of the presidential election He’s accused of being one of the first rioters to enter the capitol, dressed in military gear and carrying a baseball bat.

In court documents, Gieswein’s attorneys also raised a concern about a prison incident in which inmates allegedly got sick after guards use an irritant spray to subdue another inmate.

A hearing to consider his request hasn’t been scheduled yet.

June 23, 2023: United States Attorney’s Office District of Columbia posted: Colorado Man Sentenced For Assault On Law Enforcement

Defendant Assaulted Numerous Officers with an Aerosol Irritant

A Colorado man was sentenced to prison today for assaulting law enforcement officers during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the action of others disrupted a joint session the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes retailed to the 2020 presidential election.

Robert Gieswein, 26, of Woodland Park, Colorado, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered 36 months of supervised release.

According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Gieswein encountered a small group of Proud Boys in downtown Washington, D.C. Gieswein was dressed in a camouflage paramilitary kit, and he was carrying a baseball bat. These individuals invited Gieswin to stay with them throughout the day.

At some point, one of the Proud Boys members gave Gieswein a piece of orange duct tape on his helmet for the purpose of identifying him as a “friendly.” Gieswein walked with the small group of Proud Boys to the area surrounding the Washington Monument, where he encountered a large group of individuals who identified as Proud Boys members, as well as others.

Shortly after 10 a.m., Gieswein marched with the group of Proud Boys from the Washington Monument to the Capitol. After marching with the Proud Boys for nearly three hours, Gieswein arrived at the Peace Monument shortly before 1:00 p.m. A large mob, including the defendant, rushed into the restricted area with other rioters in, among other things, pushing on a barricade held by police that they were using to set a line between themselves and the rioters.

Gieswein was stopped by a man with a microphone and asked how he was doing. In response, Gieswein stated, among other things, that “this” was “crazy,” and that he “would die for this.” Asked what the solution was to “this right here,” Gieswein stated, to “execute these fascists.” Moments prior to making the statement, the defendant threw a water bottle at a line of police officers.

Shortly before 2:00 p.m., the crowd pushed up the stairs under the Inauguration scaffolding that led from the west plaza to the upper west terrace, and Gieswein joined in this push. At the top of the stairs, the defendant sprayed an aerosol irritant at three members of the U.S. Capitol Police, who were attempting to prevent the crowd from further advancing toward the Capitol building.

At approximately 2:34 p.m., the defendant sprayed his aerosol substance at a group of officers who were in the processor arresting another rioter. At least one officer was hit by the spray and experienced a bodily injury. In response, officers attempted to arrest Gieswein, and a scuffle ensued. Gieswein attempted to push at least one officer.

Inside the Rotunda, shortly after 3:00 p.m., Gieswein participated with other rioters in pushing against a group of police officers who were trying to prevent rioters from advancing up a hallway that led to the House Speaker’s office. Gieswein and others were unable to break through the line of officers and were pushed back into the Rotunda. Shortly thereafter, the defendant exited the Capitol.

This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.

This case was investigated by the FBI Denver Field Office and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Gieswein as #10 in its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police.

In the 20 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including nearly 350 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.

April 20, 2022: Law & Crime posted: “Judge Warns Lawyer for Man Accused of Assaulting Police on Jan. 6: Your Client’s ‘Mouthing Off” Won’t End Well.” It was written by Marisa Sarnoff.

After a Colorado man accused of assaulting law enforcement on Jan. 6 indignantly disrupted his pretrial proceedings about his “First Amendment right” to speak on his own behalf, a federal judge informed his attorney that his client’s protections do not extend to ranting out of turn in a courtroom.

Accused police assailant Robert Gieswein “will be back in a loci in a second if he keeps mouthing off,” Senior U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan warned.

Already jailed pending trial, Gieswein faces multiple felony charges, including assaulting police officers, civil disorder, and obstruction of an official proceeding. Decked out in military-style gear including a helmet, goggles, and a tactical vest, Geiswein allegedly entered the Capitol through a broken window.

He allegedly sprayed law enforcement with a chemical spray and brandished a baseball bat as he and other supporters of Donald Trump overran police and swarmed the Capitol building a Congress was certifying Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 presidential election.

“Everyone in a Democratic Country Is Impacted by Terrorists Storming The Capitol”

According to Gieswein’s lawyer, Ann Mason Rigby, residents in the District of Columbia feel “victimized” and “targeted” by what happened on Jan. 6, and they are more invested in the outcome of Gieswein’s trial because “they know that the next Jan. 6” would also likely take place in the capital. Rigby made that point in seeking a change of venue for her client’s trial.

“Hundreds would say this was an attack on democracy, period, whether you live in D.C. or whether you live in Colorado or whether you live in Hawaii,” Sullivan said, explaining the government’s position. “So pursuant to your theory everyone in the country would be precluded from presiding over this case. There wouldn’t be a fair locale.”

“That is the government’s theory”, Rigbly agreed.

“It’s not far-fetched, Sullivan replied, adding: “Where in the continental U.S. or Hawaii can Mr. Gieswein get a fair trial, if not in D.C.?”

“In a city where a jury will not be made up of people who were directly impacted by Jan. 6,” Rigby started to reply.

“But the theory is that everyone in a democratic country is impacted by terrorists storming the Capitol,” interrupted Sullivan, a Bill Clinton appointee. “That is the government’s theory. The argument is this was the worst assault on democracy since the War of 1812.”

At this point, as Sullivan and Rigby were talking over each other, Gieswein jumped into the exchange.

“Your honor, I object to all of those comments there,” Geiswein replied.

After Sullivan said Gieswein “mouthing off” would land him behind bars, Gieswein reminded the judge that he was already incarcerated. Sullivan urged Rigby to talk to her client and cautioned Gieswein once again against speaking out in court.

“You have an excellent lawyer speaking for you,” Sullivan said.

“You’ve Got to Get a Hold of Yourself”

The judge softened his tone somewhat later in the hearing, telling Gieswein that he could end up hurting his own case.

“Trust me, Mr. Gieswein, if the case remains here — and I’m inclined to let it remain here — it’s going to be fair,” Sullivan said. “You’re going to have to get a hold of ourself. I don’t want any outburst during trial. I don’t want you to prejudice yourself before a jury that’s been selected.”

“I just feel I would like to speak in my case,” Gieswein replied. “I’m the defendant, I have a right to speak.”

“As smart as you are, you are not a lawyer, and you have these two brilliant lawyers representing you,” Sullivan said, referring to Rigby and Elizabeth Ann Mullin, who both work for the office of the federal public defender. “I have a job too, to save you from yourself,” Sullivan added.

“You’re not going to prejudice me,” the judge told the defendant. “You start exhibiting this conduct in front of a jury and you know, it’s not good. It’s not good for your presentation … Let your attorneys work for you. They’re brilliant. They’re hard working. They file motions for you at 10 or II:00 at night. That’s their job.”

Gieswein’s trial is set to start on October 24, having been continued from its original February date.

The defendant’s outburst aside, Sullivan said he was not included to grant the motion on Wednesday, suggesting instead that he would have an expanded void dire process to ensure that a fair jury was selected. He also wanted to give prosecutors the chance to respond to survey data filed by the defense in support of its argument that D.C. jurors would be prejudiced against Gieswein.

The rest of Wednesday’s hearing did not generally go in the direction Gieswein had perhaps hoped, as Sullivan denied three of his motions: a motion to dismiss two of the assault counts against him, a motion to dismiss the indictment on the grounds that his right to a speedy trial has been violated, and a motion to reconsider detention.

Geiswein was arrested in January of 2021 and has been in custody since then.

Sullivan disagreed with the arguments from Geiswein’s lawyers that the indictment against him failed to specify facts and details to meet the elements of the offense. He also noted that several other judges overseeing Jan. 6 cases denied motions to dismiss on similar grounds.

Sullivan said that while Gieswein had presented new information regarding his detention — specifically, information about poor conditions in the D.C. jail where he is housed — the judge did not find that those circumstances had a material effect on whether Gieswein would pose a danger to the community if released.

Regarding the speedy trial motion, Sullivan found that the pace of Gieswein’s case was not due to purposeful delay, or bad faith, and therefore that his right to a speedy trial was not being violated.

Toward the end of the hearing, prosecutors noted that the government had offered Gieswein a plea deal that would allow him to drop all but of the assault charges against him. Geiswein rejected that offer.

June 23, 2023: WUSA9 posted: “Rioter among first to enter US Capitol sentenced to 4 years in prison” It was written by Jordan Fischer.

A Colorado man linked to the Three Percenters movement was sentenced on Friday to four years in prison for assaulting police and entering the U.S. Capitol among the first group of rioters on Jan. 6, 2021.

Robert Gieswein, 26, of Divide, Colorado, appeared before U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden to be sentenced on Friday on two counts of assaulting a federal officer. As part of a plea agreement in March, prosecutor agreed to dismiss other charges of obstruction of an official proceeding, aiding and abetting destruction of federal property and entering and remaining in a restricted building with a dangerous weapon.

According to a statement of facts read in court, Gieswein — who prosecutors have linked to an anti-government Three Percenters movement — met up with a group of Proud Boys at the Washington Monument on Jan. 6, 2021, and then marched to the Capitol – where he assaulted police with chemical irritant multiple times before becoming one of the first rioters to enter the building through a broken window. Geiswein was clad in paramilitary gear and carrying a baseball bat at the time.

Once inside, Gieswein assaulted several more officers, including one who was attempting to arrest another rioter. Police tried to place Gieswein in custody but he managed to escape their grasp.

Photo from inside the Ohio Clock Corridor just outside the Senate Chamber show Gieswein standing next to Proud Boy Dominic Pezolla, who was convicted of multiple felony charges earlier this year, and just behind Douglas Jensen, an Iowa QAnon believer who was sentenced to five years in prison last year on multiple felony counts.

Prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden to sentence Gieswein to five years in prison — approximately the same sentence McFadden had ordered for another defendant, Robert Morss of Pennsylvania, who was also convicted of assaulting police. McFadden said he thought the cases were comparable, but that Morss, a former U.S. Army Ranger, had exacerbating factor like wearing heavy body armor that did not apply to Geiswein.

McFadden instead sentenced Gieswein to 48 months, or four years, in prison. Gieswein will receive full credit for the approximately 29 months he’s already served in pre-trial detention since his arrest.

Before delivering his sentence, McFadden said he found it “disturbing” that Gieswein had headed straight to the Capitol on Jan. 6 without even attending former President Donald Trump’s speech. He said Geiswein’s conduct was among the most “violent, egregious and serious” of that day.

“I think in many ways your case is an exemplar of the dangers of a mob mentality,” McFadden said.

To date, more than 1,000 people have been sentenced in connection with the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol. Of those, nearly 350 have been charged with assaulting, resisting or impending police, including approximately 109 who are accused of using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury.

June 23, 2023: 9News posted: “Colorado insurrectionist sentenced” It was written by Nate Lynn.

A Colorado man who assaulted law enforcement officers during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was sentenced Friday to four years in prison.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said 26-year old Robert Gieswein of Woodland Park was also sentenced to three years of supervised release as well as restitution of $2,000 to the Architect of the Capitol after pleading guilty in March to two counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers.

According to court documents, Gieswein drove from Woodland Park to Washington. He was seen at public events in D.C. on Jan. 5, court documents say. In an interview on Jan. 5, Gieswein said he intended to keep President Donald Trump in power.

On the morning of Jan. 6, Gieswein met up with a group of Proud Boys members in downtown Washington, documents say, and marched from the Washington Monument to the Capitol.

While he was in the West Plaza, Gieswein was stopped by someone with a microphone and asked how he was doing. Geiswein stated, among other things, that “this” was “crazy,’ and that he “would die for this,” court documents say. When he was asked what the solution was to “this right here,” Gieswein stated to “execute these fascists,” court documents state.

Gieswein was part of a group of people who pushed their way up the Capitol steps and met a line of police officers who were trying to keep people out of the Capitol, documents say. He then sprayed the officers with an aerosol irritant, according to court documents.

Gieswein was one of the first rioters to reach the Capitol and enter the building, according to the DOJ.

Documents say Gieswein sprayed the aerosol irritant at three more officers before accessing the Rotunda.

After police blocked Gieswein and others from accessing then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s office, Gieswein left the Capitol building. He then drove back to Colorado, according to court documents.

He was indicted later that month after turning himself in to authorities in Teller County.

The DOJ said more than 1,000 people from nearly all 50 states have been arrested for crimes released to the insurrection, including nearly 350 people charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

June 23, 2023: The Colorado Sun posted: “Woodland Park man sentenced to 4 years in prison for assaulting U.S. Capitol police officer during Jan 6. riot”. It was written by Olivia Prentzel.

A Woodland Park man, who pleaded guilty to assaulting a Capitol police officer during the Jan. 6 riots, was sentenced Friday to four years in prison.

Robert Gieswein, 26, will be required to serve the three years of supervised release after his prison sentence and pay $2,000 in restitution, according to federal court documents.

Gieswein is the latest Coloradan to be sentenced for his involvement in the 2021 Capitol breach. More than a dozen people from Colorado were charged with crimes in the Jan. 6 attacks.

Last month, a leader of the Oath Keepers, a far-right extremist group, was sentenced to 18 years in prison. The sentence for Stewart Rhodes was the longest so far in the federal investigation.

Gieswein faced four criminal charges, including assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon. He was accused of encouraging other rioters to break into the Capitol through a broken window, intimidating and assaulting Capitol police officers with a baseball bat and spraying aerosol from a black canister toward officers. Investigators say he was part of the Three Percenters, an extremist far-right militia group.

In March, Gieswein pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. Each assault charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of eight years in prison, in addition to financial penalties, according to the U.S. District Attorney’s Office.

A judge sentenced him to four years of prison and three years of supervised release for each count, which he can serve concurrently, according to court documents.

Prosecutors say Gieswein allegedly borrowed a baseball bat from another rioter after he heard people in the crowd talking about potential violent counterprotestors planning to attack Donald Trump supporters, such as himself. He said he wore a protective, military-style vest because he knew rallies for the former president could become violent.

“Admittedly caught up in the emotions and energy of the moment and falling prey to mob mentality, Robert stopped thinking rationally and accepted a can of pepper spray by an unknown protestor,” court documents stated. “Then, acting completely contrary to the character he displayed throughout his entire life up until this moment, Robert joined the large mob, and took aggressive actions toward some members of the police.”

Gieswein turned himself in at the Teller County jail Jan. 18, 2021, and has been in jail since.

In a memorandum filed by U.S. District Court last week, Giewswein’s attorneys wrote that he “lives with great regret for his actions and has accepted full responsibility for the crimes he committed on January 6, 2021.

In a handwritten letter, Gieswein said he had not planned to go to the Capitol or break the law on Jan. 6 after traveling from Woodland Park to D.C. to attend a rally for Trump.

“I was very emotional and I was not behaving appropriately,” he wrote. “It was not my intention to hurt the police. I was mad and wanted them out of the way.”

His attorney’s asked the judge to consider a time-served sentence followed by a period of supervised release.

The request was accompanied by letters from Gieswein’s mother and three friends, one of whom called him “one of the most empathic people I’ve ever met.”

“I made mistakes and I cannot explain why. I can say I am sorry and I am paying for it, Gieswein wrote to the judge. “I am so ready to get back to my mom and sister to care for them.”

June 27, 2023: Denver 7.com posted: “Colorado man sentenced for assaulting police during Jan. 6 attack on U.S Capitol. It was written by Stephanie Butzer.

A man from Woodland Park was sentenced to prison on Friday for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden sentenced Robert Gieswein, 26, to 48 months in prison for two counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers, plus 36 months of supervised release and $2,000 in restitution to the Architect of the Capitol, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Based on court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Gieswein was walking in downtown Washington, D.C. dressed in a camouflage paramilitary kit and carrying a baseball bat. He was approached by a small group of Proud Boys who invited him to stay with them for the day. One of them gave Gieswein a piece of orange duct tape to put on his helmet to signify that he was “a friendly,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Gieswein walked with the Proud Boys to the Washington Monument, where a larger group of Proud Boys stood.

After 10 a.m., he marched with the group to the U.S. Capitol.

After nearly three hours of marching around the building, Gieswein arrived at the Peace Monument around 1 p.m. A large mob, including Gieswein, rushed the restricted area of the Capitol grounds and ultimately to the West Plaza. There, he and other rioters pushed on a police barricade, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

“While in the West Plaza, Gieswein was stopped by a man with a microphone and asked how he was doing,” the U.S. Department of Justice said. “In response, Gieswein stated, among other things, that ‘this’ was ‘crazy,’ and that he ‘would die for this.’ Asked what the solution was to his ‘this right here,’ Gieswein stated, to “excuse these fascists,” according to the Department of Justice.

Shortly before 2 p.m., the crowd — including Gieswein — pushed up the stairs that led to the Upper West Terrace. At the top of the stairs, he sprayed an aerosol irritant at three members of the U.S. Capitol Police.

Gieswein continued to move with the crowd toward the Capitol building and encountered another line of officers trying to stop the group. Gieswein again sprayed his aerosol canister at the officers, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

He was one of the first rioters to reach the façade of the building and saw the window next to the Senate Wing Door get breached around 2:13 p.m. He entered through that window. Around 2:29 p.m., he sprayed the aerosol at another group of officers.

He did this again at 2:34 p.m., as officers were arresting another rioter, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. They tried to arrest him and he attempted to punch one of the officers. He then broke free of the officers.

At 3 p.m., he, along with other rioters, pushed against a group of officers who were trying to prevent the rioters from moving up toward Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office. The group was pushed back into the Rotunda.

At this point, Gieswein left the Capitol.

He was indicted in late January 2021. He was ordered to stay in jail the same week.

He was sentenced on Friday.

This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

Since the Jan. 6 attack, more than 1,000 people have been arrested in almost every state for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol. Of those, 350 have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

Gieswein is one of several Coloradans charged in connections with the Jan. 6 riot, and several others either traveled there from Colorado or were arrested in Colorado to face federal charges…

June 16, 2023: WUSA9 posted: “Judge Orders Former Oath Keepers, Latinos for Trump attorney restored to competency before trial”

A federal judge said Friday he would order former OathKeepers general counsel Kellye SoRelle restored to competency a week after the government and defense evaluators found she was not fit to stand trial.

SoRelle, an attorney and former Republican candidate for the Texas House of Representatives, was scheduled to begin trial next month with two members of the Oath Keepers militia. A federal grand jury indicted her in September on felony charges of conspiracy and obstruction for allegedly instructing members of the Oath Keeper, led by her then-boyfriend Stewart Rhodes, to destroy evidence after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. SoRelle, who served also served as counsel for Latinos for Trump, was on Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, with Rhodes but did not enter the building.

Last week, both SoRelle’s attorney Horatio Aldredge and a Justice Department attorney informed U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta that separate evaluator hired by both parties had come to the conclusion SoRelle was not competent to stand trial. A report documenting the government’s evaluator’s findings was submitted to the court under seal this week. The specific nature of the findings was not disclosed.

On Friday, Metha said he would accept results from the evaluators and order SoRelle restored to competency. Both Aldredge and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Rakozcy agreed their reading of the federal statute governing competency to stand trial — 18 U.S. Code 4241 — required SoRelle’s treatment to occur in an in-patient setting.

Although competency restoration typically occurs while in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons, Metha, who has allowed SoRelle to remain out on personal recognizance since her arrest, was reluctant to order SoRelle detained.

He suggested parties explore other hospitalization options like St. Elizabeths Hospital in D.C. — although he questioned whether a non-D.C. resident would be able to receive treatment there. Aldredge said she was aware of a possible option in San Antonio, approximately an hour-and-a-half from SoRelle’s home in Texas. Within the Bureau of Prisons, the process normally takes up to four months to complete.

Metha ordered the parties to return for a status hearing in 60 days, and said he would change SoRelle’s conditions of release to require her to seek outpatient mental health treatment until a bed can be located for her at an in-patient facility.

SoRelle attended the telephonic hearing Friday via Zoom from what appeared to be the interior of a car, but did not speak during the proceeding.

Metha’s order means SoRelle will not appear alongside co-defendants Donavan Crowl and James Beeks at the trial scheduled to begin July 10. Both men face seven counts ranging from entering a restricted building to conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding for their alleged roles in the Capitol riot.

To date, at least 21 members of the Oath Keepers militia have been convicted at trial or pleaded guilty to charges in connection with Jan. 6. Eight, including the militia’s finder Stewart Rhodes, have been convicted of seditious conspiracy. Only one, Michael “Whip” Green — the militias operations leader on Jan. 6 — has not been convicted of at least one felony count. Rhodes was sentenced last month to 18 years in prison.

August 21, 2024:The Associated Press reported: “Attorney for far-right Oath Keepers Extremist group pleads guilty Capitol riot charges” It was written by Michael Kunzelman.

An attorney who represented the far-right Oath Keepers pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges stemming from a mob’s Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, including members of the extremist group.

Kellye SoRelle, who was general counsel for the antigovernment group and a close associate of its founder, is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 17 by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C.

SoRelle, 45, of Granbury Texas, answered routine questions by the judge as he pleaded guilty to two charges: a felony court of obstructing justice and a misdemeanor count of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds. The felony carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, but her estimated sentencing guidelines recommend a maximum of 16 months behind bars.

SoRelle was arrested in Junction, Texas, in September 2022. Here case remained suspended for months amid questions about her mental health.

More than a year ago, medical experts concluded that SoRelle was mentally incompetent to stand trial. In November 2023, she reported to a federal Bureau of Prisons facility for treatment. Last month, Mehta ruled that SoRelle had recovered to an extent that she could understand the nature of her charges and could assist in her defense.

Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes is serving a 18-year prison sentence for orchestrating a plot to keep Donald Trump in the White House after the 2020 presidential election. After Rhodes’ arrest, SoRelle told media outlets she was acting as the president of the Oath Keepers in his absence.

SoRelle, a former Texas prosecutor, was photographed with Rhodes outside the Capitol on Jan. 6. As the riot erupted, she posted a chase message for the Oath Keepers that said, “We are acting like the founding fathers — can’t stand down. Per Stewart, and I concur.”

“Although SoRelle did not personally enter the Capitol Building on January 6, she understood the role those inside and outside the building, like herself, played in delaying the certification proceeding that had been taking place inside the Capitol,” a court filing accompanying he guilty plea.

The night before the riot, she joined Rhodes in meeting with other extremists group members in an underground garage in Washington, D.C The meeting also included former Proud Boys national leader Enrique Tarrio, who is serving a 22-year prison sentence for his role in a separate plot to stop the peaceful transfer of power from Trump to Joe Biden after the election.

During the trial for Rhodes and other Oath Keepers charged with seditious conspiracy, jurors heard testimony that SoRelle had a romantic relationship with Rhodes.

SoRelle pleaded guilty to obstructing justice for encouraging others to destroy electronic evidence of their participation in the plot. Two days after the riot, Rhodes and SoRelle both sent messages from her cellphone encouraging Oath Keepers to delete any incriminating evidence.

She was indicted on other charges, including conspiring with Rhodes and other Oath Keepers to obstruct Congress from certifying the Electoral College vote. But she did not plead guilty to the conspiracy charge.

August 21, 2024: United States Attorney’s Office District of Columbia posted: “Texas Woman Pleads Guilty to Felony and Misdemeanor Charges for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach”

WASHINGTON – A Texas woman pleaded guilty to felony and misdemeanor charges related to her conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol. Her actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

Kellye SoRelle, 45, of Grandbury, Texas, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of obstruction of Justice — tampering with documents and a misdemeanor charge of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds before U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta will sentence SoRelle on Jan. 17, 2025.

According to court documents, SoRelle was an affiliate of the Oath Keepers and the Oath Keepers’ founder and leader, Elmer Stewart Rhodes, and is an attorney who has previously worked as a prosecutor in Texas. In the days following the 2020 U.S. presidential election, members of the Oath Keepers, a far-right militia group, led by Stewart Rhodes began discussing the necessity of opposing the transition of power from President Donald J. Trump to President-Elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. This opposition extended to advocating for the use of force if necessary.

On Nov. 5, 2020, Rhodes sent a message to an encrypted group chat titled “Leadership intel sharing secured,” which included other key figures in the Oath Keepers organization, such as Kellye SoRelle. In his message, Rhodes emphatically declared, “We MUST refuse to accept Biden as a legitimate winner,” and further escalated the rhetoric by stating, “We aren’t getting through this without a civil war. Too late for that. Prepare your mind, body, spirit.”

While some members of the Oath Keepers distanced themselves from the group due to the increasingly violent and radical tone, like Kellye SoRelle, continued to collaborate closely with Rhodes. SoRelle, a Texas-based attorney who had become increasingly involved with the Oath Keepers, worked with Rhodes on various projects aimed at opposing the election results.

On Jan. 3, 2021, SoRelle traveled with Rhodes from Texas to Washington D.C., where they planned to be part of the Oath Keeper’s operation on January 6. During the journey, Rhodes purchased or picked up over $20,000 worth of firearms-related equipment. By morning of January 6, SoRelle and Rhodes were in the vicinity of the U.S. Capitol, ready to take part in the days events.

As the riot at the Capitol began to unfold, SoRelle messaged the “Leadership intel sharing secured” group at around 1:31 p.m., declaring, “We are acting like the founding fathers — can’t stand down. Per Stewart, and I concur.” Rhodes, for his part, directed his Oath Keeper followers to the Capitol, leading to at least 20 member of the group breaching the building. At approximately 2:12 p.m., SoRelle, Rhodes, and another Oath Keeper affiliate entered the restricted areas of the Capitol grounds. Video footage captured the group passing barriers that had been set up by law enforcement to protect the Capitol.

As she entered the restricted area, SoRelle live-streamed a video to Facebook, expressing her support for the actions of the rioters and urging others not to be afraid. She described the scene as one of the “coolest damn things” she had ever witnessed and framed the riot as a necessary step to prevent the United States from descending into communism and tyranny. SoRelle continued to document the riot over Facebook live-stream as she moved around the Capitol building with Rhodes and the other Oath Keeper affiliate. The group eventually made their way to the Upper West Terrace of the Capitol, where they watched as rioters continued to stream into the building.

As they stood on the terrace, another Oath Keeper affiliate remarked that the people inside the Capitol “gotta be shitting their pants right now.” SoRelle laughed and agreed, while Rhodes responded with the Latin phrase “Sic temper tyrannis,” which means “Thus unto tyrants,” a phrase famously shouted by John Wilkes Booth after he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln.

After the events at the Capitol, SoRelle joined Rhodes and other Oath Keepers for a celebratory dinner. During the dinner, the group received word that law enforcement was either arresting or searching for individuals involved in the Capitol attack. SoRelle, and the others then left the restaurant, returned to their hotel, packed their belongings, and regrouped at a nearby gas station.

At the gas station, Rhodes turned off his cell phone and handed it to SoRelle, fearing it might be tracked by law enforcement. He then left with another Oath Keeper affiliates to delete any evidence of their involvement in the January 6, events. In a Signal group chat named DC Op: Jan. 6 21,” SoRelle wrote, “Please delete any information you’ve posted regarding the DC op and your involvement. This thread will be deleted when possible.” She also relayed instructions from Rhodes to “clean up all your chats.”

SoRelle further directed: “YOU ALL NEED TO DELETE ANY OF YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT WHO DID WHAT,” explaining that only the comment authors could delete their posts. Oath Keeper members and affiliates complied, deleting messages, photographs, and videos from their devices that could serve as evidence of their participation in the Capitol attack.

The FBI arrested SoRelle on Sept. 1, 2022, in Junction, Texas.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western and Eastern Districts of Texas provided valuable assistance.

This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Dallas and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

In the 43 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,488 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including nearly 50 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

Bedford County Man Charged With Assaulting Officer during breach of U.S. Capitol

August 18, 2021: WKRN.com reported: A Bedford County man has been arrested after federal investigators said he assaulted law enforcement during the breach at the U.S. Capitol earlier this year.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Ronald Colton McAbee, a 27-year-old man from Unionville, was arrested Tuesday on federal charges, including assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers inflicting bodily injury.

McAbee has also been charged with entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with deadly or dangerous weapon in connection with the riots in Washington D.C. on Jan. 6.

He made his initial appearance Tuesday in the Middle District of Tennessee.

No additional information was immediately released about McAbee’s arrest and the allegations against him.

Federal investigators said McAbee is one of more than 570 people arrested for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol.

February 29, 2024: WKRN reported: A man who was employed as a Middle Tennessee sheriff’s deputy when he assaulted police officers protecting the U.S. Capitol from a mob of Donald Trump supporters was sentenced on Thursday to nearly six years in prison.

Ronald Colton McAbee wore a bulletproof vest with two patches — one that said “SHERIFF” and another bering an insignia for the Three Percenters militia movement — when he stormed the Capitol on Jan. 5, 2021.

During a melee on the Capitol’s Lower West Terrace, McAbee dragged away an officer from a police line and punched another officer who tried to stop him.

McAbee said he never intended to “strike fear or be part of the chaos” on Jan.6, 2021. Neither officer assaulted by McAbee attended his sentencing.

“I wish they were here so I can tell them I’m sorry,” McAbee said before U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras sentenced him to five years and 10 months behind bars.

“I take attacks on law enforcement very, very, seriously, as I suspect you did before that day,” the judge told McAbee.

McAbe will get credit for the two years and seven months that he already has served in jail since his arrest.

Prosecutors recommended sentencing McAbee to 12 years and seven months in prison. Only six Jan. 6 riot defendants have received a longer prison sentence than that.

McAbee expressed condolences to the families of rioters and police officers who died on Jan. 6, 2021, and the days that followed. He performed CPR on Rosanne Boyland, a Georgia woman in the mob who died during the riot.

“I’m sorry for all the families that lost someone,” McAbee said.

However, the judge noted that McAbee appeared to be proud of his violent “exploits” on Jan. 6, 2021. A day after the riot, McAbee smiled and held a newspaper with the headline “INSURRECTION” as he posed for a photograph with a friend, prosecutors said.

McAbee was on medical leave from Williamson County Sheriff’s Office in Tennessee when he and a friend drove to Washington, D.C., and attended then-President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House on Jan. 6, 2021.

McAbee wore brass knuckle gloves and a shirt bearing a Three Percenters emblem and slogans. Three Percenters refers to the myth that only 3% of Americans fought in the Revolutionary War against the British.

After watching rioters clash with police outside the Capitol, McAbee joined the fray near a tunnel leading to an entrance on the Lower West Terrace. Metropolitan Police Department Officer Andrew Wayte was on his back on the ground when McAbee grabbed one of his legs and dragged him away from his fellow officers.

“When other officers attempted to assist their fallen colleagues, McAbee interfered wit their efforts, cursing a theme and striking one of them,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.

McAbee then lifted the officer up by his torso, causing him to cry out in pain before they sled together down a set of steps. He pinned the officer down for more than 25 seconds as other rioters attacked him and fired pepper spray at his face.

Defense attorney Benjamin Schiffelbein said McAbee was trying to alert police when he “briefly moved” Wayte and pointed at Boyland’s body.

“Mr. McAbee placed himself in an impossible situation: stand and watch as a woman lay dying in front of officers who did not notice her, or try to help her,” Schiffelbein wrote in a court filing.

A medical examiner’s office later determined that Boyland died from acute amphetamine intoxication.

After his attacks on police, McAbee “sought camaraderie and favor” from other officers still fighting off the mob.

“Can I get in?” he asked, tapping the “sheriff” path on his vest. “I can’t go back that way, man.”

Two men charged with McAbee were also convicted pf assailants Tom Wayte, whose injuries prevented him from returning for work for months. Justin Jersey, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison. The other, Clayton Ray Mullins, was sentenced to two years and six months of imprisonment.

McAbee previously served as a deputy for Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia before leaving in November 2020 to join the Sheriff’s Office in Tennessee. McAbee worked for the Williamson County Sheriff’s office until March 23, 2021, according to prosecutors.

More than 1,300 people have been charged with Capitol-riot related federal crimes. Over 800 of them have been sentenced with roughly two thirds receiving terms of imprisonment ranging from a few days to 22 years.

Man Arrested After Sale of Metals to a Scrapyard

June 12, 2023: WUSA9 posted: “Metal sale leads to arrest of Indiana man on Capitol riot charges”. It was written by Jordan Fischer.

An Indiana man now charged with misdemeanors for his alleged role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot was identified in part thanks to his sale of metals to a scrapyard.

William Lance Wilkerson was arrested last week in Mitchell, Indiana, on four misdemeanor counts for allegedly unlawfully entering the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

According to charging documents unsealed in federal court in D.C. on Monday, Wilkerson can be seen in surveillance footage entering the building through the Senate Wing doors at approximately 3:24 p.m., — a little more than half an hour after the second breach of that entrance. Investigators say Wilkerson then made his way to the Crypt before leaving the building approximately five minutes later.

While inside, Wilkerson was captured both on surveillance video and, as shown by images included in he charging documents, a live video being broadcast by right-wing streamer Tim “Baked Alaska” Gionet, that has helped investigators to identify numerous defendants. Gionet was sentenced in January to 60 days in prison after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

Although Wilkerson is visible in Gionet’s stream, it was surveillance video taken at a scrapyard in Bloomington, Indiana, that resulted in his arrest. Under Indiana law, valuable metal dealers must verify a driver’s license when receiving scrap metals. According to the charging document, Wilkerson visited JB Salvage Inc. at least four times — including at least one time in December 2020 in which he wore the same green jacket he was wearing on Jan. 6. Wilkerson was then identified to the FBI by an acquaintance of several years.

Investigators also found Willerson’s Facebook account, where he had posed photos of himself at the Capitol on Jan. 6 along with comments indicating his presence. In one post on Jan 7., 2021, Wilkerson wrote, “Real patriots did infiltrate the capitol. I watched it happen. The media is all lies unless they were there.”

As of Monday afternoon, an initial appearance in Wilkerson’s case has not been set.

More than 1,000 defendants haven been charged in connection with the Capitol riot. Of those, more than 580 have either pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial, including more than 430 defendants who have pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges.

June 14, 2023: FOX59 posted: “Facebook posts, scrap metal sale leads to Indiana man’s arrest for his role in Jan. 6 Capitol riots”

An Indiana man was arrested last week in Lawrence County for allegedly participating in the US Capitol riots after federal agents found him selling scrap metal.

William Lance Wilkerson, a 39-year-old Bedford man, was arrested by federal agents on Thursday, June 8, in Mitchell after an FBI investigation revealed he was likely at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., when over 2,000 stormed the building on Jan. 6, 2021.

The FBI investigation into the Lawrence County resident began just two days after the Jan. 6 storming when on Jan. 8, 2021, agents learned of posts on Wilkerson’s Facebook page that indicated he participated.

The Facebook profile, which had the name “Wm Lance Wilkerson” had posed several photos in Washington D.C. on Jan. 6, the FBI said. One of them was a selfie at the Washington Monument with the caption “I made it here showing my colors.”

Also on Jan. 6, the FBI said that Wilkerson made another post that read: “Standing up for your rights is also being part of the mass. I did my part today!”

The next day, on Jan. 7, 2021, the FBI said Wilkerson made another Facebook post directly discussing the Capitol riots. That post, provided by the US Justice Department, can be seen below:

“Real patriots did infiltrate the capitol. I watched it happen. The media is all lies unless they were there.”

Other incriminating posts from Wilkerson’s alleged Facebook account that the FBI cited were images saying that “Americans Are Pissed” and the “The Declaration of Independence Says We Have the Right to Overthrow the Government.” The FBI said Wilkerson followed up the post by saying: “IF THAT’S THE CASE, I GUESS NOBODY BROKE THE LAW (rubbing chin emoji).”

A review of CCTV security footage from the Capitol and social media posts also showed a man alleged to be Wilkerson multiple times inside and outside of the federal building.

After searching a US database, FBI agents said they identified the owner of the account as a “William Lance Wilkerson” that resided at a home address in Bedford. When comparing the recovered footage from the Capitol with Wilkerson’s driver’s license photo, the FBI said they were a match.

Further research on Wilkerson showed that he previously visited a salvage yard in Bloomington. When reviewing the security footage from the salvage yard, agents found video of Wilkerson selling scrap metal in what appears to be the same jacket he wore to the US Capitol.

In addition to this evidence, the FBI said that the driver’s license was scanned when the man above sold the scrap metal matched Wilkerson’s. Furthermore, agents said several witnesses who knew Wilkerson said that he had “expressed an intent” to join a rally in Washington, D.C.

This years-long investigation into Wilkerson led the FBI filing the following charges against him:

  • Knowingly entering a restricted building without lawful authority
  • Disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building
  • Disorderly conduct in a Capitol building
  • Parade, demonstrate or picket in any of the Capitol buildings

Wilkerson was taken into custody by federal agents on June 8, 2023, at a residence in Mitchell, one day after a US Magistrate Judge in the nation’s capitol signed a warrant for his arrest.

November 20, 2023: Indiana Public Media reported: “Bedford man gets probation for role in Jan. 6 insurrection at U.S. Capitol” It was written by Patrick Beane

A Bedford man was sentenced to 24 months of probation and ordered to pay $510 in restitution and fees Monday for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.

William Lance Wilkerson, 38, was arrested in June and pled guilty in July to parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building, a violation of Title 40, Section 5104(e)(2)(g) of the U.S. code.

According to unsealed charging documents, Wilkerson was spotted in surveillance footage entering the Capitol through the Senate Wing doors at approximately 3:24 p.m. He then made his way to the Crypt (a large circular room below the rotunda) before leaving the building five minutes later.

Although Wilkerson was visible in a video stream of the attack, he wasn’t identified until late last year when he was seen in surveillance footage selling scrap metal at JB Salvage in Bloomington.

In one of four visits to the site, Wilkerson was wearing the same green jacket he was wearing on Jan. 6.

According to the FBI, Wilkerson posted several photos in Washington D.C., on Jan. 6 on his Facebook page. One of them was a selfie at the Washington Monument with the caption, “I made it here showing my colors.” In another post on Jan 7, he wrote. “Real patriots did infiltrate the capitol. I watched it happen. The media is all lies unless they were there.”

He was initially charged with four counts, but three were dropped in the plea agreement. Wilkerson agreed to 30 days incarceration in that deal, but on Monday, that was reduced to two years of probation, with conditions.

December 16, 2024: IndyStar reported: “These are the Indiana residents charged in Jan. 6 riot who could be pardoned by Trump” It was written by Sarah Nelson.

President-elect Donald Trump has promised to pardon rioters accused in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack at the U.S. Capitol on his first day in office.

If he follows through, the move will affect at least 28 Hoosiers.

That’s how many Indiana residents have been charged in the massive investigation into the riot at the U.S Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, which has resulted in more than 1,000 arrests nationwide. Among the Indiana arrestees, 21 have been sentenced. Trump’s promise has already resonated with eat least one of them, a Bloomington man who’s publicly voiced that he’s banking on Trump pardoning him for his crimes and didn’t show up to serve his time.

“I’m going to look at everything. We’re going to look at individual cases,” Trump pledged in his “Meet the Press” interview.

It remains unclear who Trump may pardon, such as whether potential pardons will be awarded to those charged with violent crimes.

William Lance Wilkerson – From: Bedford

Charging documents show Wilkerson’s Facebook comments, security camera images from the Capitol and cellphone records led to his arrest in the Jan. 6 riot.

Closed-circuit television footage captured six photographs of him inside the building wearing an olive-green jacket.

He was sentenced in November 2023 to two years of probation after pleading guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

Patriot, Indiana, Woman Arrested In Capitol Riot

March 15, 2022: WISHTV.Com posted: “Patriot, Indiana woman arrested in Capitol riot” It was posted by Brady Gibson and Ashley Fowler.

Federal authorities have arrested a Patriot, Indiana, woman for her alleged role in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

The FBI says Nancy Barron, 46, surrendered to federal agents this morning on four charges related to the siege at the Capitol, which happened while lawmakers were attempting to certify the 2020 presidential election results.

Federal investigations say Barron contacted them on her own Jan. 7, 2021, to say she had been inside the Capitol.

The FBI says it found multiple photos and videos of Barron inside and outside the building.

In one selfie video that lasts several minutes, agents say Barron can be seen walking through the Capitol and approaching the House Chamber doors.

At another point in the view, Barron is seen walking up a set of stairs asking, “Where is the F****** Pelosi?” and “Is this Pelosi’s stuff down here?”

At another point in the video, Barron is seen walking up a set of stairs yelling, “F*** Nancy Pelosi and f*** Chuck Schumer!”

An FBI Agent claims Barron lied during her official interview, claiming she was pushed into the building and that she tried to find an exit as soon as she was inside.

Barron is accused of the following:

  • Entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds
  • Disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds
  • Disorderly conduct in a Capitol Building
  • Parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building

Federal prosecutors did not indicate that Barron had participated in any violence while inside.

May 2024: IndyStar reported: a federal judge sentenced Barron to three years on probation after a jury found her guilty of her charges in the Jan. 6 attack.

Investigators said Barron turned herself in after telling police she had entered the Capitol that day. She was then handed her numerous nonviolent charges, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or rounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

August 29, 2023: WISHTV.COM posted: “Jury convicts Patriot, Indiana woman in January 6 Trial” It was written by Brady Gibson.

A federal jury has convicted a Patriot, Indiana, woman for her role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The jury found Nancy Barron guilty on all charges in the verdict returned Monday.

Federal authorities arrested Barron in March 2022 on four charges, including disorderly or disrupted conduct in a Capitol building, entering or remaining in a restricted building, and parading demonstrating or picketing inside a Capitol building.

Investigators said Barron contacted them Jan. 7, 2021, one day after the mob stormed the Capitol and disrupted the certification of the 2020 presidential election results. Barron admitted being inside the Capitol.

The FBI said it found multiple photos of Barron inside and outside the building.

In one video, she can be heard yelling “Go in” several times followed by “Charge” as rioters were trying breach the doors of the East Rotunda.

Another video on Facebook showed Barron smiling as she said “Made it in.”

At another point, Barron is seen in a video walking up a set of stairs yelling, “F… Nancy Pelosi and f…Schumer!”B

Barron was not charged with participating in any violent acts that day.

The judge in the case rejected Barron’s motions for a mistrial and for a directed verdict of acquittal.

Patriot is an Ohio River town of 200 residents that’s about an hours drive southwest of Cincinnati.

Indiana man arrested for assaulting Law Enforcement During January 6 riot

August 25, 2023: WISHTV reported: Federal agents arrested an Indiana man for assaulting police during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Curtis Tate, 32, of Jeffersonville, is also facing charges for civil disorder and destruction of government property.

Video shows Tate in restricted areas of the U.S. Capitol and using a metal baton to hit officers. It also shows him breaking a window, and throwing a speaker box, a broken table lamp, and a shoe at officers.

Police arrested Tate in North Carolina. That’s where he will make his first court appearance.

NEWS RELEASE: An Indiana man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges, including assaulting law enforcement, related to his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

“Curtis Logan Tate, 32, of Jeffersonville, Indiana, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with civil disorder, assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a deadly or dangerous weapon, and destruction of government property. In addition to the felonies, Tate is charged with several misdemeanor offenses, including entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in the Capitol grounds or buildings, and engaging in an act of physical violence in the grounds or any of the Capitol buildings.

“According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Tate attended a rally in Washington, D.C., and afterward made his way toward the U.S. Capitol building. A review of open-source video, body-work camera footage, and closed-circuit video showed Tate present at various locations in Washington, D.C., and in the restricted area of the U.S. Capitol grounds, including in the Lower West Terrace tunnel.

“At approximately 2:05 p.m., Tate is seen in body-worn camera videos from Metropolitan Police Department Officers (MPD) near the Lower West Terrace as he used a metal baton to strike an MPD officer in the hand. In response, an MPD officer sprayed Tate with pepper spray and can be heard warning another that Tate was wielding a baton. Tate later uploaded a video to a social media site depicting himself near Lower West Terrace holding a metal baton, which appears to be the same baton used to strike the MPD officer, with the caption: “POST 1ST MACING.’ During the video, Tate yelled “We’re tearing this motherfucker down!”

At approximately 2:43 p.m., Tate was outside the entrance to the Lower West Terrace tunnel. He arrived minutes after the area was first breached and entered the tunnel closely behind the initial group of rioters. Tate is later seen on Capitol CCTV footage inside the tunnel holding his cell phone above his head, consistent with using the phone to record video. At about 2:57 p.m., Tate is how inside the tunnel brandishing the metal baton above his head and charging towards the line of police officers protecting the entrance to the Capitol building. Tate then repeatedly struck a U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officer in the helmet with the metal baton. In response, a USCP officer pepper sprayed Tate, and he retreated.

“Later, at about 4:28, p.m., Tate is seen on publicly available video through a black speaker box and breaking a window located to the left of the tunnel entrance. Tate then threw a black speaker box and shoe struck MPD officers. Shortly after the above assaults, Tate is shown in publicly available receiving a broken table leg with a protruding screw through a broken window in the Capitol building. The window was the same window damaged by Tate earlier with the speaker box and now completely broke as a result of damage caused by Tate and others.

“Tate is shown in multiple publicly available videos and photographs taken by a photojournalist, navigating through the crowd and carrying the broken table leg toward the entrance to the tunnel. At approximately 4:34 p.m., Tate is shown in publicly available video throwing the broken table leg at police officers who were protecting the tunnel entrance.

“Later, at approximately 4:38 p.m., Tate is shown in publicly available assisting others carry a piece of lumber toward the entrance to the tunnel, and, at abut 5:01 p.m., Tate is shown in multiple publicly available videos throwing a floor lamp at police officers at near the tunnel.”

“Tate later gave an interview to a media outlet, in which he stated, ‘I would never hurt an officer. I come from a military background. I’m very respectful of our military and police… I know I didn’t hurt anybody… I’m not speaking her bold as brass, because you never know what can happen… but I’ve never, ever once hurt, or put my hands on an officer… I never did it. So, I’m not going to live the rest of my life in fear.’

“This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

“The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Indianapolis and Washington Field Officers, which identified Tate as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #119 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance provided by FBI Charlotte, U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department.

“In the 31 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,106 individuals haven arrested in nearly 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 350 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

August 15, 2023: United States Attorney’s Office District of Columbia posted a press release titled: “Indiana Man Arrested for Assaulting Law Enforcement During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach”

Defendant Assaulted Police on West Terrace and in Tunnel with Baton and Thrown Object

An Indiana man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges, including assaulting law enforcement, related to his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

Curtis Logan Tate, 32, of Jeffersonville, Indiana, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with civil disorder, assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a deadly or dangerous weapon, and destruction of government property. In addition to the felonies, Tate is charged with several misdemeanor offenses, including entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in the Capitol grounds or buildings, and engaging in a fact of physical violence in the grounds or any of the Capitol buildings.

Tate was arrested on Aug. 24, 2023, by the FBI in Wilmington, North Carolina, and will make his initial appearance in the Eastern District of North Carolina.

According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Tate attended a rally in Washington, D.C., and afterward made his way toward the U.S. Capitol building. A review of open-source video, body-worn camera footage, and closed-circuit video shows Tate at various locations in Washington, D.C., and in the restricted area of the U.S Capitol grounds, including in the Lower West Terrace tunnel.

At approximately 2:05 p.m., Tate is seen in body-warn camera videos from Metropolitan Police Department Officers (MPD) near the Lower West Terrace as he used a metal baton to strike an MPD officer in the hand. In response, an MPD officer sprayed Tate with pepper spray and can be heard warning another officer that Tate was wielding a baton. Tate later uploaded a video to a social media site depicting himself near the Lower West Terrace holding a metal baton, which appears to be the same baton used to strike the MPD officer, with the caption: “POST 1ST MACING.” During the video, Tate yelled, “We’re tearing this motherfucker down!”

At approximately 2:43 p.m., Tate was outside the entrance to the Lower West Terrace tunnel. He arrived minutes after the area was first breached and entered the tunnel closely behind the initial group of rioters. Tate is later seen on Capitol CCTV footage inside the tunnel holding his cell phone above this head, consistent with using the phone to record video. At about 2:57 p.m., Tate is shown inside the tunnel brandishing the metal baton above his head and charging towards the line of police officers protecting the entrance to the Capitol building. Tate then repeatedly struck a U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officer in the helmet with the metal baton. In response, a USCP officer pepper sprayed Tate, and he retreated.

Later, at about 4:28 p.m., Tate is seen on publicly available video throwing a black speaker box and breaking a window locked to the left of the tunnel entrance. Tate then threw a black speaker box and a shoe at police officers protecting the entrance to the tunnel. The speaker box and shoe structure MPD officers. Shortly after the above assaults, Tate is shown in publicly available video receiving a broken table leg with a protruding screw through a broken window in the Capitol building. The window was the same window damaged by Tate earlier with the speaker box and now was completely broken as a result of damage caused by Tate and others.

Tate is shown in multiple publicly available videos and photographs taken by a photojournalist, navigating through the crowd and carrying the broken table leg toward the entrance to the tunnel. At approximately 4:34 p.m., Tate is shown in publicly available video throwing the broken table leg at police officers who were protecting the tunnel.

Later, at approximately 4:38 p.m., Tate is shown in publicly available video assisting others carry a piece of lumber toward the entrance to the tunnel, and, about 5:01 p.m., Tate is shown in multiple publicity available videos throwing a floor lamp at police officers near the tunnel.

Tate later gave an interview to a media outlet, in which he states, “I would never hurt an officer. I come from a military background. I’m very respectful of our military and police… I know I didn’t hurt anybody … I’m not speaking here bold as brass, because you never know what can happen…but I’ve never, ever once hurt, or put my hands on an officer… I never did it. So, I’m not going to live the rest of my life in fear.”

This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Indianapolis and Washington Field Offices, which identified Tate as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #119 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance provided by FBI Charlotte, U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department.

In the 31 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,106 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than then 350 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

Behymer and Moss

March 16, 2023: WISHTV.com reported: “Indiana Couple arrested for actions during Jan. 6 Capitol Breach” It was written by Jay Adkins and Richard Essex.

An Indiana couple were arrested today on felony and misdemeanor charges for their action during the U.S. Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2021.

Arthur Rehyer and Jessica Rehyer, both 38, of Brownsburg, Indiana, were arrested Wednesday morning after being charged with civil disorder, a felony, and related misdemeanor offenses.

According to documents filed in federal court by the U.S. district attorney for the District of Columbia, the Reyhers were among the first group of rioters to enter the tunnel of the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021.

As the couple entered the tunnel the first time around 2:46 p.m., Arthur Reheyr held both of his hands in the air as he and other rioters yelled “our house!” while assisting other rioters in attempting to push past the officers in the tunnel.

Around 2:50 p.m., the Reyhers and other rioters started coordinated pushes against the officers, the documents say. At 2:52 p.m., the Reyhers exited the tunnel as the officers progressed forward against the rioters.

Investigators say that, once outside, Arthur Reyher was part of another attempt to push police out of the tunnel. He was heard on video yelling to another rioter, “Don’t hit ’em. Keep your hands up and push.”

According to court documents, at 3:01 p.m., 11 minutes after the Rehyers were first spotted on camera, they are again spotted attempting to re-enter the tunnel. This time, they and other rioters exit the tunnel after being sprayed with a chemical irritant.

At 3:04 p.m., the Rehyers returned to the tunnel and pushed the way to the front of the rioters. The Reyhers and rioters once again pushed their body weight in unison against the officers. Rioters used police riot shields and police riot batons to combat the officer.

A chemical irritant was sprayed inside the tunnel at 3:05 p.m., and the Reyhers covered their faces and exited the tunnel for a second time but stayed near the tunnel’s archway.

At 3:08 p.m., video footage captured Arthur Reyher yelling, “push!’ and patting rioters on the back as they entered the tunnel.

A rioter came out of the tunnel and yelled, “we are almost through!” while Arthur Reyher exclaimed “push!” and “our house!” Another rioter turned to the Reyhers and said, “hey, guys, are you going in or not?”

Rioters passed riot shields to the front of the tunnel and yelled “shield wall!” to make a shield wall and assault officers.

One officer in the scrim screamed in pain as the weight of the rioters’ pushes pinned him between a shield and a door.

At 3:17 p.m., the Reyhers exited the tunnel and again helped rioters push against the officer line. The pushing continued until officers successfully pushed the rioters from the tunnel.

Rehyers were released without bond and told to report to the U.S. Probation Office.

In January 2021, the FBI received anonymous tips from witnesses that the Reyhers were involved in the breach. Law enforcement interviewed Arthur Reyher, who confessed that he and Jessica Reyher were at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Rehyer says he believed President Donald Trump lost the election due to voter fraud.

Witnesses positively identified the Rehyers from images taken during the Jan. 6 breach.

In the 26 months since the Jan. 6 breach, more than 999 people have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach, with 320 of those people charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

October 3, 2024: The Republic reported: “Two Bartholomew County residents plead guilty in Jan. 6 case” It was written by Andy East.

Two Bartholomew County men have pleaded guilty to assaulting enforcement officers during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, bringing the total number of local residents who have pleaded guilty to participating in the failed insurrection to three.

James Link Behymer of Hope and Donald Lee Moss of Elizabethtown pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting, resisting or impeding an officer during the U.S. Capitol attack, according to filings in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.

The offense carries a maximum sentence of eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release, according to court records.

U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan — who also is presiding over the criminal case against former President Donald Trump over his alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election — scheduled a sentencing hearing for Feb. 13.

Behymer and Moss were realized on personal recognizance following a change-of-plea hearing on Thursday.

The guilty pleas come about two months after the two local residents signed plea agreements with federal prosecutors in which they agreed to plead guilty to one of several criminal charges. Behymer had originally been charged with six criminal offenses, while Moss had been charged with seven criminal offenses.

In the agreement, Behymer and Moss acknowledged being part of a group of “angry and violent” pro-Trump rioters who surrounded and assaulted DC police as part of an effort to halt the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.

They also agreed to allow law enforcement officials to review their social media accounts and posts in an around Jan. 6, 2021, and interview them regarding the events in and around the U.S. Capitol attack prior to sentencing.

Based on the two men not having any prior felony convictions and that “the parties agree that (they) used violence or credible threats of violence in connection with the offense.” federal prosecutors calculated their sentencing guidelines to be 24 to 30 months in prison and a $10,000 to 95,000 fine, according to court records.

Federal prosecutors allege that Behymer and Moss were part of a group of “angry and violent rioters” who descended upon and assaulted D.C. Metropolitan police officers near the lower west terrace of the U.S. Capitol who were attempting to keep them from breaching the building on Jan. 6, 2021.

Federal authorities said in the complaint they were able to identify the two Bartholomew Count men through cellphone records — including a cellphone number with an 812 area code that connected to a cell site that provided service inside the U.S. Capitol during the insurrection — as well as a witness described as a “longtime associate of Moss and Behymer” who identified the two defendants after being shown still images.

Federal prosecutors also included images the claim are of the two men that were taken from officers’ body cameras and third-party footage.

The complaint alleges that Moss and Behymer shoved officer’s arms away from them as the group of rioters “surged toward the surrounded MPD officers and began violently assaulting the officers.” The complain further alleges that Behymer struck an officer in the wrist and later attempted to pry a baton out of an an officer’s hand while stating, “Now I’m being soft, but I do want this pole.”

Moss, who at one point shouted, “This is our (expletive) house” while pointing at the Capitol, allegedly struck an officer’s arm and baton and forcefully pushed another police officer from behind during the attack, the complaint states.

The two Bartholomew County men made their way through the crowd and entered the U.S. Capitol and entered the Crypt, a vaulted space located underneath the Capitol Rotunda. They later exited through the Capitol Rotunda. They later exited the Capitol but reentered after rioters broke through a barricade set up by Capitol police at the Senate Wing doors.

After reentering, they returned to the Crypt and moved a sign that had been placed on a statue outside the Crypt’s entrance and put it on another statue before taking pictures of it, according to the complaint. On one side, the sign included the initials of the Chinese Communist Party with a circle and red line through it, while “America First” and “Never give up, never surrender” were written on the other side.

When the two men left the area, Moss took the sign with him and was allegedly captured in video footage carrying the sign inside the Capitol, as well as outside the building.

October 4, 2024: United States Attorney’s Office posted: “Indiana Men Plead Guilty to Assaulting Law Enforcement During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach”

Two men from Indiana pleaded guilty on Oct. 3, 2024, to assaulting law enforcement during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Their actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

Donald Lee Moss, 62, of Elizabethtown, Indiana, and James Link Behymer, 61, of Hope, Indiana, each pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers before U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan. The two men will be sentenced on Feb. 13, 2025.

According to court documents, at about 2:00 p.m., on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington D.C., a group of Metropolitan Police (MPD) officers, wearing riot gear, walked toward the Lower West Terrace of the U.S. Capitol building as angry and violent rioters descended on, and surrounded, the officers and began shouting obscenities and curses at them.

The surrounded officers repeatedly issued commands to “move back.” They also began to move rioters away from their positions with their hands and batons. At approximately 2:01 p.m., Behymer approached the MPD officers with his friend, Donald Lee Moss. An MPD officer then extended his hand toward Behymer and said, “Sir, step back for your own safety.” Other officers directed Behymer and Moss to move back, but they did not. Behymer raised his right arm with a closed fist and repeatedly shouted: “USA! USA! USA!” At the same time, Moss points toward the U.S. Capitol building and shouted, “This is our f— house!”

At 2:01 p.m., an MPD officer extended their hand, attempting to keep Behymer back. Behymer then swung his fist down, striking the officer’s wrist. A few seconds later, the MPD officer placed their right hand on Behymer to keep him back; however, Behymer swung his left fist downward and struck the officer’s arm a second time while Moss forcibly shoved the officer’s hand off Behymer.

Behymer continued to shout, “USA! USA! USA!” and Moss told the officer to “Get your f— hand off him!” as the mob constricted the officers movements and pushed into them. Some members of the mob threw objects, including a traffic cone, at the officers. Admist the chaos, rioters screamed: “F — You! F–Nazis!,” “Go back to the Gestapo training camp!” “You’re the traitors! and “You wanna take us all on?!” Shortly after striking the officer’s arm, Moss leaned in and forcefully pushed another MPD officer from behind.

At approximately 2:02 p.m., Behymer was at the front of the rioters physically pressed into the officers. A rioter shouted at police: “Y’all surrounded.” Behymer then grabbed an officers hand and baton while the officer attempted to keep Behymer away. At approximately 2:03 p.m., Behymer re-engaged with police — again grabbing an officer’s baton.

Ten minutes after assaulting and opposing officers on the Lower West Terrace, at approximately 2:13 p.m., Behymer and Moss entered the U.S. Capitol building through the Senate Wing doors. At approximately 2:21 p.m., Moss stood at a shattered window and waived other rioters towards the Capitol building, encouraging them to enter the building. The two men then made their way towards the Crypt and the hallway linking toward the Senate Wing Doors. At about 2:31 p.m., Moss carried a chair across the Crypt lobby and placed it directly in the path of the retractable ceiling door to prevent the door from closing.

Moss and Behymer exited the Capitol at approximately 2:41 and 2:43 p.m., respectively. At about 2:48 p.m., rioters broke through a barricade set up by Capitol Police at the Senate Wing doors. Roughly two minutes later, Behymer and Moss re-entered the Capitol again via the Senate Wing doors and walked toward the Crypt before exiting at 3:44 p.m.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’ Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana provided valuable assistance.

The FBI’s Indianapolis and Washington Field Offices are investigating this case. Moss was listed as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #401 on the FBI’s website. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

In the 44 months since January 6, 2021, more than 1,504 individuals have been charged in nearly 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 560 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

October 2024: Behymer and his alleged accomplice, Donald Moss, pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement officers during the Capitol breach.

According to an arrest complaint, the pair are accused of physically confronting police officers on the Lower West Terrace of the U.S. Capitol building as law enforcement ordered the mob to “move back.”

Behymer is seen on body camera footage grabbing an officers’s baton and pushing other law enforcement official’s hands away.

Behymer and Moss each pleaded guilty to assaulting, resisting, or impeding an officer.

They are scheduled to be sentenced in February 2025.

by Jen
Biden-Harris 0 comments on President Biden Signed H.R. 5009

President Biden Signed H.R. 5009

December 23, 2024: The White House posted: “Statement from President Joe Biden on H.R. 5009, Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025”

Today, I have signed into law H.R. 5009, the “Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025.” (the “Act”). This Act authorizes fiscal year appropriations principally for the Department of Defense, Department of Energy national security programs, Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, and the Intelligence Community.

This bill provides vital benefits for military personnel and their families and includes critical authorities to support our country’s national defense, foreign affairs, and homeland security. While I am pleased to support the critical objectives of the Act, I note that certain provisions of the Act raise concerns.

A number of provisions of the Act may, in certain circumstances, interfere with the exercise of my constitutional authority to articulate the positions of the United States in international negotiations or fora (e.g., sections 735(a), 1214, 1221, 1333, 5121(b), 7204, and 7803(a)).

I recognize that “[I]t is not for the President alone to determine the whole content of the Nation’s foreign policy” (Zivotosfky v. Kerry) and will make every effort to oppose many of the objectives in these provisions. Nevertheless, I will not treat them as limiting my constitutional discretion to articulate the views of the United State before international organizations and with foreign governments.

Certain provisions of the Act, including sections 129, 809, 1067, 1069, 1078, 1225, 1229, 1707, 6308, 7303(b)(2)-(3), 7502, and 7505, would require the President and other officials to submit certificates, reports, notifications or plans to the Congress that (1) may in the ordinary course, include highly sensitive classified information, including information that could reveal critical intelligence sources or military operational plans or (2) could implicate executive branch confidentially interests. In addition, section 354(4) raises constitutional concerns to the extent that it purports to compel the provision of certain documents subject to executive branch confidential interests — including attorney-client privileged information.

The Constitution vests the President with the authority to prevent the disclosure of such highly sensitive information in order to discharge his responsibility to protect the national security. At the same time, congressional committees have legitimate needs to perform vital oversight and other legislative functions with respect to national security and military matters.

Accordingly, it has been the common practice of the executive branch to comply with statutory reporting requirements in a way that satisfies congressional with due regard for the protection from unauthorized disclosure of classified information relating to sensitive intelligence sources and methods or other exceptionally sensitive matters, as well as to preserve the confidentiality of internal executive branch deliberations, particularly those with respect to decisions bearing on the Nation’s national security. I believe the Congress shares this understanding, and my Administration will presume that it is incorporated into statutory reporting requirements of the kind at issue in the Act.

Division A, title X, subtitle D, section 1043 of the Act continues to bar the use of funds appropriated to the Department of Defense to transfer Guantánamo Bay detainees to the custody of effective control of certain foreign countries. Division A, title X, subtitle D, section 1041 likewise would continue to prohibit the use of such funds to transfer Guantánamo Bay detainees into the United States.

It is the longstanding position of the executive branch that these provisions unduly impair the ability of the executive branch to determine when and where to prosecute Guantánamo Bay detainees and where to send them upon release.

In some circumstances, these provisions could make it difficult to comply with the final judgement of a court that has directed the real of a detainee on writ of habeas corpus, including by constraining the flexibility of the executive branch with respect to is engagement in delicate negotiations with foreign countries over the potential transfer of detainees. I urge the Congress to eliminate these restrictions as soon as possible.

My Administration strongly opposes Division A, title VII, subtitle A, section 708 of the Act, which inhibits the Department of Defense’s ability to treat all persons equally under the law, no matter their gender identity. By prohibiting the use of appropriated funds, the Department of Defense will be compelled to contravene clinical practice guidelines and clinical recommendations.

The provision targets a group based on that group’s gender identity and interferes with parents’ roles to determine the best care for their children. This section undermines our all-volunteer military’s ability to recruit and retain the finest fighting force the world has ever know by denying health care coverage to thousands of our service members’ children. No service member should have to decide between their family’s health care access and their call to serve our nation.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

by Jen
Biden-Harris 0 comments on Another Government Shutdown 2024

Another Government Shutdown 2024

photo of U.S. White House by Louis Velazquez on Unsplash

December 18, 2024: NPR reported: “Congress flirts with a holiday shutdown as GOP objects to bipartisan spending bill” It was written by Barbara Sprunt and Claudia Grisales.

Republican lawmakers are scrambling to avoid a government shutdown days before Christmas after President-elect Donald Trump and his close advisers came out against a bipartisan spending bill meant to fund the government until March 14.

Government funding runs out at the end of the day on Friday and congressional leaders had hoped to pass a roughly 1,500 page bipartisan spending bill that includes other year-end priorities like farm subsidies, disaster aid and a pay raise for lawmakers. But GOP lawmakers and Trump advisers like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy on Wednesday pushed House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to back out of the bipartisan deal.

Musk spent the day campaigning against the bill on social media, personally thanking lawmakers who said they won’t support it, and calling on Congress not to pass any bills until Trump takes office.

Ramaswamy shared similar messages on social media platforms and other influential conservative voices like Heritage Action, also came out against the bill.

Even members of the House Appropriations Committee, like Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., were venting frustrations.

“In late September, when we passed this last [spending bill], we said we needed to do it because we were running out if time, and here we are at the end of the next deadline, and we’re still running out of time,” Womack said on Tuesday before the final text was released. “The American people are as tire of this as most appropriations.”

The widespread frustration among Republicans could spell trouble for Johnson as he works to retain the gavel for the next session of Congress.

Republican Leaders defend the legislation

Johnson told “Fox and Friends” Wednesday that with this bill, “we are clearing the decks and we are setting up for Trump to come roaring back with the American-first agenda.”

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the incoming Senate majority leader, told reporters in the Capitol the bill reflected bipartisan talks that are necessary with Democrats still in power.

“Anytime you are negotiating with a Democratic Senate and a Democratic White House, there are things you don’t like,” Thune said. “At the end of the day, we’ve got some stuff wrapped up hopefully at the end of this year so we’re not dealing with it all next year.”

The spending bill would fund the government at current levels until March 14. It also includes other unfinished business including: roughly $100 billion in federal aid for communities damaged by natural disasters like hurricanes Milton and Helene and wildfires in Maui; money to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, which collapsed in March, and a pay raise for lawmakers.

House Republicans have also criticized Johnson for giving them little time to review the bill and forgoing a promise to stick to a 72-hour review period for members to assess legislation. Some have floated withholding votes for Johnson on Jan. 3, when the House convenes to elect a speaker.

“It is really a laughingstock. I mean, this [spending bill] is a joke,” Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley told reporters. “And by the way, who it’s worst for is Donald Trump. It only goes until March. So March 14th, we’re going to do this all over again, right in the middle of Trump’s [first] 100 days.”

Democrats stand behind the partisan deal

The legislation released Tuesday was the result of bipartisan negotiations and Democrats said Wednesday that they were unwilling to back away from that pact.

“A deal is a deal. Republicans should keep their word,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

House Democrats delivered a sentiment in a brief statement to reporters in the Capitol. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Republicans will “own any harm” if a shutdown happens at the end of the week.

“An agreement is an agreement,” Jeffries said. “It was bipartisan and there is nothing more to say.”

December 18, 2024: The White House posted: “Statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Republicans Threatening a Government Shutdown”

Republicans need to stop playing politics with this bipartisan agreement or they will hurt hardworking Americans and create instability across the country. President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Vance ordered Republicans to shut down the government and they are threatening to do just that — while undermining communities recording from disasters, farmers and ranchers, and community health centers. Triggering a damaging government shutdown would hurt families who are gathering to meet with their loved ones and endanger the basic services Americans from veterans to Social Security recipients rely on. A deal is a deal. Republicans should keep their word.

December 19, 2024: The White House posted “Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Republicans’ Billionaire Giveaway”

Republicans are doing the bidding of their billionaire benefactors at the expense of hardworking Americans. Republicans are breaking their word to support a bipartisan agreement that would lower prescribe drug costs and make it harder to offshore jobs to China — and instead putting forward a bill that paves the way for tax breaks for billionaires whole cutting critical programs working families count on, from Social Security to Head Start. President Biden supports the bipartisan agreement to keep the government open, help communities recovering from disasters, and lower costs — not this giveaway for billionaires that Republicans are proposing at the 11th hour.

December 19, 2024: The White House posted “Statement from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on President Biden’s Travel to Italy”

President Joseph R. Biden will travel to Rome, Italy, from January 9 to 12 to meet separately with His Holiness Pope Francis, President of Italy Sergio Mattarella, and Prime Minister of Italy Georgia Meloni. On January 10, President Biden will have an audience with the Pope and discuss efforts to advance peace around the world. He will also meet with Italy’s leaders to highlight the strength of the U.S.-Italy relationship, thank Prime Minister Meloni for her strong leadership of the G7 over the past year, and discuss important challenges facing the world.

December 19, 2024: “Readout of President Biden’s Call with His Holiness Pope Francis”

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke with His Holiness Pope Francis to discuss efforts to advance peace around the world during the holiday season. The President thanked the Pope for his continued advocacy to alleviate global suffering, including his work to advance human rights and protect religious freedoms. President Biden also graciously accepted His Holiness Pope Francis’s invitation to visit the Vatican next month.

December 20, 2024: The White House reported: “Statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on the Proposed Legislation to Fund the Government”

A government shutdown heading into the holidays would mean service members and air traffic controllers go to work without pay, essential government services for hardworking Americans would be paused, and economic disruption would occur.

Following an order by President-elect Trump yesterday, Republicans walked away from a bipartisan deal and threatened to shut down the government at the 11th hour in order to pave the way to provide tax breaks for billionaires. This revised legislation does not do that.

While it does not include everything we sought, it includes disaster relief that the President requested for the communities recovering from the storm, eliminates the accelerated pathway to a tax cut for billionaires, and would ensure that the government can continue to operate at full capacity.

President Biden supports moving this legislation forward and ensuring that the vital services the government provides for hardworking Americans — from issuing Social Security checks to processing benefits for veterans — can continue as well to grant assistance for communities that were impacted by devastating hurricanes.

December 20, 2024: The White House reported: “Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre”

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Good afternoon, everyone.

Q: Hello.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: A few things at the top.

So, as we announced yesterday, the president will travel to Rome, Italy, in early January to meet separately with His Holiness Pope Francis; president of Italy, Sergio Marttarella [Mattarella]; and prime minister of Italy Meleni — Meloni, pardon me — Giorgia Meloni.

The president will have an audience with the pole to discuss efforts to advance peace around the world. And during his meetings with Italian leaders, he will highlight the strengths of the U.S.-Italy relationship, thank Prime Minister Meloni for her strong leadership of the G7 over the past year, and discuss important challenges facing the world.

We will provide more information in the days to come.

And next, earlier this week, as you all saw, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation announced a $1 billion financial initiative to support cons- conservation of the Ecuadorian Amazon.

This is a result of the president’s recent trip to the Amazon and a continuation of the administration’s efforts to support innovative ways to address climate change through sustainable growth and development without burdening countries facing financial constraints.

Switching gears just for a second here. Today, President Biden announced student debt cancellation for another 55,000 public service — public service workers, bringing the total number in- — of individuals who have been approved for student debt relief under his administration to nearly 5 million people.

The pe- — the people approved for debts cancelation today include teachers, nurses, service members, law enforcement officials, and other public service workers who have dedicated their lives to giving back to their communities and who are finally earning the relief they are entitled to under the law.

And finally, yesterday U.S. Customs and Border Protection published their November 2024 data, which shows that since President Biden’s — announced new executive actions to secure the border on June 4th, unlawful border crossing have dropped by more than 60 percent. That’s the lowest levels in four and a half years.

The Biden-Harris administration has implemented effective and balanced approach to secure our border and make our immigration system more fair and just.

With that, Colleen, what you got?

Q: Thanks, Karine. So, I wondered if the president has spoken to any lawmakers personally about the potential for a shutdown.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, let me say this — and I know you’ve seen our statements coming from — from here this week about this particular issue. And we’ll just continue to reiterate that Republicans blew this deal. They did. And they need to fix this, period. They have to.

Republican needs to stop playing politics with a government shutdown. And they are doing the bidding — they’re doing the bil — bidding of they billionaire friends — that’s what we’re seeing — at the expense of hardworking Americans.

And just to quote you something that we saw today, and I’m sure you all saw from the poach- — Punchbowl News, which is, and I quote, “This has been an absolute disastrous week for the speaker; the president-elect, Donald Trump; and Republicans on — on Capitol Hill.”

This is a mess that they created, and they need to fix this.

On your question, the president — I can confirm, just moments ago, the president was able to connect with Leader Schumer and Leader Jeffries. And — and also, just to add, that the present does indeed get regular updates. He has been getting red — regular updates from his team. His team has been in touch with members — congressional members from both sides of the aisle. And certainly, he will continue to stay updated.

Q: Has there been any communication between the president or the administration and the incoming administration on this?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I think the pres- — I think we have to be really clear here, and that is, this is a mess that Speaker — Speaker Johnson created. It is his mess to fix. There was a deal on the table. They wa– a bipartisan deal. A bipartisan deal. In this day and age, they were able to come up with a bipartisan deal.

And, you know, that agreement, Speaker Johnson needs to stick to. He needs to hold his commitment to that agreement. And so, they have to fix this. This is their — this is their mess that they created, and they need to fix it.

And let’s not forget, we’re ta- — not just — when we talk about keeping the government opening — open, we’re talking about providing fu- — funds for disasters — disaster recovery efforts, loweri — to lower costs of prescription drugs. That’s what we’re talking about.

And the impact of this would hurt our veterans and would hurt vulnerable Americans across the country. That’s what we’re talking about. And Republicans need to do their job, and they need to uphold their side of the deal here.

Go ahead, Selina.

Q: Thanks, Karine. Why hasn’t President Biden said anything in the public about this? Don’t the American people deserve to know why millions of federal workers could enter this holiday period without a paycheck?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, Americans need to know that Republicans are getting in the way her and they are the ones who created this mess. That’s the reality. That’s the fact.

And the president — and let me just take a step back. We — this is not the first time we’ve been here, and the president has had this approach before. He understands how Congress works. He’s been around for some time. He understand what strategy works here to get this done.

So, this is not — this is not the first time that we’re — I’m being asked this question about the president and his outreach. I just mentioned he made two calls. He was in touch — he was in touch with the leader — the Democratic leaders of both the House and the Senate, Schumer and Jeffries. So — and his team is continuing to have that conversation.

But tis is the mess that was created by Speaker Johnson. He needs to fix this. That’s what the American people need to be very clear about — very clear.

There was a bipartisan agreement, and he’s not holding up his side of the bargain here.

Q: Right. We hear that message from you, but why aren’t we hearing that directly from the president? Why haven’t we seen or heard from President Biden himself?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: This is something — this is a strategy that we have done many times before. Not the first time. And this is for Republicans in Congress — in the House, specifically — to fix. They created this mess.

There was a bipartisan agreement. There was. There was a bipartisan agreement —

Q: So, the president doesn’t feel the need to come in front of cameras and speak to the American people?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: There was a bipartisan agreement. There was a bipartisan agreement.

And so, what we want to do and what we want to — what the president wants to make sure we do is — he stands to — ready to help get a bipartisan deal through. That’s what he wants to see.

And, you know, this is something that Republicans should own here. What they tried to jam at the eleventh hour doesn’t reflect and — what the deal — what that bipartisan deal that they came up with — obviously with Democrats. And, you know, they’re showing — Republicans are showing a disregard for the American public — people.

Q: And, just lastly, some leading Democrats are calling Elon Musk “President Musk”, or “Copresident Musk.” What is the White House’s and President Biden’s reaction to this labeling of Elon Musk and whether or not House Republicans are listening more to this billionaire than the president-elect?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I can say is congressional Republicans, at the direction — and you all know this; you all reported this — of President Trump and Elon Musk are, you know, trying to pave the way — what they’re doing is trying to pave. the way for $5 trillion to nat- — to our national debt. That’s what this decision does.

I mean, you’re talking about with — cuts for billionaires, slashing Social Security, slashing Medicare, slashing Head Start.

Congressional Republicans did what they did because of what the president-elect said and what Elon Musk said. That’s the reality. You guys all reported this. That’s why we are where we are today.

So, this is for Speaker Johnson to fix. This is the mess that he created. He needs to fix this.

Again, a bipartisan agreement. There is a bipartisan agreement.

Go ahead.

Q: Thanks, Karine. Would the president support a four-bill strategy that we’ve seen discussed today, which would separate a clean CR from a Farm Bill extension and disaster aid and a debt limit increase?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not going to get into hypotheticals.

What I can say is there is a bi- — I’m going to get very repetitive here, because it is true and it needs to be said. There is a bipartisan agreement. There’s a deal that was agreed upon, and that’s what they need to move forward with.

And when I mean “they,” I mean the Republicans in Congress. They need to move forward with that deal. That’s what they said w- — the deal that was agreed upon, that’s what they said they would move forward with. The speaker said that, and he’s not holding up his side of the bargain. He’s not. His side of the deal, he is not holding up.

Q: Any response to President-elect Trump’s statements this morning that “This is a Biden problem, but if Republicans can help solve it, they will”? I imagine you’ll repeat some of what you just said, but un response to that —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Congressional Republicans made their decision because of what the president-elect said — as there direction — the direction of the president-elect and the r- — direction of Elon Musk.

There was a bipartisan deal on the table. They were moving forward. The speaker agreed to do this — to move forward with the bipartisan deal. And they stopped that because of what the president-elect said and what Elon Musk said. They wanted to clear a way for their billionaire friends — a tax cut — $5 trillion — $5 trillion to the national debt with tax cuts to billionaires — for billionaires.

So, that’s the reality. You all have reported this. We’ve seen this. We saw — we saw what was being stated, what was being put out there by the president-elect and Elon Musk. There’s no hiding from that. That’s the reality.

And — and so, you know, we’re talking about — this is not politics here. We’re taking about American — the American people who need these program — who need it.

And so,  Political [Politico] Playbook said — had to say — what they had to say about this: “Trump picked the fight.” He picked the fight. “And it was Trump — well, with — him and Elon Musk — who sank the bipartisan deal.”

That’s what you all are reporting. You can’t — you can’t twist the facts or change history here.

Go ahead.

Q: So, based on the White House’s assessment of where things stand right now on Capitol Hill, should Americans be prepared for the government to shut down tonight at midnight?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: There’s still time. We believe there’s still time for that to not happen; for Republicans to do the right thing, to hold up their part of the deal and move forward with the bipartisan agreement. There’s still time.

And our focus is keeping the government open. That’s what we want to see, and we hope Republicans want to do that — Republicans in Congress want to do that as well. And there’s still time.

Q: And we’ve talked a little bit here about how the president really has not been a player at all in these negotiations. I know you said he spoke with Schumer and Jeffries today. But what exactly is his strategy behind that? Is there a sense that perhaps having him involved at this moment would do more harm than good?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I just — I just — I kind of took this question. I got some formulation of that question moments ago. The president knows how to deal with Congress. He’s been around for some time, as you all know. And this is not the first time that we’ve had this strategy where we have said it is Congress’s — one of their number one jobs is to keep the government open.

In this particular instance, you saw what Republicans did with Speaker Johnson, leading us to this mess, to where we are right now. And they need to fix it, period. It is their mess to fix. There was a deal — a bipartisan deal — there was — just days ago.

And they created this mess. Speaker Johnson needs to fix this. Republicans in Congress needs to fix this. It is their mess to fix, and they allowed this bipartisan deal to be scuttled by the president-elect.

Q: And if the government shuts down for an extended period of time, would President Biden commit to remaining here in Washington and not going through with his holiday plans?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don’t have anything. I can’t get into hypotheticals. I don’t have anything to share on this. We believe, as I just said moments ago, there’s still time to get a bipar — to get a deal here or move forward — I shouldn’t say “get to a deal” — move forward with a bipartisan agreement.

They can avoid a shutdown. They can. They were on their way to doing that and it was scuttled by the president-elect and Elon Musk. This is why we’re here today. That’s why we’re here today.

Go ahead. Yep. Go ahead.

Q: Karine, you said that House Speaker Mike Johnson needs to fix this. Has President Biden spoken to the House speaker, or does he have any plans to?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’ve answered this in so many ways, and I’m going to answer it now. We got to be really clear. Speaker Johnson created this mess, and he needs to fix it. I don’t have anything else to add beyond that.

He knows — the speaker knows how to fix this. They got a bipartisan deal. He said he was going to move forward with it. They stopped it because of the direction that they were given by president-elect and Elon Musk.

And right now, we need to focus and we need to continue to focus on the American people. We’re talking about shutting down the government. That will impact veterans’ programs, services that Americans truly need.

They know how to fix this. Republicans actually know how to fix this. That’s why they — they were able to get a bipartisan agreement on the table.

They know, in order to move forward with this you need a bipartisan agreement, and there was one, and they did not move forward with it because of what they were told by President-elect Trump and Elon Musk.

Go ahead, Gabe.

Q: Hi, Karine. I’ll go at the question another way.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The president is the president of the United States, and he is leading.

And to be very clear, as it relates to this, I’ve said this many times before — moments ago — and I’ll say it again. We have done this strategy before — this is not new — where we have said Congress needs to deal with this. This is — their number one job is to keep the government open. And there was an agreement on the — on the table — not just an agreement, a bipartisan agreement.

Speaker Johnson created this mess. He needs to fix it, period. Period.

Q: To be clear, the strategy is he is leading by staying in the background?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The strategy is the Congress — Republicans, in particular — need to do their jobs and get out of their own way and focus on the American people, not their billionaire friends. That is what needs to happen, and that’s what the president wants to see.

Q: Does the president believe that the U.S. debt ceiling should be eliminated?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You all know where the president stands on this.

His focus right now is keeping the government open. That’s what he’s going to focus on.

Q: The vice president canceled her trip to California. Can you say why?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You would have to speak to her office. I don’t have — I —

Q: And then —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — I can’t speak to that.

Q: And then, finally, on Syria, really quickly. The DOD said yesterday that there are about 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria. That’s double what the administration said beforehand.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q: Why the discrepancy?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I would have to refer you to the Department of Defense to speak to troop numbers. That is their purview. That is something that we have always been pretty consistent on that they have to speak to.

I know that they said yesterday that the additional forces are considered temporary, that they are depleted to — to meet shifting rising req – mission requirements, but I have to leave it to the Department of Defense, to the Pentagon to speak to troops.

Q: But so– last question, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q: And I know you have tried to answer it several times.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Laughs.)

Q: But shouldn’t Americans hear from the president of the United States just hours from a shutdown?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What Americans need to know is that you have Republicans in Congress, in the House who got in a way, who stopped a bipartisan agreement. They got in the way. They created this mess.

And I — and I said this mo- — earlier, when I said — and you all know this; you report this — it is not easy to get a bipartisan agreement here in this town. And there was one.

Both sides sat down. They came to an agreement, which is a good thing for the American people. We thought we were moving in that direction, and they decided to — Republicans decided to, instead, listen and give — give space to their billionaire friends and not put the American people first. That’s what is happening. That’s what we’re seeing.

Go ahead, Michael.

Q: Thanks, Karine. Just wondering if you could give us an update on Nippon Steel’s pending purchase of U.S. Steel. (Coughs.) Excuse me. The panel that is reviewing that transaction is expected to issue its recommendations soon. So, I’m just wondering if you have any update on the timing. And, also, is the president prepared to accept those recommendations, regardless of what they are, or does he plan to block this transaction?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not going to get ahead of the president. I don’t have any announcements to make. And — and so, I’m just going to leave it there. Just don’t have anything to share. Don’t have an announcement to make at this time and certainly not going to get ahead of the president at the podium.

Q: (Inaudible) even the timing or —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I don’t — you know, CFIUS — that’s a CFIUS review. They are independent. We leave it to them to — to make that decision on the timing. I just don’t have anything to share on this.

Go ahead, Karen.

Q: Could you talk a little bit more about the president’s trip next month to Italy?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q: In your statement last night, you said that he had accepted the invitation of the pope to visit next month.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q: How did that come about? Did that just happen on the phone call yesterday?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q: Did the president express interest to the Vatican that he wanted to make this trip? It’s pretty late in a term to be traveling so —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q: — soon — you know, close to the end like that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So — so, I don’t have any information for you. I would like to talk to the team about the timeline.

Look, the president is looking forward to going back to — to Italy. As you all know, he’s been there a couple of times in this — in — in his first term — in this term, and so he’s going to — and he’s met, obviously, a couple of times in this administration alone with His Holiness Pope Francis, and obviously he’s — he looks forward to that.

And as you know, he is — he is a proud Catholic, and so that is something that he certainly was looking forward to that. And — and having a conversation about peace around the world. We know that is an issue His Holiness cares about.

I don’t have specifics or — or behind-the-scenes private conversations on how this land and the timing of this. What we can share is that it’s happening, the president looks forward to it, and we certainly will have more to share as we get closer, like we normally do when an OCONUS trip —

Q: And should —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — happens.

Q: — we should expect domestic travel to the president in January? Is he going to be out there doing any farewell speeches on policy issues in other parts of the country?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I would say, stay tuned. We’ll certainly have more to share about what January will look like for the president. Don’t have anything to — specifically to announce right now.

Go ahead.

Q: Thank you. I’m just going to try to ask this a different way.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q: The president is still —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You’re going to get the same answer (Laughs.)

Q: — in office. I — I’m just going to try.

He’s still in office for —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Feel free. (Laughs.)

Q: — a month. The American people really haven’t heard from him on whether or not the government is going to shut down. Wouldn’t the message hit differently if the president were out there countering the message that we’re hearing from the president elect an Elon Musk? Why isn’t he speaking on this?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Republicans are breaking their word. They are breaking their word to support a bipartisan agreement. We would not be in this position if Republicans in the House did not break their word. That’s where we are.

And we’re talking about the agreement — when you look about — when you think about what their agreement would do, it would lower prescription drugs costs and make it harder — make it harder to offshore jobs to China. We’re taking about veterans who needs some — this — these services.

And they — instead of what they want to do is they put forth a bill that would pave the way for tax break for billionaires. That’s what they did. Instead of going with a bipartisan agreement, they put forth something that would pave the way for their billionaire friends. That’s not about the American people.

And we have been here before when we’re trying to make sure there’s not a government shutdown. The president has had the same — kind of the same strategy. He knows how to work with Congress.

And so, in this instance, the Republicans blew this deal up. They did. They blew it up, and they need to fix it. This is not for the president to fix. This is not for us to fix. This is for Republicans in Congress to fix this — the — the mess that they created.

Q: But has he expressed any thoughts or feelings on the president-elect and Elon Musk’s —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You — you —

Q: –inter- —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You’re —

Q: –talking about this process?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You’re hearing what I’m saying, right?

I speak for the president of the United States, so you’re — when I speak for the president of the United States, I’m speaking directly for him. So, you are hearing where he feels about this, what his thoughts are about this. And we tr- — believe, and the American people should know this, that Republicans need to fix the mess that they caused.

The Speaker knows how to get this right. To get this right is to move forward with a bipartisan agreement — the bipartisan agreement that they had come to nor long ago.

We thought they were going to move forward with that agreement, and they blew it up. They blew it up.

Q: Thanks, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You’re good?

Go ahead.

Q: Thanks, Karine. Has agencies, has the government started informing employees who might be furloughed?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q: You know, those specific folks, especially heading into the holiday season, are they being informed-

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q: — that they might not get their paycheck?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, we believe that Co- there’s still time for Congress to prevent a partial shutdown. We believe that. But in the interest of t — of prudent planning — we want to be prudent here — agencies did start notifying their employees for — of — of their potential furlough today at noon. And so, on that specific — as it related to furloughs, I would certainly refer you to OM — OMB on those specifics.

Q: And given the high stakes of this shutdown, again during the holiday season —

MS.JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q: — affecting people like veterans, police officers —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Exactly

Q: – et. cetera, will the president speak to the American people if there is a shutdown so that they can hear from him directly —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I am not —

Q: — in that moment?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I am not going to get into hypotheticals, because we believe, as I just — the beginning of answering your last questions — that there’s still time to prevent a partial government shutdown. We believe th — that Congress — Republicans in Congress could get to a place where they prevent this.

Q: When is the next time that people will hear from the president?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not going to get into hypotheticals.

Q: (inaudible.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It is very easy — it — I hear your question, but it is very easy to fix this.

The mess that Republicans created, it is very easy for them to fix this: bipartisan deal agreement. Move forward. Keep — keep your word, Republicans in Congress. Keep your word. Keep your word.

Go ahead.

Q: Thank you, Karine. I have a question on China. In the final month of this adm- — administration, we continue to see high-level talks between the U.S. and China, including last week. Is President Biden making his final effort to strengthen U.S.-China relationship ahead of Trump administration? And are you concerned those (inaudible) you’ve established with China ma– might be abandoned next year? Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So — and I’m just going to repeat what the president has said, what the national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, hav said from this podium ha — about the relationship — the U.S. relationship with China. And what the president remains doing is — and is incredibly focused on is managing the most consequential relationship. You’ve heard both of them say that this is the most consequential relationship. And it is because of the work of this administration that we are handling — handing off the U.S. – China relationship in a stronger, competitive position.

Remember, at the beginning of this administration, we would talk about how it is about competition. That’s how we wanted to kind of see that relationship as well — about competition. So, that’s what the president and this administration is leaving the incoming relationship.

Under President Biden, we have made America stronger and positioned us to outcompete China through significant investments in the United States, developed closer relationship with our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, increasing our deterrent capabilities, and diminished China’s ability to exploit our most sensitive technologies.

At the same time, we are carefully managing — and we have carefully managed this relationship through skilled diplomacy to prevent com- — competition from vering — veering into conflict. Remember, that’s what we want. We want competition, not conflict.

So, we’re going to continue to manage this relationship. I’m not going to get into hypotheticals of what the next administration may or may not do. But what I can lay out, as I just did, is how the president has focused on this consequential relationship with — with China — the U.S. – China relationship.

Go ahead.

Q: Thank you. Just following up on Karen’s question on the trip to Italy and what would be the second meeting with the pope. We all know that for the president, his faith is very important, but this isn’t a trip he’s taking as a private citizen. This is a —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q: — a trip he’s taking as head of state.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q: So, what’s the broader message here? Why this choice for what might be his final international trip?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, we’re going to have more information, as we normally do. We do background calls, press calls with all of you as we head into an OCONUS. We’re going to do the same. Nothing has changed. And we will lay out the goals, the reasons, what we expect to get out of this trip.

But I tried to give you a little bit of — of what the president — the logistics of what the — who the president is going to meet and — and the discussions that he’s hoping to have.

And let’s not forget, the prime minister is — she’s — she’s the leader of the G7 right now — right? — and has strong — has shown strong leadership, So, that’s in – — important too, to have — for him to have — for him to — to have that — continue that diplomatic conversions with her as well.

And so, certainly, we will have more to share as we get closer to — to the travel.

Go ahead.

Q: Thanks, Karine. There are some Republican lawmakers who are actually advocating for a government shutdown. One example is Marjory Taylor Greene from Georgia. She says “Shut it down.” Can you explain the repercussions of what a partial government shutdown would be for specific groups? For seniors —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q: — for veterans, for those that depend on government services, can you explain what —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q: — this possibility would mean for those individuals?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And it is sad that I have to explain that. Really. They are congressional members. Their — one of their p- — duties is to keep the government open because, as you just stated, we’re talking about veterans, we’re talking about vulnerable Americans who need services the the federal government provides in order just to make it to the — through the day.

And it is sad that — you know, what we’re seeing from Republicans is picking their billionaire friends — that’s what they’re doing — not the American people, not our veterans. And we’re talking about basic services that are needed.

OMB certainly could dive in and lay out the different programs that will be affect- — that — that will be impacted, and that will impact Americans if this indeed happens.

But, you know, Jon, we can avoid this. They can avoid this. This does not have to end this way. We do not have to end with a government shutdown and — and really put a — a negative impact on American families, a negative impact on — on our veterans.

This could be avoided. Republicans in Congress don’t have to go this route. They don’t. There was a whole different route that they were going, which would have actually been done in a bipartisan way.

We believe — this president believes that it is important as we move policies, as we move forward on behalf of the American we- — people, we do it in a bipartisan way. And they had that deal.

Q: Do you happen to know if there would be a delay of any kind of Social Security recipients from receiving their checks —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q: — or members of the military from receiving their pay?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You’re laying out everything that we are concerned about. Those are the things that we are concerned about. Yes, those are concerns.

But there’s a way out of this. There is. Republicans need to fix this. They need to fix this mess they created. It’s very easy to do.

Q: You do an excellent job advocating on behalf of the president, but do you think the president would do a better job if he was out there making those same ideas —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q: — present to the public in terms of what a shutdown would mean for all of those vulnerable Americans?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I will say is if Republicans need to do their job. I would not be taking — fielding these questions from you all if Repubicans didn’t lead us here. They did. They — they created this mess.

The only reason we’re having this back-and-forth is because Republicans created this mess in Congress — in the House, specifically. They created this mess, and they can fix it. They were on their way to fixing this with the bipartisan agreement.

So, I think the onus is on them to get this right.

Go ahead.

Q: Does the administration have any updates on the whereabouts of Austin Tice compared to last week?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, I don’t have any updates to share. Obviously, it is a priority for this president to get Austin home. That is something that certainly we want to see.

I wil speak to – — Assistant Secretary Barbara Leaf and Ambassador Roger Carstens’ travel to Damascus Syria, to engage with Syrian people — with the Syrian people, including members of civil society, activists, and other Syrians, about their vision of the future of their country and how the United States can help support them.

They also met with representatives of the interim authorities to discuss transition pri- — principles shared by the United States and regional partners.

In their meetings — to your question — they stressed the immense importance of finding missing U.S. citizens, including Austin Tice, and bringing them home. So that is a — continues to be a priority.

Any specifics about that — that meeting, I would refer you to the State Depart – — Department. I know at 12:30 the two State — State Department officials held a – a on-the-record press conference. So, I would refer you to that press conference they had. It might still be going, but they were certainyable to talk in more details and take questions about this. And, again, they — they talk — they touched on — on Austin Tice and this and, more broadly, obviously, bringing U.S. citizens home.

Go ahead.

Q: Does the president have, say, three top priorities for things he still wants to accomplish in the next 32 days he is in office?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, one of the things that I can say is keeping the government open. Right? We want to make sure that happens.

Congres had a bipartisan agreement. They should move forward. Republicans should not get in the way. Should pi — should chose the Americ- — American people first, not Republican — Republican or their billionaire friends.

And so, that is something that we have said many times from here: that that was a priority for this president.

Certainly, we want to continue to implement — excel the implementation of key priorities that the president has had, meaning the bipartisan infrastructure legislation, the CHIPS and Science Act. We want to make sure that those investments, — that continues, and we want to excel on that.

And we’ve talked about continuing to lower costs as — as it relates to prescription drugs, but lowering costs more broadly, certainly, for the American people.

And so, that’s our focus. That’s what we’ve been doing. And — and we’re going to continue — continue, certainly to do that.

Q: Can we expect more announcements at — on at least some of those fronts in the next few weeks?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — look, I would say “stay tuned.” We are trying to truly, truly run through the tape here and get as much done as you we can for the American people.

And we know that the American people wants us to continue to work on behalf — on their behalf, and that’s what the president is going to be focused on.

Q: And then, really briefly, since you mentioned the shutdown — different angle on that question.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Sure.

Q: Potential shutdown, I should say.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q: Should the American people be confident that, in the event of a shutdown, there would still be a smooth transition and inauguration process?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That has been the president’s commitment. That has — and that you’ve heard directly from him. We want to make sure that there is a responsible — committed to a responsible transition. And, as you know, his team — he and — he and his team have certainly been working towards that. The team has been preparing for months to make sure that happens.

I will say, though, if there is a shutdown — and I don’t want to get to much into hypotheticals, but this is the reality — transition activities will be restricted and — and with limited exceptions, obviously but — such as prevent imminent threats to the safety of human life or the protection of property. Those are the things that we would — that — you know, that we would have to be concerned about.

And so, we’re doing everything to ensure a smooth transition, but the choice to allow a transition to move forward is within the hands of Republicans in Congress.

You know, we can continue to have this footh — transition — smooth transition of power if they stop threatening a shutdown. And a — and, you know, they have an opportunity — Republicans in Congress have an opportunity to keep the government open so that we can continue what the president commitment has been for months now is to make sure that there is a smooth transition of power.

AIDE: Karine, you have time for one more.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay.

Go ahead.

Q: Just two clarifications.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q: So, I guess, the first one. Is this trip to Rome the last foreign trip that the president will take?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I can say is the president is going to Italy and is going to an OCONUS trip in January. I — I’m always very careful. (Laughs.) Anything could happen. But what I — what I can say for sue is that the president is certainly going to be going to Italy.

We announced that. We’ll have more to share. I don’t have anything else to share.

Q: And then, secondly, related to the CR. Given what you said about the president’s views on — on debt limit increases or eliminating the debt limit, does that mean that that would be something that would be vetoed by the president if it reached his desk?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I’m not going to get into hypothetical. I’m just not.

I think what is important here is there is a path forward. There has been a path forward. There is a bipartisan agreement that the Republicans tanked because of what they were directed to do by Elon Musk and President-elect Trump. That’s how it happened . That is the reality that we’re in now.

And this is not the direction that we thought we were going just a couple of days ago.

And so, Republicans blew up this deal. They can fix it. It is their mess tif fix, and they have to choose the American people. They have to do their basic job — is choosing the American people and delivering for them.

Thanks, everybody.

Q: Thanks, Karine.

December 20, 2024: CNN Politics reported: “What’s at risk if Congress doesn’t fund the government by Friday Night” It was written by Tami Luhby, Katie Lobosco and Betsy Klein.

The federal government could shit down in a matter of hours if Congress does not cobble together a temporary funding plan on Friday.

Lawmakers are racing to come to an agreement that will meet with enough support to pass. President-elect Donald Trump torpedoed their bipartisan package on Wednesday, and a slimmed-down House GOP bill that Trump backed failed on Thursday.

The now-dead bipartisan agreement would have kept the federal government operating through March 14, as well as provided nearly $100 billion in disaster aid and economic relief for farmers in rural communities. The deal also would have provided lawmakers with the first pay raise since 2009. The GOP would have also kept the government open through mid-March and included disaster aid funding and a two-year suspension of the debt ceiling, in line with Trump’s demands.

Here’s what Americans could soon face if Congress doesn’t reach a deal by midnight on Friday:

Government shutdown looms

Lawmakers have until the end of Friday to fund the federal government — at least temporarily — to avoid a shutdown. Since Congress has not approved appropriations for any agencies, all would be affected.

But many Americans may not feel the impact immediately since the shutdown would begin on a Saturday, when many federal agencies are closed. That would give lawmakers a little more time to negotiate a deal.

Every department and agency has its own set of plans and procedures for a shutdown, which last occurred during Trump’s first time and stretched from just before Christmas in 2019 to the end of January 2019.

The plans include how many employees would be furloughed, which employees are considered essential and would work without pay, how long it would take to come to a halt. Those plans can vary from shutdown to shutdown.

“While our personnel are prepared to handle high volumes of travelers and ensure safe travel, please be aware that an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports,” TSA Administrator David Pekose posed on X on Thursday, noting that the agency is expecting to screen 40 million passengers over the holidays, through January 2.

Roughly 59,000 of the agency’s more than 62,000 employees are considered essential and would continue working without pay during a shutdown, he wrote.

However, during the 2019 shutdown, hundreds of TSA officers called out from work — many of them to find other ways to make money. So did many air traffic controllers, snarling flights.

The National Parks Service said Thursday that should a funding lapse occur, routine visitor services would be available through Sunday. The agency is still reviewing its contingency plan to determine operations for individual parks.

However some states could use their own funds to keep the national parks within their borders open. When a shutdown loomed in the fall of 2023, Utah said it would keep the Might 5 parks – Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion — open, while Arizona planned to keep the Grand Canyon operational. Colorado also said it would keep its four national parks and federal lands open.

The Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo said Friday they will remain open at least through December 26, except for Christmas Day, by using prior-year funds.

The Defense Department’s operations would also be affected by a shutdown, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Tuesday.

“Objectively speaking, a lapse in funding will cause serious disruptions across the Defense Department,” Ryder said, though he noted the agency would “continue to carry out our fundamental responsibility and mission to defend our nation and the American people.”

More than 2 million US military personnel, including active duty and reserves, would continue their duties during a shutdown, according to the latest planning from the Pentagon, but they could potentially work without pay until a deal is reached. It would depend, in part, on whether Congress would pass legislation similar to the one it approved prior to the 2023 shutdown that guaranteed the military would be paid during the impasse.

Meanwhile, the Department of Defense’s robust civilian workforce supporting service members’ efforts could be affected. About 45% of the civilian workforce — more than 800,000 employees – would be furloughed. Ryder warned that it would impact military technicians, among others. And while defense contracts awarded prior to a shutdown continue, the department’s guidance states that “new contracts may not be executed.”

The White House has also previously warned that a lapse in funding could lead to a disruption in military recruitment efforts…

…The Food and Drug Administration would continue to handle and respond to emergencies, including monitoring for and responding to outbreaks related to foodborne illness, supporting food and medical product recalls, screening imported food and medical products and addressing other critical public heath issues, according to the latest guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services. However, food safety inspections could be disrupted…

Trump’s extended shutdown

Trump presided over the longest government shutdown in four decades during his first term. The 35-day impasse ended in late January when Trump agreed to a temporary funding measure that did not include billions of dollars for a border wall.

However, the shutdown wreaked havoc on many Americans and federal employees, including causing flight delays, canceling immigration hearings, and making it harder for some families to obtain student loans.

December 20, 2024: NBC News reported: “What’s happening ahead of a shutdown”

Though it is past the midnight deadline, the government will not shut down.

The House and Senate both passed a bill to keep the government funded through March 14, along with funds for disaster aid.

The White House said that President Joe Biden would sign it into law on Saturday and agencies would not shut down.

The House last night rejected a separate short-term spending bill after Republican leaders scrapped an earlier bipartisan deal and made major changes to appease President-elect Donald Trump, billionaire Elon Musk and restless rank-and-file GOP lawmakers.

A shutdown would have wide-ranging effects inside and outside the government. The Transportation Security Administration warned that a funding lapse would lead to longer lines at airports, while U.S. troops, Border Patrol agents and air traffic controllers would be among the millions of federal employees working without pay this holiday season.

What happens if the government shuts down?

In the event of a government shutdown, all nonessential government functions hit the pause button and the federal government is unable to pay federal employees. Hundreds of thousands of employees could be furloughed for the duration of the shutdown, while others would work without pay.

During a 2023 government shutdown, 850,000 federal employees were furloughed.

The military and federal public safety employees, such as TSA agents and air traffic control personnel, are usually “excepted” from being furloughed and continue to work through a government shutdown. Each federal agency has a contingency plan for how to operate during a shutdown.

Other “essential” functions of the government — such as sending out Social Security checks and payments for Medicare and Medicaid — are expected to continue during a government shutdown.

What is a continuing resolution?

A continuing resolution — often referred to as a “CR” in shorthand — is a stopgap funding measure that temporarily funds the government at current levels for a set amount of time.

Each year Congress is expected to fund the government by Oct. 1, the start of the new fiscal year. If it fails to do so, the House and Senate are also allowed to authorize a continuing resolution to temporarily keep the government operating at previously-approved levels.

In October, both chambers approved a continuing resolution, setting Dec. 20 as the new deadline to fund the government. Earlier this week, House and Senate leaders unveiled the text of a fresh continuing resolution that they hoped to pass on a bipartisan basis to fund the government at current levels through March 14.

Their hopes to pass the deal were dashed after Trump, Vance, and tech mogul Elon Musk spoke out against the bill, tanking GOP support for it.

How Musk and Trump caused Congress’ nightmare before Christmas

It was government shutdown season in Washington, and all through the House, many creatures were stirring — most notably Elon Musk.

Lawmakers in Congress were expecting a glide path to the holidays. They had a bipartisan deal that would keep the government funded and sent them all on their merry way back to their districts.

But then they got a taste of what the next four years might be like with Donald Trump back in the White House and Musk, the world’s richest man, wielding enormous power of the political process.

On Wednesday, Trump – with help from Musk — effectively killed the funding legislator put together by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., a 1,500-page bill packed with the byproduct of the traditional horse-trading the generally defines congressional dealmaking.

Speaker Mike Johnson says to expect House votes this morning

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said as he entered the Capitol that House votes are expected this morning.

“So y’all stay tuned, we’ve got a plan,” he said.

Freedom Caucus members and other conservatives like Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., have already entered his office.

Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a senator from Ohio, has also arrayed and entered the speaker’s office through a back door.

Trump says if there is a government shutdown, let it happen under Biden

Trump said that if the government is to shut down, it should happen while Joe Biden is still president.

“If there is going to be a shutdown of government, let it begin now, under the Biden Administration, not after January 20th, under “TRUMP.” This is a Biden problem to solve, but if Republicans can help solve it, they will!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.

Trump and his allies are responsible for House Republicans’ decision to abandon the bipartisan deal that had already been negotiated to fund the government.

When will the government shut down?

If both chambers of Congress are not able to agree on a deal to pass a funding bill as the clock ticks down to midnight, the government will officially shut down at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow.

Before Trump weighed in Wednesday to tank a bipartisan deal on a continuing resolution, it seemed that both chamber were set to vote on and pass a stopgap bill that would have kept the government open through March 14.

Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray slams Musk, vows to stay in D.C. Through Christmas

Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray, D-Wash., said in a statement this morning that she’s “ready to stay” in Washington through Christmas because she said Democrats won’t let Elon Musk “run the government.”

“Put simply, we should not let an unelected billionaire rip away research for pediatric cancer so he can get a tax cut or tear down policies that help America outcompete Chime because it could hurt his bottom line,” she said. “We had a bipartisan deal — we should stick to it.”

The spending bill that House Republicans proposed and failed to pass last night had stripped out funding for child cancer research.

The original bipartisan agreement would fund the government and provide disaster relief to various communities across the country, Murray said.

“The American people do not want chaos or a costly government shutdown because an unelected billionaire wants to call the shots — I am ready to work with Republicans and Democrats to pass the bipartisan deal both sides negotiated as soon as possible,” she said.

Shutdown looms as Trump-backed bill fails in the House

The House rejected a bill late yesterday to keep the government funded temporarily after Republican leaders reneged on an earlier bipartisan deal and made modifications to appease Trump, Musk, and an internal GOP revolt. The vote was 174-235, with one Democrat voting present, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass it under a fast-track process.

Trump again calls for elimination of debt ceiling or suspending it until 2029

Trump wrote on his Truth Social account overnight that Congress should either eliminate the debt ceiling or suspend it until after his presidency.

“Congress must get rid of, or extend out to, perhaps 2029, the ridiculous Debt Ceiling. Without this, we should never make a deal. Remember, the pressure is on whoever is President,” he said on his Truth Social account just after 1 a.m.

Trump had called for getting rid of the debt ceiling during a phonically with NBC News yesterday.

What are House Democrats up to today?

House Democrats are planning to meet at 10 a.m. today to discuss government funding, according to an invite obtained by NBC News.

Democrats overwhelmingly voted against a bill last night that would have temporarily funded the government. As many as 38 Republicans voted against the bill as well, leading to the measure falling short of the two-thirds majority needed for approval, per the rules of fast track processes.

A shutdown is slated to begin if a deal is not reached this evening.

GOP member says Republicans are not negotiating with Democrats

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., told reporters outside the speaker’s office that Republicans aren’t negotiating with Democrats to avert a shutdown.

“We’re not cutting deals with Democrats. We’re going to work it out here. I do not believe that government is going to be shutting down,” she said. “But you guys will see some great stuff very similar to President Trump’s plan yesterday.

She suggested that Republicans were close to another deal, but Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., said: “Anyone who’s telling you there is a deal is a little ahead of themselves.”

Rep Bob Good, R-Va., the former House Freedom Caucus chair who lost his primary this year, told reporters after emerging from a leadership meeting that he won’t support any measure that incudes a debt ceiling increase that isn’t offset, among other things.

“I’m not voting for a debt ceiling increase that doesn’t have massive spending cuts and structural fiscal reforms,” he said. “I’ve been very clear about that, so I don’t think it’s going to happen.”

GOP Rep. Dusty Johnson says Trump should come to Washington to work out the funding package

Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., called on Trump to come to Washington to help negotiate a funding package.

“I think that’d be wonderful,” he said in an interview on CNN. “Clearly, the president, incoming president, has some strongly held opinions about what he’d like to see in this package.”

“He is, not infrequently, a disruptive force, and that is a good thing,” Johnson said. “If he got here, I think we would be able to get a really good package together quickly,” he later added.

Johnson’s statement echoed a similar comment made by Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., who yesterday also called on Trump to come to Washington to assist with funding negotiations.

Rules Committee to meet on how to tackle a funding plan

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said the Rules Committee will meet soon to move forward on a government spending plan.

Norman, a member of the committee, said the panel has to. give an hour notice before meeting, and that the notice will go out soon.

When asked if he will support the plan, Norman said yes, but he would not provide details.

The House currently does not have the authority to bring up a rule on the floor the same day it is approved by the Rules Committee. There are procedural work-arounds for this that the House will have to use if Republicans plan to bring the new plan forward on a rule.

Schumer demands Republicans return to the original agreement and work with Democrats

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in floor remarks this morning that he wants Republicans to return to the original agreement that was negotiated in a bipartisan way with Democrats.

He warned that if Republicans don’t work with Democrats, the government will shut down at 12:01 a.m.

“It’s time to go back to the original agreement we had just a few days ago,” Schumer said. “It’s time for that. It’s time for the House votes on our bipartisan CR. It’s the quickest, simplest and easiest way we can make sure the government stays open while delivering critical emergency aid to the American people.”

Schumer added, “If the House put our original agreement on the floor today, it would pass, and we could put the threat of a shutdown behind us.”

Rep. Barbara Lee says Democrats are ready to negotiate

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, said Democrats are ready to negotiate on a funding bill and addressed a comment from Rep. Ana Paulina Luna, R- Fla., earlier today saying Republicans are “not cutting deals with Democrats.”

“There was an agreement, and so we’re waiting, ready, willing, and waiting to engage in negotiations,” Lee said. “But you heard what the congresswoman just said, they don’t care. They don’t want to.”

Library of Congress announces its buildings will close if there’s a shutdown

The Library of Congress’ buildings will be closed to the public and researchers if the government shuts down, it said in an advisory.

All public events will be canceled, the advisory said. “Also, all inquiries and requests to the Library of Congress web-based services will not be received or responded to until the shutdown ends.”

David P. Pekoske (@TSA_Pekoske) posted on X “At TSA, part of DHS, about 59,000 of the agency’s 62,000+ employees are considered essential and would continue working without pay in the event of a shutdown. We expect to screen 40M passengers over the holidays and through January 2.

While our personnel are prepared to handle high volumes of travelers and ensure safe travel, please be aware that an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports.”

How will the military be affected if the government shuts down?

If there is an extended shutdown, military pay and civilian pay will halt. Without a deal on Capitol Hill, troops will miss their end-of-month paycheck this holiday season. Military reservists drilling after Dec. 20 will not receive pay for those drills, and federal civilians who are required to work during a shutdown will not be paid either.

Death benefits will also cease during a government shutdown, so if any deaths occur after one begins, the Defense Department could not pay out benefits until Congress passes a continuing resolution or an appropriations bill.

Several Defense Department actions would continue under a government shutdown. For example, military personnel on active duty — including reserve component personnel on federal active duty — will continue to report for duty and carry out assignments.

Military retiree benefits are paid from a trust fund and thus could continue during a shutdown. However, retiree pay may be slowed due to the lack of personnel working to process payments.

House Republicans expect a full conference meeting on the plans

House Republicans, shuttling in and out of the speaker’s office, say they’re likely to huddle as a full conference to assess the new plan formed by their leadership.

The specifics of that plan are being kept close to the vest, as details remain in flux. The same is true of the conference huddle itself: The timing hasn’t yet been provided to members, and given the fluidity of the funding talks, a full conference meeting could get scrapped altogether. For now, however, such a huddle is very much on the table and expected by members.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz says Democrats are unified

After the Democratic Caucus meeting this morning, Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, D.Fla., said on MSNBC that Democrats are on the same page as they work to avoid a shutdown.

“We heard from leader Hakeem Jeffries and our senior members, who are all unified and focused on making sure that we can take care of the needs of the American people based on the votes that we take before the government shuts down,” she said.

What is the debt ceiling?

The debt ceiling is the legal limit set by federal lawmakers for how much the U.S. can borrow to pay its bills. Once that limit is reached, it can trigger a government shutdown because the U.S. is unable to pay its bills unless both chambers of Congress pass a bill to raise or suspend the debt ceiling.

In 2023, lawmakers on Capitol Hill and President Joe Biden reached a deal to temporarily suspend the debt ceiling through January 1, 2025.

The debt ceiling had limited effects on the House and Senate leaders’ deliberations this month on a government funding bill, but yesterday, Trump and Vance said in a statement that they expected Congress to address the debt ceiling before the end of Biden’s term.

“Increasing the debt ceiling is not great but we’d rather do it on Biden’s watch,” the pair said in a joint statement that also tanked GOP support for the current government funding deal that was negotiated on a bipartisan basis.

Yesterday morning, Trump told NBC News that he supported getting rid of the debt ceiling entirely, calling it “smartest thing it [Congress] could do.”

House minority leader says Democrats and Republicans are again talking

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters as he left a meeting with House Democrats that “the lines of communication have been reopened.” with Republicans on the government funding bill.

When asked about the possible new version of a bill, Jeffries said he could not comment without seeing it.

“I can’t comment on a plan when there’s no plan in front of me to evaluate,” he said.

Will national parks remain open in the event of a shutdown?

The short answer is, it depends. According to a National Park Service contingency plan published in March, parks or facilities that can be locked or secured during non-business hours will be closed for the duration of a government shutdown.

Parks that are harder to “close” or secure, “meaning due to their physical characteristics it is impossible or impractical to restrict public access,” will have limited staffing levels that will vary by the size of the park.

But according to the contingency plan, if a government shutdown begins on a Saturday, the National Park Service has a 48-hour period to begin implementing closures and changes, meaning parks may not be closed yet this weekend, for the first two days of the shutdown.

The contingency plan also state that agency workers involved in law enforcement, emergency response, coastal protection and surveillance, fire suppression and several other fields may continue working for the duration of the shutdown.

How are Head Start, WIC and other programs for children affected during a government shutdown?

The food safety net, which includes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), child nutrition programs, and Special Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), is allowed to continue dispersing benefits in the event of a government shutdown, according to a 2024 U.S. Department of Agriculture contingency plan.

But the contingency plan adds that if funding for these programs runs out during the shutdown, “then program operations for the above programs would cease.”

It’s not clear how long it would take for these programs to run out, but last September, ahead of another possible shutdown that was averted, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told NPR that WIC benefits could run out “within a matter of days” and predicted SNAP could continue as normal for about a month into a shutdown.

Head Start, a federally funded preschool program for disadvantaged children, would be without federal funds for the duration of a shutdown. Local partners who receive grants from Head Start could continue operating by using funding from other sources, but plenty of other Head Start preschool programs could be shuttered for the duration of the shutdown.

How is the Department of Health and Human Services affected if the government shuts down?

About 45% of employees at the Department of Health and Human Services will be furloughed if the government shuts down, while the remaining 55% will continue working in some capacity, the agency’s contingency plan says.

At the National Institutes of Health, providers will continue to care for patients at the facility’s clinical center and it will admit new patients when “medically necessary.”

Karine Jean-Pierre says Biden is receiving regular updates

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at the briefing this afternoon that President Joe Biden has been in contact with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and is receiving regular updates on government funding talks.

“His team has been in touch with members, congressional members from both sides of the aisle, and certainly, he will continue to stay updated,” she said.

Jean-Pierre also called on the House speaker to come to a solution to fund the government before the shutdown deadline, saying “this is their mess that they created.”

Will D.C. see mountains of trash outside of museums and the National Mall again?

Longtime Washington residents may be accustomed to the unsightly scourge of trash piling up around the National Mall, and outside of Smithsonian museums during federal government shutdowns.

Images of trash piles have been compelling symbols of one impact of past government shutdowns, when the National Park Service was unable to pick up trash at their shuttered sites.

During the last prolonged government shutdown in 2019, D.C.’s local government dispatched extra tag to help keep the garbage cans empty and pick up trash at federal sites, but there’s no word from D.C’s Department of Public Works about whether they plan to do so again in the event of another long shutdown.

Only a third of CDC staff would keep working in a government shutdown

Just 31% of CDC staff will continue working in the event of a government shutdown, according to the agency’s contingency plan. Under a shutdown, the agency will continue its emergency response to urgent disease outbreaks and collecting data reported by states and local hospitals.

But technical assistance to states and local hospitals would cease during a government shutdown. The agency’s research and response to public inquiries about health-related issues would also halt.

Social Security checks continue going out in the case of a shutdown

In the event of a government shutdown, eligible Social Security recipients shouldn’t expect to see lapses in their payments.

But because staffing levels at the agency may be lower than normal, processing time may be extended for the duration of the shutdown.

Millions of people could go without primary health care if the government shuts down

If the government shuts down there will be a swift and major impact on millions of people in the U.S., particularly in underserved areas who will have no access to primary health care. About 32 million people across the country are served by community health center, regardless of their ability to pay.

Federally funded community health centers are non-profit clinics that receive grants from the Health Center Program of the Health Resources and Services Administration. If the grants end, the centers will have no funding for employees or medical care. The Community Health Center Fund provides about 70% of federal money for health centers.

Community Health Centers represent the largest primary care network in the U.S. Health centers have been in existence for nearly 60 years and care for 31.5 million patients nationwide, the vast majority of whom are low-income and need a place to go for affordable care.

Majority Leader Steve Scalise says no consensus, funding vote possible today

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., briefly emerged from the ongoing closed-door House GOP conference meeting and said that there could be a “technical shutdown” as no final decisions have been made but a vote is still “possible” tonight.

He said that the most likely plan is to move the three bills, including the continuing resolution, separately but added that they are still discussing what to do about Trump’s debt limit demand.

“It wouldn’t necessarily be in this package,” Scalise added. “The debt limit was taken out because the Democrats walked away from that last night.”

Scalise, like Rep. Dusty Johnson, acknowledged there could be at least a brief, technical shutdown. “There may be a technical shutdown over the course of the evening or the weekend. Those generally don’t mean anything,” Johnson said.

However, Scalise said a vote is still possible tonight, saying “we can stave that off.”

Speaker Johnson: “We will not have a government shutdown”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., came out of the conference meeting and expressed confidence that there wouldn’t be a government shutdown at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow.

“We have a unified Republican Conference. We have unanimous agreement in the room that we need to move forward. I will not telegraph to you the specific details of that yet,” he said.

“We will not have a government shutdown and we will meet our obligations for our farmers who need aid, the disaster victims all over the country, and for making sure that military and essential services and everyone that relies on the federal government for a paycheck is paid over the holidays,” he added.

House Republicans confident they can vote on a government funding package today

House Republicans leaving the closed-door meeting appeared confident they could vote today on a short-term spending bill, disaster aid and farm bill package — and no debt limit.

They would likely vote under suspension of the rules, which means Republicans would need Democratic support.

Smithsonian museum and the National Zoo can remain open for five days in government shutdown

The Smithsonian advised this afternoon that they have enough prior-year funds to remain open for at least five days if the government shuts down tonight.

Here’s how a shutdown could affect a new Congress and Trump’s inauguration

Trump won’t be sworn in for another month, but a possible government shutdown is raising questions in Washington about how a funding lapse could effect the opening of the next Congress, the certification of Trump’s election and his inauguration.

The short answer: probably not much.

That’s because the employees and functions that support the constitutional duties of the president and Congress — as well as life and property — are exempted from lapses in service.

Though the federal government has never been closed for business in the January following a presidential election, Congress and past administrations — including Trump’s — have plenty of experience with continuing to operate during a shutdown.

On Capitol Hill, parliamentary experts have spent time gaming out what might happen under various scenarios. Here’s what we know — and don’t know — about a first-of-its-kind pre-inauguration shutdown.

The new Congress

Under the 20th amendment to the Constitution, the new Congress convenes at noon on Jan. 3.

A shutdown would not affect that process in its own right because neither lawmakers nor “essential” aides are required to stop working during a shutdown. Some employees deemed “non-essential” would be furloughed, but only those whose jobs are not necessary to lawmaking, security and other functions related to Congress’ constitutional duties.

The administration, which implements shutdown protocols for federal agencies, has no power over congressional employees.

Here’s how a shutdown could affect a new Congress and Trump’s inauguration

Trump won’t be sworn in for another month, but a possible government shutdown is raising questions in Washington about how a funding lapse could affect the opening of the next Congress, the certification of Trump’s election and his inauguration.

The short answer: probably not much.

That’s because the employees and function that support the constitutional duties of the president and Congress — as well as life and property — are exempted from lapses in service.

Though the federal government has never been closed for business in January following a presidential election, Congress and past administrations — including Trump’s — have plenty of experience with continuing to operate during a shutdown.

On Capitol Hill, parliamentary experts have spent time gaming out what might happen under various scenarios. Here’s what we know — and don’t know — about a first-of-it-kind pre-inauguration shutdown.

The New Congress

Under the 20th amendment to the Constitution, the new Congress convenes at noon on Jan. 3.

A shutdown would not affect that process in its own right because neither lawmakers nor “essential” aides are required to stop working during a shutdown. Some employees deemed “non-essential” would be furloughed, but only those whose job are not necessary to lawmaking, security and other functions related to Congress’s constitutional duties.

The administration, which implements shutdown protocols for federal agencies, has no power over congressional employees.

The certification of the election results

While a lapse in federal funding would not stop Congress from carrying out its constitutional duties, the kind of political chaos that led to this month’s shutdown fight could.

Even before lawmakers are sworn in on Jan. 3, the House elected its speaker, which allows for all subsequent business to be conducted. But the current speaker, Mike Johnson, R-La., is on the hot seat — as evidenced by his struggle to find the votes to keep the government open.

In 2023, Republicans took five days — and 15 rounds of voting — to hand the speaker’s gavel to then-Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Jan. 7.

That raises the prospect that the House could fail to elect a speaker before Jan. 6, the day reserved for Congress to certify the electoral votes that will make Trump president.

If there is no speaker, there is no one with the procedural power to start the counting of the electoral votes. Without a speaker, the just-elected lawmakers cannot be sworn in — meaning they could not cast an official vote to certify the electoral votes or to re-open the government.

No one expects Jan. 6, 2025, to be an echo of the same day in 2021, when a mob of pro-Trump loyalists stormed the Capitol in a vain attempt to stop the certification of President Joe Biden’s loss. But a different kind of chaos — a headless House — is a related possibility.

Because the Senate is a “continuing body,” where two-thirds of its members were not on the ballot in November, it doesn’t face the same procedural hurdles.

Parliamentary experts on Capitol Hill have advised House leaders that there are possible workarounds if Republicans have not come to a consensus on who should serve as speaker by Jan. 6.

“One of the things the House can do if there is trouble, they can elect a temporary speaker, or a speaker that is limited in purpose or duration,” said one former House aide who is familiar with the situation and was granted anonymity to speak candidly.

But, as the expert said, “This is all new territory.

The inauguration

Typically, the new president is sworn in by the chief justice of the United States on the West Front of the Capitol — a rare coming together of all three branches of government at the same time and place. It is a major security event that requires intensive coordination among federal agencies and between the administration, Capitol Police and Washington, D.C., law enforcement officers.

There are employees at each of the federal security agencies that would be subject to furlough during a shutdown, but the Office of Management and Budget is clear in its guidance to agencies that workers who support the president’s official actions and provide for public safety should remain at their posts.

For example, the Department of Homeland Security’s contingency plan for a shutdown envisions retaining 150,063 employees who are “necessary to protect life and priority” and 152 who are “necessary to the discharge of the president’s constitutional duties and powers.”

Even the National Park Service, which has responsibility for the grounds of the National Mall and adjacent landmarks, has a plan to make sure a shutdown would not leave its turf littered. The Park Service can use “the minimal level” of its money to “provide critical health, public safety, and protection services as an exempt activity in a manner that maintains restrooms and sanitation, trash collections … law enforcement emergency operations, and the protection of park resources.”

But ahead of the inauguration, officials are busy getting ready to transfer power and information at federal agencies. An administration official said that while the impact is still unclear, a shutdown will make that work harder.

“A shutdown this close to inauguration will be incredibly disruptive the new administration,” this person said. “It will slow down the offboarding and onboarding process and make it far more difficult for the agency landing teams to meet with their outgoing counterparts. We’re in somewhat uncharted territory here, but this is not how to prepare to take office.

McConnell criticizes House lawmakers over looming shutdown

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., this afternoon criticized the House for taking Congress to the brink of another government shutdown.

“I don’t care to count how many times I’ve reminded our colleagues and our House counterparts how harmful it is to shut the government down and how foolish it is to bet your own side won’t take the blame for it,” McConnell said in his last floor speech as Senate Republican leader.

He also urged bipartisanship, noting that “getting a legislative outcome in the Senate requires large majorities of people who don’t share all the same views to actually work toward outcomes where they do see eye to eye.”

“We have a choice: Do nothing, or try to find things we agree on and do them together,” he said.

Federal Firefighters say a shutdown could threaten their battle for higher pay

Federal wild land firefighters are bracing to lose their $20,000 retention bonuses if Congress does not act to prevent a government shutdown that would affect millions of workers before the Christmas holiday.

The firefighters have fought for years to establish a permanent pay fix for a job in which some earn as little as $15 an hour for dangerous, backbreaking work.

“It’s like crying wolf over and over again,” said Bobbi Scopa, with Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, an advocacy organization.

Their battle for higher pay is at risk as congressional leaders scramble to find a path forward before 12:01 a.m. Saturday when the government will shut down if a stopgap funding agreement is not reached.

Some 11,200 federal firefighters received a salary boost in 2021 of either $20,000 or 50% of their base pay under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Congress failed to make pay increases permanent and instead extended the bonuses via seven containing resolutions in the years since.

If Congress fails to pass another resolution this week, federal firefighters will not receive their bonuses.

“We will lose everybody,” said Steve Gutierrez, a member of an elite hotshot crew who left the U.S. Forest Service after 15 years to advocate on behalf of firefighters with the National Federation of Federal Employees. “These folks deserve a living wage. The future is going to be a tough road ahead.”

If Congress reached a deal before the deadline, the boosted salary rates would be safe through mid-March.

The U.S. Forest Service did not respond to a request for comment.

With the administration of President-elect Donald Trump scheduled to take over in a month, firefighters and union leaders say their chance to reform the pay scale is slipping away.

During his first term, Trump clashed with Western state governors after catastrophic wildfires consumed millions of acres of public land, and he blame the forest service for mismanagement. In 2018, he suggested California should do a better job of “raking” its leaves.

His new administration is already pushing for less government spending even as climate change stretches the fire season further into the year and makes fires deadlier.

In a recent op-ed published by Fox News, incoming Montana Senator-elect Tim Sheehy, a Republican who was CEO of an aerial firefighting company, argued for “utilizing private resources, which are usually the quickest, most effective response option if we want to limit the size and scope of wildfire damage.

“The private sector always has and always will produce new innovations and better results faster and cheaper than the government,” he wrote. “The same holds true in wildlife response. We must embrace this truth.”

But even municipal firefighters say they depend on federal resources, especially in communities near national forest.

Federal firefighters undergo rigorous training that is a step above what private, state and local crews teach. Their expertise on the front line makes them invaluable in the field and the most sought-after hires by civilian departments.

“Those are the best employees you can get. You know that they’re hungry. They’re amazing.” said Brian Fennessy, fire chief of the Orange County Fire Authority in California and a former hotshot. “It’s sad to watch a once proud agency coming apart like this.”

Firefighters and their advocates have been trapped in a cat-and-mouse game with congressional leaders for decades. Many hoped a permanent solution would be achieved under President Joe Biden, but lawmakers repeatedly punted legislation.

Union leaders were momentarily hopeful when Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson, a Republican and chairman of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, included a permeant pay fix in the House appropriations bill earlier this year.

In an August op-ed he co-wrote with Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., Simpson decried the current pay structures as inadequate and argued for including a solution in the 2025 fiscal year budget.

“As wildfire seasons grow longer and more intense, the brave men and women on the front lines of these catastrophic blazes are increasingly hailed as heroes,” the op-ed read. “Yet, federal wild land firefighter are frequently subjected to inconsistent compensation despite their essential role in protecting lives, communities, and wildlife. It is well past time to acknowledge their crucial contributions by bringing much needed certainty to pay.”

The House proposal directed $330 million for a pay increase to replace the expiring salary increase and would have included a permanent pay fix, which has since been nixed amid spending disagreements.

Instead, the best firefighters can hope for now is maintaining their current pay through the spring.

“They’re gone for months and they’re making poor wages and in dangerous situations and we’re screwing with these people,” Scopa said. “It’s just unacceptable.”

Frustrated by ongoing problems, federal firefighters have continued to leave the U.S. Forest Service for higher wages at state and local departments. This summer, dozens of federal fire engines remained unstaffed amid another wave of firefighter exoduses.

Advocates for firefighters have repeatedly warned that attrition rates could leave the agency, which protects millions of acres of public land across the country, bereft of its most experienced and skilled workers.

“It’s already pretty bleak,” Gutierrez said.

House is voting now on a new CR

The House is voting now on the new continuing resolution. While its says is a 15-minute vote, that is not firm. The House can keep a vote open as long as needed until the speaker decides to close it.

This bill is under suspension of the rules so it needs 2/3 support to pass. If all current 430 members are present, that number of votes needed is 287.

But if just the 410 members who voted yesterday are there, it’s 274.

Democrats are sill in their caucus meeting, so this vote could take some time

White House says that Biden supports the new funding bill

Biden supports the new bill to fund the government, which Congress is currently voting on, according to the White House.

“President Biden supports moving this legislation forward and ensuring that the vital services the government provides for hardworking Americans — from issuing Social Security checks to processing benefits for veterans — can continue as well as to grant assistance for communities that were impacted by devastating hurricanes,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a statement.

House passes government funding bill

The House voted to pass a new bill to fund the government, a step forward in efforts to avoid a government shutdown.

The Senate will have to pass the bill as well.

Schumer says he’s “confident’ the Senate will pass the House CR

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement following the House vote passing the CR that he’s “confident” the Senate will also pass the measure.

“Though this bill does not include everything Democrats fought for, there are major victories in this bill for American families — provide emergency aid for communities battered by natural disasters, no debt ceiling, and it will keep the government open with no draconian cuts,” he said.

“As I have said, the only way to keep the government open is through bipartisanship,” he added.

The Senate must follow the House and pass the bill in order to send it to Biden’s desk and stave off a shutdown.

Speaker Mike Johnson says he is ‘grateful’ that the House did ‘the right thing’

Shortly after the funding bill passed the House, Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that he was “grateful” that members of Congress passed the CR.

“We encourage swift passage in the Senate now,” he said. “They need to do their job as the House just did.”

Johnson added that he spoke with Trump and Musk recently as well.

Trump “knew exactly what we were doing and why, and — and this is a good outcome for the country.I think he certainly is happy about this outcome as well,” Johnson said.

When asked by NBC News whether Johnson still wants to be the House speaker, Johnson said that his job “is a challenge in this modern era, but it’s a challenge that we accept.”

“It’s a great honor to serve in the position,” he said. “I wouldn’t say it’s the most fun job in the world all the time, but it’s an important one, a hugely consequential moment for the country.”

Jeffries says House Republicans ‘stopped extreme MAGA Republicans’ in continuing resolution vote

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said that it was House Democrats who “successfully funded the government” in a “victory for the American people.”

“House Democrats have successfully stopped extreme MAGA Republicans from shutting down the government, crashing the economy and hurting working-class Americans all across the land,” Jeffries said in remarks after the continuing resolution vote tonight.

Senate working to lock down a time agreement to pass funding bill tonight

The government funding bill is finally in senators’ hands, and members of the upper chamber are currently working to get a time agreement to pass the continuing resolution tonight.

They will need the consent of all 100 senators to speed up the clock and pass a stopgap bill to avert a shutdown by midnight tonight.

“We’re working through the amendment process right now,” Schumer said when asked whether there will be a vote before midnight.”

There will likely be a series of amendment votes in order for them to get an agreement, but those amendments are expected to fail. If they were adopted, the House would have to come back to vote on the amended legislation.

If the Senate rolled past the midnight deadline, the shutdown would likely only be for a couple of hours and have minimal impact on the functions of the federal government.

The Senate is also working on the Social Security Fairness Act, which it could loop into the same time agreement and pass tonight.

Senate passes funding for pediatric cancer after it was stripped out of the original CR

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-VA, obtained unanimous consent via voice vote for funding of the Gabriela Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0 on the floor tonight.

The legislation reauthorizes funding of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for pediatric cancer after it was stripped out of the original bipartisan deal on Wednesday. The bill reauthorizes through FY2028 a pediatric disease research initiative within NIH and requires the NIH to coordinate pediatric research activities to avoid duplicative efforts.

The legislation passed the House in March and has been sitting in the Senate since.

Democrats in the House and Senate have criticized Republicans over the last few days for taking out key provisions from the bipartisan deal, most notably pediatric cancer funding. However, the legislation that passed the Senate tonight is not exactly the same a the language the original deal and is ultimately less money overall. per Kaine.

Schumer says both parties have reached an agreement on the spending bill

Speaking on the Senate floor tonight, Schumer said that the exact timing for a vote on the continuing resolution hadn’t yet been determined but that it would be passed before the 12:01 a.m. ET deadline.

“Democrats and Republicans have reached — just reached an agreement that will allow us to pass the CR tonight before the midnight deadline,” he said.

White House: Agencies ‘will not shut down’

It is past midnight, but the government will not shut down while the Senate finishes up its votes, the White House confirmed.

The Office of Management and Budget “has ceased shutdown preparations because there is a high degree of confidence that Congress will imminently pass the relevant appropriations and the President will sign the bill on Saturday,” White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary Emilie Simmons posed on X.

Senate voting now on bill to avoid a shutdown

The Senate is voting now on a continuing resolution to keep the government open until March 14th, 2025. There is a 60-vote threshold, and it is expected to pass.

Speaking on the floor prior to the vote, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said, “Tonight the Senate delivers good news for America” There will be no government shutdown right now before Christmas. … After a chaotic few days in the House, it’s good news that the bipartisan approach prevailed. It’s a good lesson for next year.”

This is the last vote of the 118th Congress.

Senate passes bill to avoid a government shutdown, ending funding fight

The Senate gave final passage to a bill early Saturday morning to keep the government open for three more months, sending it to President Joe Biden’s desk to end the threat of a government shutdown during the holidays.

The vote was 85-11.

the Republican-controlled House passed the bill hours earlier. Although the final vote technically crossed the midnight deadline to avert a shutdown, the White His said that Biden would sign the bill Saturday and avoid forcing U.S. troops, Border Patrol agents, air traffic controllers and millions of other federal workers without pay.

That’s all, folks

That was the last vote of the 118th Congress.

When the Senate returns in a few weeks, on Jan. 3, Republicans will be in charge. Democrats will be cut down to 47 seats. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.V.; Krysten Sinema, I-Ariz; Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio; Jon Tester, D-Mont.; Rand Paul, R-Ky.; and Mike Lee, R-Utah; will be committee chairmen.

The House, with an even smaller Republican majority than they had this Congress, will need to start the new session by electing a speaker.

December 20, 2024: ABC News reported “House passes bill to avert government shutdown”

The House of Representatives passed the two-thirds majority to pass the funding bill to avert a federal shutdown tonight. The bill, which funds the government until March, will head to the Senate.

December 20, 2024: NBC News reported: “Senate passes bill to avoid a government shutdown, ending funding fight at the 11th hour”

It was written by Scott Wong, Sahil Kapur, Ali Vitali, Julie Tsirkin, Kyle Steward, and Kate Santaliz

The Senate gave the final passage to a bill early Saturday morning to keep the government open for three more months, sending it to President Joe Biden’s desk to end the threat of a government shutdown.

The vote was 85-11.

The Republican-controlled House passed the bill hours earlier. Although the final vote technically went past the midnight deadline to avert a shutdown, the White House said that Biden would sign the bill Saturday and avoid forcing U.S. troops, Border Patrol agents, air traffic controllers and millions of other federal workers to work without pay.

“Agencies will not shut down and may continue normal operations,” Emilie Simons, White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary, posted on X.

The House voted 366-34, with all opposition coming from Republicans and one member voting present. It capped a tumultuous week that foreshadowed how the new Congress in January might deal with a mercurial Donald Trump back in the White House.

The package funds the government at current levels through March 14, and includes $100 billion in disaster aid and one-year far bill — while stripping out a debt limit extension demanded by President-elect Trump earlier in the week.

On Wednesday, Trump had threatened to primary “Any Republican” who voted for a funding bill without a debt limit extension; on Friday, 170 House Republicans did just that.

“We are really grateful that tonight, in bipartisan fashion, with overwhelming majority of votes, we passed the American Relief Act of 2025. This is a very important piece of legislation,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters after the vote. “It funds the government, of course, until March of 2025. That was a big priority for us.”

He vowed that “things are going to be very different around here” next year when Trump returns and Republicans capture the Senate.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D. N.Y., called it “good news” late Friday that the Senate had reached unanimous agreement to skip the usual hurdles and speedily pass the funding bill.

Just three days ago, House and Senate leaders from both parties struck an agreement to keep the government’s lights on, but Trump and his billionaire confidante Elon Musk killed the deal, insisting at the eleventh hour it needed to extend or abolish the debt limit to make way for Trump’s agenda next year.

A backup plan — slimmed down from the original deal and endorsed by Trump and Musk — went down in flames on the House floor, tanked by Democrats as well as 38 Republicans who objected to the debt extension.

That left Johnson, who is fighting to keep his speakership, with few good options. After privately huddling with rank-and-file Republicans for more than two hours Friday, Johnson told his party he was pressing forward with Plan C: the same package brought to the floor a day earlier but without Trump’s debt increase.

Exiting the private GOP meeting, Johnson told reporters there would not be a shutdown and that House Republicans are “unified.”

“We will not have a government shutdown, and we will meet our obligations for our farmers who need aid, for disaster victims all over the country, and for making sure that the military and essential services and everyone who relies upon the federal government for a paycheck is paid over the holidays,” Johnson said.

Johnson said he spoke to Trump and Musk on Friday. “I’ve talked to President Trump, in detail, and he knows exactly what we’re doing,” the speaker said.

Musk appeared to endorse the plan as the House was voting, writing on his social media site X that Johnson “did a good job here, given the circumstances.”

The president-elect had chosen to remain silent on the bill, according to another source familiar with his thinking. Trump’s preference was still to address the debt ceiling, that source said, adding, “Johnson should have listened when the President-elect told him this a month ago. And in every conversation since.”

But Trump may be willing to take a “win” on a funding deal the cuts a significant amount of what he say as “pork,” the source continues, noting that the process gave Trump’s team insight into where votes are in both parties for dealing with the debt limit next year.

To get around Trump’s last-minute demand of raising the debt ceiling, Republicans have instead agreed to commit to slash more than $2 trillion in government spending and tuck a debt hike likely into a reconciliation package next year, according to multiple lawmakers.

Some Republicans doubt the debt limit pack is worth the paper it’s printed on.

“They call the a gentleman’s agreement, I think,” said Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn. “And there are no gentlemen up here, dude.”

December 21, 2024: The White House reported: “Statement from President Joe Biden on the Bipartisan Government Funding Bill”

The bipartisan funding bill I just signed keeps the government open and delivers the urgently needed disaster relief that I requested for recovering communities as well as the funds needed to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

This agreement represents a compromise, which means neither side got everything it wanted. But it rejects the accelerated pathway to a tax cut for billionaires that Republicans sought, and it ensures the government can continue to operate at full capacity.

That’s good news for the American people, especially as families gather to celebrate this holiday season.

December 21, 2024: “Press Release: Bill Signed: H.R. 10545”

On Saturday, December 21, 2024, the President signed into law:

H.R. 10545, the “American Relief Act, 2025”, which provides fiscal year 2025 appropriations to Federal agencies through March 14, 2025, for continuing projects and activities of the Federal Government; provides disaster relief appropriations and economic assistance to farmers; extends the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018; and extends several expiring authorities.

December 21, 2024: CNN Politics posted: “Here’s what’s in and out of the government funding agreement” It was posted by Katie Lobosco and Tami Luhby.

The Senate approved slimmed-down, temporary government spending plan early Saturday morning, averting a shutdown of the federal government. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law later Saturday morning.

The passage of the package came after President-elect Trump torpedoed a bipartisan agreement struck earlier in the week. A House vote on a Trump-endorsed funding bill failed on Thursday evening, but the chamber then approved a revised bill Friday evening.

The legislation funds the government through March 14, setting up another spending shutdown in the early days of the Trump administration. Republicans will control both the Senate and the House come January, but the party will have slim margins in both chambers.

The package also retains billions of dollars in disaster relief sorely needed by states hit hard earlier his year by two major hurricanes.

Here is what else is in the bill:

More disaster aid funding

The spending bill provides about $100 billion to help Americans trying to recover from multiple national disasters in 2023 and 2024. The funding is in line with the roughly $100 billion topline request from the Biden administration in November.

Some $29 billion will help replenish the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relier Fund, which has dwindled after contending with two major hurricanes that ripped through the Southeast earlier this year, as well as other disasters.

In October, FEMA spend $9 billion of a $20 billion infusion from Congress, responding to Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The agency also had to handle wildfires, floods, and tornadoes this year. Federal data shows the costly disasters are now happening more frequently.

Economic aid for farmers

The bill includes $10 billion economic aid for farmers, one of the last sticking points in negotiations earlier this week. Lawmakers from agriculture-focused states have argued that the help is desperately needed as the US’s famers are facing lower commodity prices and higher costs for supplies.

The spending agreement also includes a one-year extension of the farm bill — a sweeping package that governs many agricultural and nutrition assistance programs. Typically, the bill is renewed every five years, but the most recent version was passed in 2018 and the extension lapsed at the end of September. The continuing resolution extends it for a year.

Maryland bridge funding

Under the bill, replacing the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland will be fully funded by the federal government. The legislation will also allow the US Treasury Department to recoup money from any settlements related to the bridge’s collapse to help pay for the rebuilding.

A cargo ship crashed into the bridge in March, causing it to collapse and severing access to critical shipping rounds in and out of the Port of Baltimore. Six workers on the bridge were killed.

Rebuilding the bridge could cost between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion, according to an estimate released by the Maryland Transportation Authority earlier this year.

Extending Telehealth flexibilities in Medicare

The funding agreement also includes a three-month extension of a pandemic-era measure that expanded the use of telehealth in Medicare.

More senior citizens and Americans with disabilities have been able to get care via telehealth since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020. Eligibility for the service was broadened beyond just those living in rural areas, and seniors have been able to conduct the telehealth visit at home, rather than having to travel to a heath care facility.

December 21, 2024: ABC News posted “Biden signs short-term government funding bill”

President Joe Biden signed into law the short-term funding bill on Saturday, according to a release from the White House. Biden signed the bill this morning after lawmakers sent it to his desk after late-night negotiations.

December 21, 2024: The White House posted: “Press Release: Bill Signed: HR 10545”

On Saturday, December 21, 2024, the President signed into law:

H.R. 10545, the “American Relief Act, 2025”, which provides fiscal year 2025 appropriations to Federal agencies through March 15, 2025, for continuing projects and activities of the Federal Government; provides disaster relief appropriations and economic assistance to farmers; extends the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018; and extend several expiring authorities.

The bill extends funding for the government until mid-March, has $100 billion for disaster aid, something the White House wanted, and extends funding for farmers.

December 22, 2024: Reuters reported: “Senate passes government funding bill, averts shutdown” It was written by Richard Cowan, Bo Erickson, Andy Sullivan, and Katherine Johnson.

The U.S. Congress passed spending legislation early on Saturday in a down-to-the-wire burst of activity that will avert a destabilizing government shutdown ahead of the busy holiday travel season.

The Democratic-controlled Senate in a 85-11 vote passed the bill to continue government funding 38 minutes after it expired at midnight (0500 GMT Saturday). The government did not invoke shutdown procedures in the interim.

The bill will now be sent to the White House, where President Biden is expected to sign it into law.

The package had earlier cleared the Republican-controlled House of Representatives with bipartisan support.

The late-night vote capped a frantic week that saw President-elect Donald Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk defeat an initial bipartisan deal, throwing Congress in disarray.

The final version stripped out some provisions championed by Democrats, who accused Republicans of caving in to pressure from an unelected billionaire who has no experience in government.

Congress did not act on Trump’s demand to raise the debt ceiling, a politically difficult task, before he takes office on Jan. 20.

The federal government spent roughly $6.2 trillion last year and has more than $36 trillion in debt, and Congress will need to act to authorize further borrowing by the middle of the year.

The legislation would extend government funding until March 14, provide $100 billion for disaster-hit states and $10 billion for farmers, and extend farm and food aid programs due to expire at the end of the year.

Some Republicans voted against the package because it did not cut spending. House Speaker Mike Johnson said the party will have more influence next year, when they will have majorities in both chambers of Congress and Trump will be in the White House.

“This was a necessary step to bring the gap, to put us in that moment where we can put our fingerprints on the final decisions on spending,” he told reporters after the House vote. He said Trump supported the package.

A government shutdown would have disrupted everything from law enforcement to national parks and suspended paychecks for millions of federal workers.

A travel industry trade group warned it could cost airlines, hotels and other companies $1 billion per week and lead to widespread disruptions during the busy Christmas season. Authorities warned travelers could face long lines at airports.

THIRD ATTEMPT

The package resembled a bipartisan plan that was abandoned earlier this week after an online fusillade from Trump and Musk, who said it contained too many unrelated provisions, such as a pay raise for lawmakers and a crackdown on pharmacy benefit managers.

Republicans struck most of those elements from the bill — including a provision limiting investments in China which Democrats said would have conflicted with Musk’s interests.

“He clearly does not want to answer questions about how much he plans to expand his businesses in China and how many American technologies he plans to sell,” Democratic Representative Rosa DeLauro said on the House floor.

Trump has tasked Musk, the world’s richest person, with heading a budget-cutting task force but he will hold no official position in Washington.

Musk wrote on his social media platform X that he was happy with the package. “It went from a bill that weighted pounds to a bill that weighted ounces,” he posed.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said his party still achieved some of its goals and prevented Republicans from enacting a debt-ceiling hike that would make it easier to cut taxes.

“We have successfully advanced the needs of everyday Americans, but there are still things to be worked on and we look forward to the fight in the new year,” he told reporters.

Trumps demand to life the debt ceiling was resoundingly rejected by the House — including 38 Republicans — on Thursday.

Johnson said lawmakers would look at the issue in January.

Representative Rich McCormick, one of the 34 Republicans who voted against the Friday bill, said it did nothing to change the nation’s fiscal trajectory and would only add to the debt load.

“We will be the country of the past if we continue doing what we’re doing,” he said.

The federal government last shut down for 35 days during Trump’s first White House term over a dispute about border security.

Previous fight over the debt ceiling have spooked financial markets, as a U.S. government default would send credit shocks around the world. The limit has been suspended under an agreement that technically expires on Jan. 1, though lawmakers likely would not have had to take the issue before the spring.

by Jen
Biden-Harris 0 comments on Biden signs a bill officially making the bald eagle the national bird of the U.S.

Biden signs a bill officially making the bald eagle the national bird of the U.S.

photo of a bald eagle flying in a clear blue sky by Mathew Schwartz on Unsplash

December 24, 2024: NBC News reported: “The bald eagle is officially America’s national bird after Biden’s signature” It was written by Doha Mandani.

The bald eagle has landed in the U.S. code after President Biden signed a bill Tuesday making the predator the official national bird.

Congress passed the measure with unanimous support.

Although the bird of prey is at the center of the Great Seal of the United States, it was never formerly recognized as the country’s official bird. Some of the Founding Fathers — Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson — were tasked with creating a national seal but simply couldn’t come to an agreement.

In 1782, a version of the seal with a bald eagle was submitted by Secretary of the Continental Congress Charles Thomson and approved. Most Americans are familiar with the seal’s eagle carrying a flag-emblazoned shield holding an olive branch in one talon and arrows in the other.

Franklin was historically against the decision, arguing in a letter to his daughter that the bad eagle was “a bird of bad moral character.”

Either way, the U.S. has not had an official bird in the almost 250 years since its founding.

Minnesota resident Preston Cook had long hoped that the eagle would ascend into the U.S. code, even writing a draft a bill and sending it to lawmakers.

Cook described himself as having a lifelong obsession with the bald eagle, and took it upon himself to push for a change when discovering that there was no official U.S. bird. He wrote a simple piece of legislation that would change the code to say that, “The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is the national bird.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., then led a bipartisan group who brought it to the Senate floor in July. It passed unanimously before sailing through the House last week with no opposition.

“The bald eagle is a symbol of our country’s freedom and strength with our legislation now signed into law, the bald eagle is officially our national bird,” Klobuchar said on Thursday.

Cook told NBC News earlier this month that this is one overlooked piece of history he felt compelled to fix.

“No one has to change anything; it’s just a correction. It is only a correction in history to make things right and makes things the way they should be,” Cook said.

December 25, 2024: ABC 13 Eyewitness News reported the bald eagle, a symbol of the power and strength of the United States for more than 240 years, earned an overdue honor on Tuesday: It officially became the country’s national bird.

President Joe Biden signed into law legislation sent to him by Congress that amends the United States Code to correct what had long gone unnoticed and designate the bald eagle — familiar to many because of its white head, yellow beak and brown body — as the national bird.

The bald eagle has appeared on the Great Seal of the United States, which is used in official documents, since 1782, when the design was finalized. The seal is made up of the eagle, an olive branch, arrows, a flag-like shield, the motto “E Pluribus Unum” and a constellation of stars.

Congress that same year designated the bald eagle as the national emblem, and its image appears in a host of places, ranging from documents and the presidential flag to military insignia and U.S. currency, according to USA.gov.

But it had never been officially designated to be what many had just assumed it was — the national bird.

The bald eagle is indigenous to North America.

December 26, 2024: USA TODAY reported: “The bald eagle’s soaring comeback: From near extinction to official US bird.” It was written by Jeanine Santucci.

The bald eagle, with its history as the symbol of the nation going back over 200 years, made a roaring comeback from near extinction to becoming America’s official bird this week.

President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan bill Tuesday that designated the bald eagle as the national bird. Despite appearing on the Great Seal of the U.S. since 1782, the bald eagle has never legally been recognized as the national bird until now.

With its distinctive brown body, white head and yellow beak, the bald eagle grasps an olive branch and arrows in his talons on the seal, which is used on official documents, military uniform buttons and every U.S. passport.

Though it’s the “most pictured bird in all of America,” according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the bald eagle has had to overcome threats to its very existence.

America’s bird: The ball eagle joins the rose, the bison, and the oak tree as an official American symbol.

How did the bald eagle become a national symbol?

The bald eagle first emerged as a national symbol when it appeared on an early Massachusetts copper cent in 1776, the VA said in a publication on the bird.

After the Declaration of Independence was signed that year on July 4, a committee was formed to design a seal of the new nation. It took six years and three committees before the seal that we know today was decided on. Secretary of the Continental Congress Charles Thomson made the design, which was adopted on June 20, 1782.

“The olive branch and the arrows held in the eagle’s talons denote the power of peace and war. The eagle always casts its gaze toward the olive branch signifying that our nation desires to pursue peace but stands ready to defend itself,” the National Museum of American Diplomacy says.

“The fierce beauty and proud independence of this great bird aptly symbolizes the strength and freedom of America,” John F. Kennedy once wrote of the bald eagle.

In the mid-1900s, the bald eagle’s existence was threatened by a combination of habitat destruction, illegal shooting and insecticides contaminating the bird’s food source, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Some bald eagles were shot because they were seen as a risk to chickens and livestock.

It’s believed that there were about 100,000 nesting bald eagles in the U.S. when it was first adopted as the American symbol. The decline started in the 1800s, along with a decline in the populations of other species of birds, the Wildlife Service said.

In 1963, there were only 417 known nesting pairs of bald eagles, putting the species in danger of extinction. After the Endangered Species Act of 1973 was signed, bald eagles in the contiguous 48 states were listed as endangered except in Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, where they were listed a threatened.

Congress moved to protect bald eagles in 1940 with the Bald Eagle Protection Act, which was later amended to include golden eagles. Its later addition to the list of endangered species also led to conservation and recovery efforts, the Wildlife Service said.

By 1998, the bald eagle had recovered enough that its status was changed to threatened. In 2007, officials said there were over 9,000 nesting pairs of bald eagles in the contiguous states — and the birds were removed from the list altogether.

As of estimates in 2018 and 2019, there are now about 316,700 bald eagles, including 71,467 breeding pairs, in the lower 48 states.

by Jen
California 0 comments on Bird Flu Update: California declares emergency

Bird Flu Update: California declares emergency

flock of birds flying together by Mendi Sepheri on Unsplash

December 18, 2024: NPR reported: California Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in response to the spread of bird flu among dairy cattle.

The declaration is a sign of growing concern over the situation in California, which has become the epicenter of the nation’s outbreak in cattle.

More than 300 dairy herds have tested positive in California in the last 30 day alone.

The governor said that cases detected in dairy cows on farms in Southern California showed that expanded monitoring and a more coordinated statewide response is needed in response statewide response is needed in to the outbreak.

“This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need,” Newsom said in a statement.

“While the risk to the public remains low, we will continue to take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of this virus.”

California currently accounts for about half of known human infections in the U.S.

There’s no evidence of ongoing human to human spread in California or the rest of the country. But scientists warn that uncontrolled spread in dairy cattle heightens the risk of spillover into humans, which could give the virus a chance to acquire dangerous mutations.

The move also comes on the heels of another troubling development — the country’s first case of sever illness detected in a human.

On Wednesday, officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shared additional finding about that infection in a resident of Louisiana who was hospitalized after being exposed to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks.

Genetic sequencing indicates the H5N1 virus responsible for the illness belongs to a genetic lineage that’s circulating in wild birds and poultry — different from what’s spreading in dairy cattle and driving the majority of infections in agricultural workers.

In the U.S., more than 60 people have been infected so far, although some research suggests the official tally may be an undercount.

The illness linked to dairy cattle have largely led to mild illness in humans.

The version of the virus in the Louisiana case is the D1.1 genotype. It has previously popped up in poultry workers in Washington state, who developed mild symptoms after testing positive in October. More recently, however, a teenager in British Columbia was hospitalized after contracting this D1.1 strain of the virus.

Canadian health officials were unable to figure out how that person got infected.

The case in southwest Louisiana was detected during routine flu surveillance and eventually sent to the CDC for confirmation. The case doesn’t change the CDC’s assessment that the risk to the general public remains low.

Still, the hospitalization is a refined that bird flue has a well-established history of leading to severe illness and death over the past 20 years in other countries, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis with the CDC, told reporters on Wednesday during a press call.

Daskalakis said his agency is doing additional sequencing to look for any worrying changes in the virus that could signal it’s evolving to better infect humans or cause more severe disease.

Scientists were concerned that the case in British Columbia exhibited certain mutations that could spell trouble, although more research was needed to understand the exact implications.

Daskalakis revered reporters to Louisiana officials conducting the investigation into the case for further details on how the person caught the virus and their symptoms.

As with the Louisiana infection, most cases have been linked back to some kind of exposure to sick animals. Dairy cattle harbor high loads of virus in their milk and that’s expected to be causing infections in farm workers. Those working with infected poultry can also catch the virus.

However, several cases have cropped up in the U.S. that can’t be tracked back to infected farm animals, including California and Missouri.

“Infections without a clear source of exposure do occur, neither these cases, nor the cases with known animal or animal products exposure have resulted in human to human transmission,” said Daskalakis.

December 26, 2024: CDC posted about Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)

Genetic Sequences of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Viruses identified in a person in Louisiana

WHAT TO KNOW

CDC has sequenced the influenza virus in specimens collected from the patient in Louisiana who was infected with, and became severely ill from HPAI A(H5N1) virus. The genomic sequences were compared to other HPAI A(H5N1) sequences from dairy cows, wild birds, and poultry, as well as previous human cases and were identified as the D1.1 genotype.

The analysis identified low frequency mutations in the hemagglutinin gene of a sample sequenced from the patient, which were not found in tissue virus sequence from poultry samples collected on the patient’s property, suggesting the changes emerged in the patient after infection.

BACKGROUND

This is a technical summary of an analysis of the genomic sequences of the viruses identified in two upper respiratory tract specimens from the patient who was severely ill from an infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)A(H5N1) virus in Louisiana. The patenting was infected with A(H5N1) virus of the D1.1 genotype virus that is closely related to other D1.1 viruses recently detected in wild birds and poultry in the United States and in recent human cases in British Columbia, Canada, and Washington State.

This avian influenza A(H5N1) virus genotype is different from the B3.13 genotype spreading widely and causing outbreaks in dairy cows, poultry, and other animals, with sporadic human cases in the United States.

Deep sequencing of the genetics sequences from two clinical specimens from the patient in Louisiana was preformed to look for changes associated with adaptation to mammals.There were some low frequency changes in the hemagglutinin (HA) gene segment of one of the specimens that are rare in people but have been reported in previous cases of A(H5N1) in other countries and most often during severe infections.

One of the changes found was also identified in a specimen collected from the human case with severe illness detected in British Columbia, Canada, suggesting they emerged during the clinical course as the virus replicated in the patient. Analysis of the N1 nueraminidase (NA), matrix (M) and polymerase acid (PA) genes from the specimens showed no changes associated with known or suspected markers of reduced susceptibility to antiviral drugs.

CDC Update

December 26, 2024: – CDC has sequenced the HPAI A(H5N1) avian influenza viruses in two respiratory specimens collected from the patient in Louisiana who was severely ill from an A(H5N1) virus infection. CDC received two specimens collected at the same time from the patient while they were hospitalized for severe respiratory illness: a nasopharyngeal (NP) and combined NP/oropharyngeal (OP) swab specimens.

Initial attempts to sequence the virus from the patient’s clinical respiratory specimens using standard RNA extraction and multisegment RTPC (M-RTPCR) techniques yielded only partial genomic data and virus isolation was not successful. Nucleic acid enrichment was needed to sequence complete genomes with sufficient coverage depth to meet quality thresholds.

CDC compared the influenza gene segments from each specimen with A(H5N1) virus sequences from dairy cows, wild birds, poultry and other human cases in the U.S. and Canada….

…The NP specimen, notably, did not have these low frequency changes indicating they may have been detected from swabbing the oropharyngeal cavity of the patient. While these lose frequency changes are rare in humans, they have been reported in previous cases of A(H5N1) in other countries and most often identified in a specimen collected from the severe human case detected in British Columbia, Canada.

This summary analysis focuses on mixed nucleotide detections a residues A135AV, N182K, E186D as these changes may result in increased virus binding to a2-6 cell receptors found in the upper respiratory tract of humans. It is important to note that these changes represent a small proportion of the total virus population identified in the sample analyzed (i.e., the virus still maintains a majority of ‘avian’ amino acids at the residues associated with receptor binding).

The changes observed were likely generated by replication of this virus in the patient with advanced disease rather than primarily transmitted at the time of infection. Comparison of influenza A(H5) sequence data from viruses identified in wild birds and poultry in Louisiana, including poultry identified on the property of the patient, and other regions of the United States did not identify these changes.

Of note, virus sequences from poultry sample on the patient’s property were nearly identical to the virus sequences from the patient but did not hav mixed nucleotides identified in the patient’s clinical sample, strongly suggesting that the changes emerged during infection as virus replicated in the patient.

Although concerning, and a reminder that A(H5N1) viruses can develop changes during the clinical course of a human infection, these changes would be more concerning if found in animal hosts or in early stages of infection (e.g., within a few days of symptom onset) when these change might be more likely to facilitate spread to close contacts.

Notably, in this case, no transition from the patient in Louisiana to other persons has been identified. The Louisiana Department of Public Health and CDC are collaborating to generate additional sequence data from sequential patient specimens to facilitate further genetic and virology analysis…

December 21, 2024: The Associated Press reported: “California declared an emergency. How serious is bird flu?” It was written by Jones Aleccia.

California officials have declared a sate of emergency over the spread of bird flu, which is tearing through dairy cows in that state and causing sporadic illnesses in people in the U.S.

That raises new questions about the virus, which has spread for years in wild birds, commercial poultry and many mammal species.

The virus, also known as Type A H5N1, was detected for the first time in U.S. dairy cattle in March. Since then, bird flu has been confirmed in at least 866 herds in 16 states.

More than 60 people in eight states have been infected, with mostly mild illnesses, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. One person in Louisiana has been hospitalized with the nation’s first known severe illness caused by the virus, health officials said this week.

Why did California declare a state of emergency?

Gov. Gavin Newsom said he declared the state of emergency to better position state staff and supplies to respond to the outbreak.

California has been looking for bird flu in large milk tanks during processing. And they have found the virus in at least 650 herds, representing about three-quarters of all affected U.S. diary herds.

The virus was recently detected in Southern California dairy farms after being found in the state’s Central Valley since August.

“This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak,” Newsom said in a statement.

What’s the risk to the general public?

Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stressed again this week that the virus poses low risk to the general public.

Importantly, there are no reports of person-to-person transmission and no signs that the virus has changed to spread more easily among humans.

In general, flu experts agreed with that assessment, saying it’s too soon to tell what trajectory the outbreak could take.

“The entirety unsatisfactory answer is going to be: I don’t think we know yet,” said Richard Webby, an influenza expert at St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

But virus experts are wary because flu viruses are constantly mutating and small genetic changes could change the outlook.

Are cases becoming more serious?

This week, health officials confirmed the first known case of severe illness in the U.S. All the previous U.S. cases — there have been about 60 — were generally mild.

The patient in Louisiana, who is older than 65 and had underlying medical problems, is in critical condition. Few details have been released, but officials said the person developed severe respiratory symptoms after exposure to a backyard flock of sick birds.

That makes it the first confirmed U.S. infection tied to backyard birds, the CDC said.

Tests showed that the strain that caused the person’s illness is one found in wild birds, but not in cattle. Last month, health officials in Canada reported that a teen in British Columbia was hospitalized with a severe case of bird flu, also with the virus strain found in wild birds.

Previous infections in the U.S. have been almost all in farmworkers with direct exposure to infected dairy cattle or poultry. In two cases — an adult in Missouri and a child in California — health officials have not determined how they caught it.

It’s possible the as more people become infected, more severe illnesses will occur, said Angela Rasmusen, a virus expert at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada.

Worldwide, nearly 1,000 cases of illnesses caused by H5N1 have been reported since 2003, and more than half of people infected have died, according to the World Health Organization.

How can people protect themselves?

People who have contact with dairy cows or commercial poultry or with backyard birds are at higher risk and should use precautions including respiratory and eye protection and gloves, CDC and other experts said.

“If birds are beginning to appear ill or die, they should be very careful about how they handle those animals,” said Michael Osterholm, a public health expert at the University of Minnesota.

The CDC has paid for flu shots to protect farmworkers against seasonal flu — and against the risk that the workers could become infected with two flu types at the same time, potentially allowing the bird flu virus to mutate and become more dangerous. The government also said that farmworkers who come in close contact with infected animals should be tested and offered antiviral drugs even if they show no symptoms.

How else is the bird flu being spread?

In addition to direct contact with farm animals and wild birds, the H5N1 virus can be spread in raw milk. Pasteurized milk is safe to drink, because the heat treatment kills the virus, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

But high levels of the virus have been found in unpasteurized milk. And raw milk sold in stores in California was recalled in recent weeks after the virus was detected at farms and in the products.

In Los Angeles, county official reported that two indoor cats that were fed the recalled raw milk died from bird flu infections. Officials were investigating additional reports of sick cats.

Health officials urge people to avoid drinking raw milk, which can spread a host of germs in addition to bird flu.

The U.S. Agriculture Department has stepped up testing raw milk across the country to help detect and contain the outbreak. A federal order issued this month requires testing, which began this week in 13 states.

December 27, 2024: MSNBC reported: “What to know about the spread of the bird flu” It was written by Clarissa-Jan Lim

The spread of the bird flu among humans and other mammals in the United States has sparked some concern among public health experts in recent weeks, though U.S. officials say the risk it currently poses to the public is low.

Since the first reported outbreak among dairy cattle in March, this particular bird flu virus, H5N1, has spread across hundreds of herds in more than a dozen states. More recently, authorities have reported at least two severe human cases in North America and issued recalls of pet and human foods due to bird flu contamination.

Here’s what to know about the outbreak.

How does bird flu spread?

Avian flu, commonly known as bird flu, has been around for decades, but a recent increase in cases among wild birds likely led to an outbreak among dairy cows in Texas earlier this year, according to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Since then, bird flu has been detected in other animals; last week, an animal sanctuary in Washington state announced that 20 of its big cats had died of confirmed cases of bird flu.

Bird flu may be transmitted through exposure to infected animals, such as consuming undercooked or raw meat from infected animals or directly handling such animals. An Oregon-based company issued a voluntary recall of raw and frozen pet food this week after a housesat died of bird flu.

Earlier this month, the California Department of Public Health suspended the distribution of Raw Farm raw milk products after milk samples tested positive for bird flu virus. No illnesses were reported in connection with the contaminated raw milk.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said poultry and eggs, if properly handled and cooked, are safe from viruses and bacteria, including bird flu.

How many human cases in the U.S.?

There have been 65 recorded human cases of bird flu in the U.S. this year. a vast majority of which was due to exposure associated with dairy cow and poultry operations, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. In November, a child in California was determined to have been infected with bird flu, the CDC said.

There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission, and infections in humans have largely been mild. But authorities have not been able to locate a source of infection in several human cases, and two severe cases among people — one in British Columbia and one in Louisiana — have alarmed experts.

In November, a previously healthy teenager in British Columbia, Canada, contracted a severe case of bird flu. Local authorities said this week that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission from the patient, though they could not locate the source of the teenager’s infection. The patient is still in critical condition.

The U.S. similarly recorded its first severe case of bird flu in a case in Louisiana last week, after suspected contact with an infected backyard flock. The patient was hospitalized in critical condition. A genetic analysis of samples from the patient revealed that the virus may have mutated in the patient to become more transmittable among humans, the CDC said Thursday, but there is no evidence thus far that it has passed along.

The Louisiana patient was infected with “a strain of the virus different from the one affecting dairy cows and causing sporadic cases in farmworkers in the U.S.,” NBC News reported.

How dangerous it is?

For now, public health authorities say the overall risk of bird flu to the public is low, given that it has not developed a proven ability to transmit from human to human. However, some experts fear the virus could further mutate to do so. They point to the urgent need to eliminate the virus — or at least slow its spread before it turns into a full-blown pandemic.

July 3, 2024: The Hill posted: “Fourth human bird flu case tied to dairy cow outbreak reported”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on Wednesday the fourth human case of bird flu linked to the ongoing dairy cow outbreak in the country, marking the first such case reported in Colorado.

All four cases were reported in people who work on dairy farms where cows tested positive for the H5N1 strain of the virus. Since March, two cases have been identified in Michigan and one case identified in Texas. The cases are all unrelated, the CDC said.

The Colorado man, as with the first two human patients, reported only pink eye symptoms, which the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environmental (CDPHE) described as “mild.” In the third case, identified in Michigan in late May, the person experienced respiratory symptoms including cough without fever and eye discomfort with watery discharge.

The Colorado patients took the antiviral Tamil, and has recovered, the CDC said.

The CDC said the risk to the general public remains low. There is a greater risk, however, for people with “close or prolonged, unprotected exposures to infected birds or other animals (including livestock), or to environments contaminated by infected birds or other animals,” according to the CDC.

“The risks to most people remains low, CDPHE state epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy said in a statement. “Avian flu viruses are currently spreading among animals, but they are not adapted to spread from person to person. Right now, the most important thing is to know that people who have regular exposure to infected animals are at increased risk of infection and should take precautions when they have contact with sick animals.”

The Colorado man was being monitored, as he is a farmworkers who had exposure to infected cattle. He reported his symptoms to state health officials, who conducted tests that were inconclusive. The CDC conducted tests that came back positive.

The CDC has been monitoring states’ flu surveillance systems, “and there has been no sign of unusual influenza activity in people, including in syndromic surveillance,” according to the CDC.

Still, health officials are warning the public to be vigilant about only drinking milk that is pasteurized an only eat “properly handled and cooked dairy, beef, and poultry products.” The CDPHE warned Coloradans not to touch sick or dead animals. If they must do so, the CDPHE said, people should wear personal protective equipment including an N95 respirator, eye protection and gloves.

by Jen
Biden-Harris 0 comments on Biden Signs 50 Bills Into Law on Christmas Eve

Biden Signs 50 Bills Into Law on Christmas Eve

photo of U.S. Capitol from Unsplash.com

President Biden signed 50 bills into law on Christmas Eve, as the year and his time in officer draw to a close, CBS News reported. It was written by Kathryn Watson.

The bills Mr. Biden signed included socialite and activist Paris Hilton’s bill to protect teenagers living in residential treatment facilities, a bill setting anti-hazing standards on college campuses, and a bill preventing member of Congress from collection pensions if convicted of certain crimes.

Hilton is the force behind the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, which passed the House and Senate last week. The legislation creates a federal work group on youth residential programs to oversee health, safety, care, treatment and placement in rehab and other facilities. The new law is personal for Hilton, who has testified before Congress that she faced abuse in such facilities as a teen.

Another measure the president signed, S. 933, prohibits members of Congress convicted of crimes related to public corruption from receiving their retirement payments. Previous law allowed members to continue to receive checks only after the exhaustion of all appeals. The new bipartisan law comes after Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey was found guilty this year of using his political influence to benefit businessmen and foreign governments in return for bribes.

The Stop Campus Hazing Act requires higher education institutions to disclose hazing incidents reported to campus or local police authorities in their annual security reports. The new law also requires schools to teach students about the dangers of hazing, among other things.

Yet another new law, S. 4610, makes the bald eagle the official bird of the U.S. The federal government had never designated an official bird.

On Monday, the president granted clemency to 37 of the 40 federal inmates facing death sentences, commuting their sentences to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The move prompted both consternation and praise.

Mr. Biden also vetoed a bill on Monday that would have created 66 new federal judgeships, saying the House had rushed it through without resolving important issues about how it would be implemented.

December 23, 2024: The Whit House posed: “FACT SHEET: President Biden Commutes the Sentences of 37 Individuals on Death Row”

Today, President Biden announced that he is commuting the sentences of 37 individuals on federal death row. Those individuals will have their sentences reclassified from execution to life without the possibility of parole.

President Biden has dedicated his career to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system. He believes that America must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level, except in cases of terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder — which is why today’s actions apply to all but those cases.

When President Biden came into office, his Administration imposed a moratorium on federal executions, and his actions today will prevent the next Administration from carrying out the execution sentences that would not be handed down under current policy and practice.

This historic clemency action builds on the President’s record of criminal justice reform. The President has issued more commutations at this point in his presidency than any of his recent predecessors at the same point in their first terms.

Earlier this month, the President announced clemency for approximately 1,500 Americans – the most ever in a single day – who have shown successful rehabilitation and a commitment to making communities safer. This included sentence commutations for nearly 1,500 individuals who were placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and who have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities, as well as 39 pardons for individuals who were convicted of non-violent crimes.

President Biden is also the first President ever to issue categorical pardons to individuals convicted of simple use and possession of marijuana, and to former LGBTQI+ service members convicted of private conduct because of their sexual orientation.

The President’s criminal justice record has transformed individual lives and positively impacted communities, especially historically marginalized communities. In the coming weeks, the President will take additional steps to provide meaningful second chances and continue to review additional pardons and communities. In the coming weeks, the President will take additional steps to provide meaningful second chances to review additional pardons and commutations…

The Hill reported: “Biden signs 50 bills, including 1 backed by Paris Hilton, on Christmas Eve”

President Biden spent Christmas Eve signing new bills into law approving everything from the county’s official bird to protections for children in youth care facilities.

Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act

Celebrity singer and actress Paris Hilton has spent months pushing for a federal law that will hold treatment centers and care facilities serving youth accountable. She made frequent appearances on Capitol Hill to encourage lawmakers to pass the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act in the House and Senate.

December proved to be a fruitful month as the Senate unanimously approved the measure and the House voted 367 to 33, sending the bill to Biden’s desk. He signed the act into law on Tuesday, securing a political victory for Hilton, who expressed potential interest in serving as an elected official.

Stop Campus Hazing Act

Biden also passed a law that creates disclosure regulations for federally funded higher learning institutions, requiring them to include reports of hazing in their annual security report. The bill was sponsored by Reps. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.) and Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) in the House in addition to Sens. Amy Klobachar (D-Minn.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.)

Hazing is frequently discovered to be part of college pledging processes for on-campus fraternities and sororities. More than half of college students are involved in some form of campus hazing, according to North Carolina State University.

Post office designations

The president signed two bills renaming local postal offices to honor community leaders in the state of Texas and California.

The site at 1106 Main St. in Bastrop, Texas, is now the Sargent Major Billy D. Waugh Post Office, in honor of a CIA ineligence officer and Army soldier who served the country for more than five decades.

Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) sponsored the legislation.

San Francisco will rename a post office in honor of the late Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.), thanks to a bill sponsored by Sens. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

Federal building renamings

Biden signed several bills to rename federal buildings. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) community clinic in Lynchburg, Va., will now be known as the Private First Class Desmond T. Doss VA Clinic.

The medical center of the VA in Tulsa, Okla., was renamed after the late Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.). Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) sponsored the bill.

The late Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.) also earned a special honor at the Fort McHenry National Historic Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore, Md., as the Paul S Sarbanes Visitor and Education Center will become his namesake.

The effort was sponsored by the senator’s son, Rep John Sarbanes (D-Md.), along with the state’s congressional delegation.

U.S. Official Bird

While the bald eagle has long been the official mascot of the U.S., Biden singed the first legislation to make that official on Christmas Eve.

The Biden administration also pumped out last-minute surprises, including pardons for federal death row inmates, throughout the course of his last month in office. He will transfer the commander in chief role to President-elect Trump in January.

by Jen
Animal Crossing Pocket Camp 0 comments on Animal Crossing Pocket Camp Complete

Animal Crossing Pocket Camp Complete

Animal Crossing Pocket Camp Complete is the newest version of Animal Crossing Pocket Camp. In this blog post, I have collected up some screenshots that connect to “Toy Day”.

Jingle is a reindeer who carries a large sack on his back. He is dressed in a Santa Claus outfit. “Ho Ho Hoo there! It’s me! I’m here! It’s Toy Day season again!”

“When I get overexcited, I like to relax by staring at candlelights.”

“This year, I’m planning a candle Toy Day with a super relaxed vibe!”

“Well, this is rather sudden but, I’d like you to grow cyclamen in your garden.”

Snowy Toy Day dress

festive garland

snow-globe and candle set

white candle tree

candlelit white sofa

candlelit gift set B

snow-globe candle set

candlelit Toy Day tree

candlelit hearth

striped Toy Day pj bottoms

striped Toy Day pj top

striped Toy Day night cap

handheld Toy Day gift

My Pocket Camp character is wearing the striped pjs and a striped hat.

by Jen