Congress

The House debated and approved (286-134) under suspension of the rules a $1.2 trillion six-bill spending package to fund about 70 percent of the federal government through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, and avoid a midnight partial shutdown. The measure would next go to the Senate, which passed the package in the early morning hours of the next day. House members also passed a measure to repeal climate change programs, including Environmental Protection Agency programs, to reduce greenhouse gas and methane emissions.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) referred to Republican speaker-designee, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), as “the chairman of the chaos caucus … an extremist extraordinaire.” The minority leader, along with House Democrats, delivered remarks from the Capitol steps on the state of Congress as Republicans still have no new leader after the ousting then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Leader Jeffries went on to criticize Rep. Jordan’s legislative track record and said Republicans have two choices - to continue to “triple down on the chaos, the dysfunction, and extremism” or they can “partner with Democrats on an enlightened path forward.”

President Joe Biden gave his second State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress from the U.S. Capitol. He paid homage to several persons during his speech to highlight key issues, including the late Tyre Nichols, who died following an encounter with Memphis police officers; Brandon Tsay, who disarmed a mass shooter in Monterey Park, California; and Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, who was attacked in his San Francisco home months earlier in an act of political violence. Moreover, President Biden was jeered by House Republicans when he claimed they may try to cut Social Security and Medicare. Finally, the president touted his achievements, such as infrastructure and climate change investments, job growth, and the lowering of prescription drug costs, and also discussed what issues his administration and the new Republican-controlled House may work on together, such as fighting cancer, tackling the mental health crisis, solving the opioid epidemic, and helping veterans.

“No man who would behave that way, at that moment in time, can ever serve in any position of authority in our nation again. He is unfit for any office,” said January 6 Committee Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-WY) as she discussed former President Trump’s actions during the 2021 attack on the Capitol. Her remarks came during the committee’s final hearing on its investigation of the attack, which introduced the committee’s full report. As each committee member detailed the findings, January 6 Subcommittee for Referrals Chair Jamie Raskin (D-MD) laid out the committee’s criminal referrals to the Department of Justice, which include “conspiracy to defraud the United States,” and conspiracy to “incite” and “assist” in an insurrection against the government. Rep. Raskin also announced the committee is referring four sitting members of Congress with significant information pertaining to the attack for “appropriate sanction by the House Ethics Committee for failure to comply with lawful subpoenas.”

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY), the chair of the House Democratic Caucus, gave a news conference after being elected by fellow House Democrats to be their leader in the upcoming 118th Congress. He ran unopposed and will succeed Rep. Nancy Pelosi (CA) in the position, and will also become the first Black lawmaker to lead a party in the U.S. Congress. He was joined by Rep. Katherine Clark (MA), who was elected as Democratic whip, and Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA) who was elected as caucus chair. The three leaders emphasized that they will work together with Republicans when possible, but will push back against their “extremism” when necessary.

January 6 Committee Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-WY) offered a resolution to issue a subpoena to hear from former President Trump regarding the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. She said, “We are obligated to seek answers directly from the man who set this all in motion, and every American is entitled to those answers so we can act now to protect our republic.” Her resolution came during the January 6 Committee hearing on the investigation of the attack on the U.S. Capitol after committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-MS) said members wanted to hear from the former president because he “is required to answer for his actions.” The committee members recounted prior evidence in lockstep with newly-obtained evidence, such as the Secret Service’s knowledge of a planned attack on the U.S. Capitol prior to January 6. They also shared never-before-seen video of members of Congress seeking safety and asking for help during the attack.

“For 187 minutes on January 6, this man of unbridled destructive energy could not be moved,” said January 6 Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-MS) of President Trump’s perceived unwillingness to act on that day. His remarks came in his opening statement during the eighth hearing of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. During her closing testimony, Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-WY) spoke of the former president’s supporters, saying, “he is preying on their patriotism,” and that “on January 6th, Donald Trump turned their love of country into a weapon against our Capitol, and our Constitution.” Testifying before the committee on President Trump’s actions and response to the attack on the U.S. Capitol were former Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Pottinger and former White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Matthews, who both tendered their resignations on January 6, 2021.

In her closing statement of the seventh January 6 Committee, Committee Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-WY) said that former President Trump “tried to call a witness in our investigation. A witness you have not yet seen in these hearings,” and that the matter had been reported to the Justice Department. The witnesses were Jason Van Tatenhove, former spokesperson for the Oath Keepers extremist group, who said the group is a “violent militia” and "the best illustration for what the Oath Keepers are happened January 6 when we saw that stacked military formation going up the stairs of our Capitol, and Stephen Ayres, who pled guilty to breaching the U.S. Capitol. Mr. Ayres said that he was galvanized by the former president’s January 6 speech and that he went to the Capitol because the president told his supporters to do so. The hearing also includes video testimony from former White House Counsel Pat Cipollone and attorney Sidney Powell, among several others.

In the sixth hearing of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Cassidy Hutchinson, former senior aide to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, testified that former President Trump said, “I don’t even care that they have weapons. They aren’t here to hurt me.” Ms. Hutchinson shared her experiences of the days leading up to and after the attack, including President Trump’s alleged altercation with Secret Service in the back of the presidential limo when the an agent refused his demands to go to the Capitol after his rally speech. Ms. Hutchinson replied, “yes,” when asked if Rudy Giuliani and Mr. Meadows had asked for presidential pardons, In her closing remarks, Committee Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-WY) addressed allegations of committee witnesses being influenced by those in Mr. Trump’s circle, saying, “I think most Americans know that attempting to influence witnesses to testify untruthfully presents very serious concerns.”

January 6 Committee member Rep. Adam Kinzinger (D-IL) said, “The president didn’t care about actually investigating the facts. He just wanted the Department of Justice to put its stamp of approval on the lies,” as he discussed President Trump’s efforts to pressure the Justice Department to investigate false claims of election fraud. His remarks came during the January 6 Committee hearing on the investigation of the attack on the U.S. Capitol. This is the fifth in a series of hearings - after months of closed-door investigations - detailing the committee findings on the Jan. 6th attack. Sharing their stories before the committee were former Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, former Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue, and former U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel Steven Engel. They addressed allegations of election fraud made by the former President and requests to alter the outcome of the election, including the seizure of voting machines.

The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol held the fourth of a series of hearings. Members focused on an alleged effort by former President Donald Trump and others to pressure officials in key battlegroup states in an attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. State political leaders and election officials from Georgia and Arizona described the pressures they faced from the former president and his allies to decertify the election, as well as the harassment and threats they, their colleagues and families have experienced from supporters of the former president. The hearing also featured videotaped depositions from election officials who shared their stories, as well as never-before-seen footage of protestors outside an election official’s home.

In the third hearing of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-MS) said, “Thanks in part to Mike Pence, our democracy withstood Donald Trump’s scheme and the violence of January 6.” While testifying on the pressure then-Vice President Pence was subjected to by former President Trump and attorney John Eastman, former counsel to Vice President Pence, Greg Jacobs said that the vice president was urged multiple times by the former president and Mr. Eastman to reject the electors prior to the joint session of Congress, even though the vice president consistently said he did not have the authority to do so. Also testifying before the committee was Judge Michael Luttig (ret.), an unofficial adviser to Vice President Pence.

The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol held the second of a series of hearings. Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-MS) said that former President Donald Trump “betrayed the trust of the American people” and “ignored the will of the voters,” as he tried to remain in office even after being told he lost the 2020 election. While testifying on allegations of voter fraud in Pennsylvania, specifically those levied by President Trump’s former attorney Rudy Giuliani that thousands of dead people in the state cast their vote in the election, former Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt said, “not only was there not evidence of 8,000 dead voters voting in Pennsylvania, there wasn’t evidence of eight.” During the hearing, the committee showed never-before-seen video testimony of President Trump’s campaign manager, William Stepien, and former Attorney General William Barr refuting the former president’s claims of voter fraud.

The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol held the first of a series of hearings. Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-MS) said, “Donald Trump was at the center of this conspiracy,” and that the former president “spurred a mob of domestic enemies of the Constitution to march down to the Capitol and subvert American democracy.” Addressing her Republican colleagues directly, Committee Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-WY) said that those who “are defending the indefensible, there will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain.” U.S. Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards, who was knocked unconscious during the initial breach, and filmmaker Nick Quested, who was filming the Proud Boys and the rally, shared their stories from the attack. The committee showed a video of the attack with scenes outside and inside the Capitol, much of which came from police cameras, and video testimony gathered during months of investigation.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the incoming Supreme Court Justice, discussed the historic significance of becoming the first black woman to sit on the nation’s highest court. Amid applauses at the White House she said, “we’ve made it.” President Biden and Vice President Harris also gave remarks. Judge Jackson went on to say this moment is history is one all Americans can take pride in. Her remarks came just one day after the Senate confirmed her in a vote of 53 to 47. Three Republican senators joined Democrats to confirm Judge Jackson. President Biden thanked Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Mitt Romney (R-UT) for their support. Judge Jackson was nominated back in February 2022 after Justice Stephen Breyer announced he’d be retiring at the end of the court’s term in June 2022.

Complete Remarks from Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson After Being Confirmed to the Supreme Court | C-SPAN

WATCH: Jackson tears up, as Sen. Booker says she’s earned her historic Supreme Court nomination | PBS

In the fourth and final day of Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, American Bar Association officials and outside witnesses testified in support of and against her nomination. The ABA said it found no evidence of any issues with Judge Jackson’s sentencing record or being “soft on crime” as alleged by Senate Republicans during her confirmation hearing. The non-partisan legal organization gave her a “well qualified” rating to serve on the nation’s highest court.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee during the second day of her confirmation hearing to be a Supreme Court justice. During this portion, Judge Jackson responded to questions from Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) , and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) on a variety of issues, including child pornography sentences, freedom of speech, the Second Amendment, the role of law enforcement and being “soft on crime,” and defending detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

President Joe Biden announced Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as his nominee to the Supreme Court to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer. As the president began his remarks from the White House, he said, “Today, as we watch freedom and liberty under attack abroad, I’m here to fulfill my responsibility under the Constitution to preserve freedom and liberty here in the United States of America.” President Biden said he made a commitment to pick a nominee worthy of Justice Breyer’s legacy. During her remarks, Judge Jackson said she was “truly humbled by the extraordinary honor of this nomination,” and that she would never be able to fill Justice Breyer’s shoes. The president did not take questions from reporters

President Biden signed into law the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, making it now the 11th annual federal holiday and the first one established since the creation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983. Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. “I’ve only been president for several months, but I think this will go down for me as one of the greatest honors I will have had as president,” he told an audience of lawmakers and guests at the White House. He added, “Great nations don’t ignore their most painful moments.” Also in attendance at the signing was Vice President Kamala Harris, members of the Congressional Black Caucus and Opal Lee, the activist known as the grandmother of Juneteenth.

JUNETEENTH (officially) Juneteenth National Independence Day and historically known as Jubilee Day, Black Independence Day, and Emancipation Day is a holiday in the United States.

The holiday commemorates the end of slavery, and is regularly observed with celebrations of culture.

Originating in Galveston, Texas, it has been celebrated annually on June 19 in various parts of the United States since 1866.

The day was recognized as a Federal Holiday on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.

The Economic Club of Washington hosted a two-panel discussion on the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, upcoming legislation in Congress, and medical communities' response to the coronavirus pandemic. During the first portion, Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Tom Reed (R-NY) talked about their experience during the attack as well as the House moving forward on impeaching former President Donald Trump for a second time. They also discussed coronavirus pandemic economic relief legislation and the possibility of a bipartisan infrastructure bill. Then, executives from Kaiser Permanente, iNOVA Health Systems, and Medstar Health talked about the impact of COVID-19 and the challenges they were facing regarding vaccine distribution. They spoke about the need for a consistent federal response across all 50 states to better manage the pandemic.