{"id":1277,"date":"2021-02-13T20:56:36","date_gmt":"2021-02-14T01:56:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/?p=1277"},"modified":"2021-02-13T20:56:37","modified_gmt":"2021-02-14T01:56:37","slug":"white-house-news-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/white-house-news-3\/","title":{"rendered":"White House News"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Trump Impeachment Trial Kicks Off<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former President Trump\u2019s impeachment trial kicked off in the Senate this week in proceedings that allies of the former president say may not be constitutional due to Trump already being out office. Trump was impeached for a second time by the House of Representatives just a week before he left the presidency, on a single charge of inciting the January 6th insurrection at the US Capitol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a brief filed just before the trial began, Trump\u2019s lawyers argued that he was not to blame for what occurred at the Capitol and that the rioters were acting of their own accord. The speech President Trump gave to the rioters just before they stormed the Capitol \u201cwas not an act encouraging an organized movement to overthrow the United States government,\u201d his lawyers said. Additionally, they said that disputing the election results was his right under the First Amendment, which guarantees free speech, and that nothing he said suggested that his supporters should attack the seat of democracy in Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump\u2019s lawyers also lambasted the Democrat-led proceedings as \u201cpolitical theater\u201d and no more than an attempt to gain a political advantage for the 2022 midterm elections. One of Trump\u2019s lawyers, Bruce Castor, said in an interview that the defense team will use videos of Democratic members of Congress encouraging violence against Trump administration officials and law enforcement in their defense of the former president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GOP Senator Bill Cassidy slammed Democrats for conducting what he called a \u201cshow trial,\u201d saying it set a shaky legal foundation for his possible conviction in the Senate. \u201cThe president wasn\u2019t there. He wasn\u2019t allowed counsel. They didn\u2019t amass evidence. In five hours, they kind of judged, and boom, he\u2019s impeached,\u201d Cassidy said, adding that \u201cthere was no process\u2026 If it happened in the Soviet Union, you would\u2019ve called it a show trial.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

US Rejoining UN Human Rights Council<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Biden administration announced that it would be rejoining the United Nation\u2019s Human Rights Council, a body that is known for its hypocrisy and almost singular focus on bashing Israel. The United States will first rejoin the Council as a non-voting member this year, with the goal of becoming a voting member again next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Trump withdrew the US from the Human Rights Council almost three years ago, saying it focused too much on Israel, had member countries that had serious human rights abuse records, and did not make reforms and changes requested by the US.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A current administration official said that President Biden still wants those reforms to be implemented, but that the US will \u201cengage with it in a principled fashion.\u201d The official said that the Human Rights Council can be \u201can important forum for those fighting tyranny and injustice around the world,\u201d adding that United States rejoining it would \u201censure it can live up to that potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN when Trump withdrew from the organization, said that if Biden rejoins the Human Rights Council, \u201cit will fly in the face of our fight for human rights.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden: Sanctions to Stay Until Uranium Enrichment Stops<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Joe Biden said the United States will not lift any sanctions currently targeting Iran until the regime returns to enriching uranium below the threshold set in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. In January, Iran announced that it has stepped up its uranium enrichment process to 20 percent purity, well above the 3.67-percent level permitted by the deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iran has demanded that the US drop its sanctions against it before winding down its uranium enrichment and returning to the nuke deal, putting the United States and Iran in a stalemate. \u201cIf they want Iran to return to its commitments\u2026America must completely lift sanctions, and not just in words or on paper,\u201d Iran\u2019s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a televised speech to air force commanders. \u201cThey must be lifted in action, and then we will verify and see if they have been properly lifted, and then return.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A report stated that Biden is seeking to strike several deals with Iran, focusing on separate but interrelated issues. One would focus on Iran\u2019s nuclear aspirations; it would have to be signed before implementing other deals, including one aimed at curbing Iran\u2019s influence in the region and its support for its terrorist proxies across the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden Says Trump Shouldn\u2019t Get Intel Briefings<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Biden weighed in on the debate over whether former President Trump should continue to have access to classified briefings, saying that he doesn\u2019t believe Trump should \u201cbecause of his erratic behavior unrelated to the insurrection.\u201d Biden reiterated that he believes Trump is \u201cdangerous\u201d and represents an \u201cexistential threat\u201d to US national security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked what his worst fears are if Trump continues to receive intelligence briefings, which are usually given to former presidents out of courtesy, Biden declined to express what they are. \u201cI\u2019d rather not speculate out loud,\u201d Biden said. \u201cI just think that there is no need for him to have the intelligence briefings. What value is there in giving him an intelligence briefing? What impact does he have at all, other than the fact that he might slip and say something?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The White House press secretary later indicated that Donald Trump had not requested any intelligence briefings from the White House, meaning the debate over whether he should receive them might be pointless.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officials Investigating Trump Call<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The office of Georgia\u2019s secretary of state Brad Raffensperger has opened an investigation into former President Trump\u2019s efforts to overturn the state\u2019s election results, including a phone call to Raffensperger in which Trump urged him to \u201cfind\u201d enough votes to reverse the election outcome. \u201cAll I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have because we won the state,\u201d Trump said on the call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A spokesperson for Raffensperger said that \u201cthe secretary of state\u2019s office investigates complaints it receives. The investigations are fact-finding and administrative in nature. Any further legal efforts will be left to the attorney general.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attorneys say the call by Trump may have violated three Georgia laws and could potentially result in legal action being taken against the former president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump, said in a statement, \u201cThere was nothing improper or untoward about a scheduled call between President Trump, Secretary Raffensperger, and lawyers on both sides. If Mr. Raffensperger didn\u2019t want to receive calls about the election, he shouldn\u2019t have run for secretary of state.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Briefs<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden Sends Conflicting Signals on Schools Reopening<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Biden\u2019s administration has sent numerous conflicting signals over its plan to return students to classrooms, even at times apparently contradicting the head of the CDC, despite Biden\u2019s pledge to \u201cfollow the science.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki tried minimizing a CDC study that showed that there is minimal risk of becoming infected at school when proper precautions are taken, and statements made by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky in which she said that teachers can safely return to classrooms before being vaccinated, with Psaki saying Walensky was speaking in her \u201cpersonal capacity\u201d rather than as the Biden-appointed head of the CDC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know if there is a split, but it was alarming last week when the White House implied that the CDC director was speaking in her personal capacity, because when it comes to safety and what is required to reduce or mitigate the spread, that\u2019s a CDC question that should only be answered by the CDC,\u201d said Jennifer Nuzzo, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. \u201cI found that worrisome because we have to affirm and assert CDC\u2019s expertise here. It\u2019s a particularly tricky issue and it\u2019s important to be clear that there is no political interference and that there is no agency more qualified to weigh in on this than the CDC.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part of the problem for President Biden is that he has expressed support for students returning to in-person learning, but teachers\u2019 unions\u2014major donors of his\u2014don\u2019t want their teachers back in classrooms for the foreseeable future, putting Biden between a proverbial rock and hard place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fourth GOP Senator Announces Retirement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Republican Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama will not seek reelection in 2022, becoming the fourth sitting GOP senator to not seek reelection. First elected in 1986, Shelby has chaired four Senate committees\u2014the Banking, Intelligence, Appropriations, and Rules panels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlthough I plan to retire, I am not leaving today,\u201d Shelby said. \u201cI have two good years remaining to continue my work in Washington. I have the vision and the energy to give it my all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His retirement announcement follows those of Senators Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Rob Portman of Ohio, and Richard Burr of North Carolina. The large number of retiring Republicans may spell trouble for the GOP in 2022, as it will have to run new, relatively unknown candidates to win seats it had locked in until now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden Ending Trump Asylum Deals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the Biden administration will be ending asylum deals struck between President Trump and three Central American nations. According to the Trump-era agreement, asylum seekers looking for refuge in the United States would first have to seek asylum in El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The US has \u201csuspended and initiated the process to terminate the Asylum Cooperative Agreements with the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras as the first concrete steps on the path to greater partnership and collaboration in the region laid out by President Biden,\u201d Blinken said in a statement. \u201cTo be clear, these actions do not mean that the US border is open. While we are committed to expanding legal pathways for protection and opportunity here and in the region, the United States is a country with borders and laws that must be enforced,\u201d Blinken added. \u201cWe are also committed to providing safe and orderly processing for all who arrive at our border, but those who attempt to migrate irregularly are putting themselves and their families at risk on what can be a very dangerous journey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sitting Congressman Dies of COVID-19<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Texas GOP Representative Ron Wright succumbed to a coronavirus infection this week, becoming the first member of Congress to die from the virus. Wright, who was 67, was battling cancer when he became infected with COVID-19, according to his family. He was reelected to the House of Representatives in November and maintained a vigorous work schedule despite his cancer diagnosis, according to a spokesman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCongressman Wright will be remembered as a constitutional conservative. He was a statesman, not an ideologue,\u201d a statement from his office said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Democrats Unveil $3K-Per-Child Stimulus Plan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senior congressional Democrats unveiled a stimulus plan to give American families $3,000 per child aged 6\u201317 and $3,600 for each child under the age of 6, paid out in monthly increments of $250 or $300 beginning in July. Like previous coronavirus stimulus payments, the amount a family would be eligible to receive would begin phasing out for individuals making over $75,000 and couples earning more than $150,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe pandemic is driving families deeper and deeper into poverty, and it\u2019s devastating,\u201d House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Richard Neal wrote in a statement. \u201cThis money is going to be the difference in a roof over someone\u2019s head or food on their table. This is how the tax code is supposed to work for those who need it most.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fiscal conservatives slammed the plan, saying that it is socialized welfare, particularly because some families who are not struggling are receiving benefits from the federal government that they do not need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just 16 Percent Think American Democracy Thriving<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the recent turmoil in the United States surrounding the presidential election, a troublingly small number of Americans think that democracy is working well in the world\u2019s more preeminent democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a poll from the Associated Press taken after the January 6th riot at the US Capitol, when asked how well democracy is working in the United States, just 16 percent said it is working \u201cextremely\u201d or \u201cvery well.\u201d Thirty-eight percent of respondents said democracy is working \u201csomewhat well,\u201d and 45 percent said it is not working well at all. The survey also found that more than eight in 10 Americans think factors such as a fair judiciary, liberties defined by the Constitution, the ability to achieve the \u201cAmerican Dream,\u201d and a democratically elected government are important aspects of the country\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Trump Impeachment Trial Kicks Off Former President Trump\u2019s impeachment trial kicked off in the Senate this week in proceedings that allies of the former president say may not be constitutional due to Trump already being out office. Trump was impeached for a second time by the House of Representatives just a week before he left […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1236,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[21],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1277"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1277"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1277\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}