Page 1241 – Texas Weekly Online

Schumer sounds off on GOP plan to tie citizenship voting requirement to spending bill

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., does not appear to be budging on a recent demand from conservative Republicans to include a Trump-backed voting bill in a must-pass stopgap spending bill at the end of the month. “As we have said each time we’ve had a CR, the only way to get things done is in a bipartisan way and that is what has happened every time,” Schumer told Fox News Digital in a statement when asked if the measure’s inclusion would be a nonstarter for Democrats. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., rolled out a plan for a six-month spending patch called a continuing resolution (CR) on a lawmaker-only conference call Tuesday morning. Three sources familiar with the call said it would keep current fiscal year spending levels steady through March and would also include the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a GOP bill mandating proof of citizenship for voter registration. DEMS LOSE GROUND TO GOP CONTENDERS IN PIVOTAL SENATE RACES AS VOTERS LOCK IN: POLL Reaching a spending deal is necessary to avoid a partial government shutdown at the end of the month, and the inclusion of the SAVE Act in that deal has been pushed by several conservative Republican members of the House and Senate in the weeks leading up to Congress’ return from the August recess. Johnson’s office did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in response to Schumer in time for publication. Former President Donald Trump has endorsed the SAVE Act and recently came out in favor of a six-month, short-term spending bill that includes it, such as what Johnson unveiled. BORDER SENATOR AND FORMER HARRIS VP SHORT-LISTER CLAIMS ‘NO EVIDENCE’ ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS VOTE A spokesperson for Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who authored the SAVE Act and has pioneered the effort to have it included in a stopgap spending bill, told Fox News Digital in a statement, “The majority leader’s comment is encouraging, given that the SAVE Act passed with bipartisan support in the House.” MCCORMICK SEIZES ON PENNSYLVANIA SENATE RACE GAP, LAYING BORDER BLAME ON CASEY The measure notably passed the House by a vote of 221-198 in July, with five Democrats joining their Republican colleagues. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas; Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas; Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine; Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C.; and Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., voted in favor of the bill, making it technically bipartisan. However, the relatively minimal backing from Democratic members of the House may not satisfy Schumer’s desire for a bipartisan deal. There has not been a vote on the bill in the Democrat-controlled Senate, and the majority leader is unlikely to schedule one. BLUE-STATE REPUBLICAN TOUTS HIS ANTI-TRUMP CREDENTIALS IN BID TO FLIP SENATE SEAT RED The Biden-Harris administration has previously come out against the bill, claiming it does not serve a purpose because it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote. “It is a Federal crime punishable by prison and fines,” a statement of administration policy in July said. “The alleged justification for this bill is based on easily disproven falsehoods.” Proponents of the measure see including the SAVE Act in the stopgap spending bill as a way to force Schumer and Democrats in the Senate to vote on it and go on record with their position. While Johnson has come out in favor of the conservative members’ call, it has not been similarly endorsed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. A Senate GOP aide told Fox News Digital last week that the Kentucky Republican’s top priority is keeping the government open and avoiding a shutdown.

Controversial mayor defies board, says she ‘cleaned up’ town despite turning balance sheet red

More drama in Dolton. Embattled “supermayor” Tiffany Henyard extended her ongoing feud with the Village of Dolton’s board of trustees Tuesday when she proceeded with a board meeting despite it being postponed by trustees, Fox 32 Chicago reports. Henyard, a Democrat, has been at loggerheads with the board for months in the wake of allegations of excessive spending and corruption, but declared at the meeting that her administration had “cleaned up” the suburban Illinois town despite a report that its budget had plunged into the red. She also appointed new village staffers at the meeting, although the appointments are likely not valid. POLICE ALLY OF SCANDAL-RIDDEN MAYOR TIFFANY HENYARD INDICTED ON BANKRUPTCY FRAUD CHARGES The trustees’ decided to postpone Tuesday’s regular board meeting until Sept. 12 in order to address “several urgent matters,” including finalizing the village budget, establishing a new bank account, and hiring a new auditor, a spokesperson for the trustees told Fox 32. But Henyard’s attorney, Beau Brindley, argued the postponement violated Illinois law due to a lack of proper notice. He also said that he believes the board’s actions are interfering with Henyard’s ability to perform her duties as mayor. The mayor went ahead with the meeting even though she did not have a quorum as only two trustees were present, Andrew Holmes and Stanley Brown. “As you can see, the Board of Trustees decided not to show up, nor did the clerk,” Henyard said at the meeting which was attended by about 20 members of the public. It’s the latest in a series of public spats between the mayor and the board. Henyard has vetoed the board’s request to launch a federal investigation into her alleged misuse of funds and also vetoed their hiring of former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who has been tasked with leading a special investigation into the mayor. In May, the board appointed a mayor pro tempore to serve in place of Henyard should she refuse to execute her duties. Lightfoot’s investigation into the town’s financial situation revealed in a preliminary report that Dolton’s general fund balance was $5.61 million in 2022, but by May 2024 the balance had dropped to a deficit of $3.65 million. Fox News Digital reached out to Henyard’s office for comment regarding the figures, and for a statement as to why she proceeded with Tuesday’s meeting, but did not immediately receive a response. Lightfoot also disclosed that Henyard used the village credit card to make purchases at Amazon, Target, Walgreens, Wayfair and other retailers. One jaw-dropping statement revealed that the embattled mayor had dropped $33,000 on Jan. 5, 2023, on Amazon. Despite the serious allegations being leveled against her, Henyard declared Tuesday that she has cleaned up the town. “Research everybody, then you’ll understand the fight, you’ll understand why things is the way it is, because when we took over, we came and cleaned up the Village of Dolton,” Henyard said. FORMER CHICAGO MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT HIRED TO INVESTIGATE SO-CALLED ‘WORST MAYOR IN AMERICA’ AT $400 AN HOUR “What I mean by that is, when we got a complaint, I told them, please make sure you take care of the residents.” Henyard said she has “receipts” and told residents to stay tuned, announcing that she will soon be holding a State of the Village address. The mayor also appointed a new village attorney and a village administrator Tuesday – despite one already holding the latter role. “She can’t appoint one because Keith Freeman is still the village administrator,” said Valeria Stubbs, a former village trustee, according to Fox 32. “All of that was illegal. Once she didn’t have a quorum, the meeting should have been adjourned.” The clash over Tuesday’s meeting came on the same day Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued a binding opinion that Dolton repeatedly violated the Open Meetings Act this summer. He found that Henyard and the village board failed to make its June 3 and July 1 meetings “convenient and open to the public.” He ordered Dolton to make all future meetings convenient and open to the public, including ensuring there is enough space and not closing streets or putting up parking barricades. Henyard’s accusations of financial misdeeds have prompted an ongoing FBI investigation. Furthermore, Lewis A. Lacey, the former deputy chief of police of Dolton and an ally of Henyard, was indicted earlier this month by a federal grand jury on bankruptcy fraud charges and is accused of concealing assets and income to avoid paying creditors and settling a lawsuit. In February, it was reported that the FBI was investigating Henyard after six people had reportedly spoken to the agency about her alleged misconduct, including “business owners, a former village employee and one or more public officials.” In April, the FBI served two federal subpoenas as part of an investigation. Henyard was not served. The first one was for employment records, personnel files and disciplinary reports for 25 Dolton employees, including three police officers and Keith Freeman, who is the village administrator and Henyard’s top aide. Freeman was charged with bankruptcy fraud. The second subpoena was served specifically on Freeman, asking for records of all companies associated with him and possible ties to the village. Fox News’ Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.

Johnson unveils Trump-backed House GOP plan to avoid government shutdown, sets up battle with Schumer

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., unveiled a plan to avoid a partial government shutdown at the end of this month during a lawmaker-only phone call Wednesday morning. Johnson is aiming to hold a vote on the measure as soon as possible, likely next week, two sources familiar with the call told Fox News Digital. House GOP leaders hope to link a short-term extension of this fiscal year’s federal funding levels, known as a continuing resolution (CR), to a Republican-backed bill known as the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. That measure would require proof of citizenship in the voter registration process in a bid to crack down on GOP concerns about noncitizens participating in U.S. elections. The bill would punt the federal funding fight to March, when a new administration and a new congressional term will dictate how the next shutdown showdown will play out. HARRIS WAS ‘OPEN’ TO PACKING SUPREME COURT DURING 2019 PRESIDENTIAL BID Five Democrats voted for the SAVE Act when it passed the House in July, but their leaders are largely opposed to the measure and have panned it as unnecessary since it is already illegal to vote in federal elections as a noncitizen. Meanwhile, senior Republican lawmakers had called for a short-term funding extension into December rather than risking a traffic jam of legislative deadlines in the new year. Johnson said on the call, however, that his plan has “a lot of merit” and reasoned a December CR would likely necessitate another one into the new year anyway, one source familiar with the call said. Other Republicans also raised concerns during the 30-minute call, multiple sources said. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., confirmed to Fox News Digital that she took issue with the lack of measures addressing the border crisis, and she told her colleagues so on the call Wednesday. She specifically called for a CR to include the Laken Riley Act, named after a college student allegedly killed by an illegal immigrant, which would detain and deport migrants who commit illegal acts. HARRIS CAMPAIGN MANAGER IGNORES PRESS CONFERENCE QUESTION AS VP HITS 33 DAYS WITHOUT ONE “We should offer a menu of options, but Democrats should do something to help stop the chaos,” she said, pointing to New York Post reports that suggest illegal immigrants are overwhelming New York City’s judicial system. When asked if she would support the plan Johnson offered without those measures, she said, “Let’s see.” Meanwhile, two sources said Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., questioned what Johnson’s answer would be if the Senate sent back a “clean” short-term spending patch with no attachments. He said a partial government shutdown would threaten the House’s 10 most vulnerable Republican incumbents, per the sources. One of the two sources said Johnson responded that their plan was worth having the fight and said the GOP could not blink. Another GOP lawmaker who spoke with Fox News Digital after the call said, “If we shut down, we lose.” The bill is expected to need a simple majority to pass, a tough task given Johnson’s razor-thin House majority. Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., who is retiring at the end of this year, said outright on Tuesday that he would oppose the plan. HARRIS CAMPAIGN MANAGER IGNORES PRESS CONFERENCE QUESTION AS VP HITS 33 DAYS WITHOUT ONE It does have a significant backer in former President Donald Trump, who urged House Republicans to leverage a shutdown to get a March CR plus SAVE Act passed during an appearance on Monica Crowley’s podcast earlier this week. If it passes the House, the plan is highly unlikely to be taken up by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, however. Schumer, D-N.Y., told Fox News Digital of the plan, “As we have said each time we’ve had a CR, the only way to get things done is in a bipartisan way and that is what has happened every time.” A spokesperson for Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who is spearheading the CR plus SAVE Act plan, responded, “The majority leader’s comment is encouraging, given that the SAVE Act passed with bipartisan support in the House.”

Haitian migrant accused of molesting child is in US via controversial Biden-Harris program

A Haitian migrant who entered the United States last year was arrested in Massachusetts after allegedly molesting a 10-year-old boy who lived next door to him. Akim Marc Desire, 18, was arrested by police last week in Mansfield, Massachusetts, about 45 minutes south of Boston, and is being charged with indecent assault and battery on a child under age 14, law enforcement sources told Fox News. Desire, who is now in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, flew to the U.S. in June of last year, arriving in Miami before eventually making his way up to the Boston area. ICE FINDS, ARRESTS HAITIAN MIGRANT WHO WAS RELEASED ON $500 BOND AFTER BEING CHARGED WITH RAPING CHILD IN MA “Akim Marc Desire allegedly victimized a minor member of our Massachusetts community,” Boston ICE Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons told Fox News. “We cannot tolerate such potentially dire threat to the welfare of children in our community. ERO Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing egregious noncitizen offenders from our New England neighborhoods.” Desire lawfully entered the country but violated the terms of his entry and was unlawfully present in the U.S. at the time of the alleged crime, ICE said. He is the second Haitian migrant in recent months to be charged with a sex crime against a child in Massachusetts, coming less than a month after 26-year-old Haitian Migrant Cory Alvarez was accused in the march rape of a 15-year-old girl while staying in a migrant hotel in the state. BIDEN ADMIN RESTARTS CONTROVERSIAL MIGRANT FLIGHT PROGRAM WITH ADDITIONAL VETTING AFTER FRAUD REVELATIONS Desire flew to the U.S. under the Biden administration’s controversial CHNB parole program, which allows migrants to apply for entry with a sponsor from four countries: Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. The program was paused in July after an internal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) review found evidence of mass fraud, including more than 100,000 applications being filled out by roughly 3,000 “serial sponsors.” DHS said last week that it is resuming the parole program after it “incorporated additional vetting of U.S.-based supporters to strengthen the integrity of the processes.” “With these updated procedures in place, DHS is resuming the issuance of new Advance Travel Authorizations and will closely monitor how this new process is operating moving forward,” a spokesperson for the agency told Fox News Digital. The White House did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

PM Modi enjoys traditional Indian dishes at world’s largest residential palace in Brunei, check menu here

PM Modi’s historic visit to Brunei strengthens diplomatic ties, marked by bilateral talks and a special lunch hosted by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.

Biden DOJ to accuse Russia of trying to influence 2024 presidential election: report

The Biden administration is expected to accuse Russia of orchestrating a sustained effort to influence the 2024 U.S. presidential election by targeting American voters through state-run media and other online platforms. Fox News confirmed that Russia-linked entities will be targeted by the Justice Department. A CNN report stated that Kremlin-backed RT TV network is expected to be named by the Justice Department as one of the key players in the covert campaign. When asked by Fox News Digital for its reaction to the allegations, RT said, “We certainly have a reaction. Actually, we had several, but we couldn’t decide on one (we even thought of running an office poll), so here they are.” “2016 called and it wants its clichés back,” was among them, as were: “Three things are certain in life: death, taxes and RT’s interference in the U.S. elections,” “We gotta earn our Kremlin paycheck somehow,” and “Somewhere Secretary Clinton is sad that it’s not because of her.” The move comes after the Justice Department made RT register as a “foreign agent” in 2017. The agency said at the time that “T&R Productions, LLC (T&R), a Washington, D.C., corporation, registered… with the Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act as an agent for ANO TV-Novosti, the Russian government entity responsible for the worldwide broadcasts of the RT Network (RT). “Since August 2014, T&R has operated studios for RT, hired and paid all U.S.-based RT employees, and produced English-language programming for RT, which is both shown on cable networks across the United States and available on RT’s website,” it also said. Former Defense Intelligence Agency officer Rebekah Koffler previously told Fox News Digital that RT and other propaganda abroad were part of the permanent cyber warfare Russia wages on the West. “They don’t just wage propaganda in a time of war, during a conflict,” she said in 2022. “They wage it during peacetime. They constantly malign the United States and misrepresent foreign policy objectives … I’m just saying that tilts the level playing field towards Russia when we allow their propaganda channels to broadcast in an unfettered [way].” “RT is 100% a Russia government-controlled channel and its sole intent is to predispose the American population and wherever they are broadcasting towards the Russian point of view and to present the events on the ground as the Russians want the rest of the world to see them, so if the United States did not want that to happen then it would be appropriate to shut down the channel,” Koffler added.

Dems lose ground to GOP contenders in pivotal Senate races as voters lock in: poll

Republican Senate candidates are gaining on their Democratic counterparts in new polling of competitive races, closing the support gaps in top contests that will decide which party holds control of the Senate and by how large of a majority. Dave McCormick, the Republican candidate for Senate in Pennsylvania, tied longtime Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Penn., in top battleground state Pennsylvania, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS. Casey’s advantages of being an incumbent and having a well known family with deep roots in Pennsylvania showed signs of faltering against McCormick’s campaign in the survey, with the two neck and neck at 46% each. BORDER SENATOR AND FORMER HARRIS VP SHORT-LISTER CLAIMS ‘NO EVIDENCE’ ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS VOTE Previous polling has shown McCormick trailing Casey to varying degrees, as analysts noted a name identification struggle for the former. However, with less than 10 weeks until the general election, it appears voters — especially those in top battleground state Pennsylvania — are tuning in, and those who lean Republican are getting behind McCormick’s bid. MCCORMICK SEIZES ON PENNSYLVANIA SENATE RACE GAP, LAYING BORDER BLAME ON CASEY Pennsylvania is not the only state where GOP contenders are getting closer to their opponents. In Arizona, former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake presented a challenge to Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., in the new poll, finishing only three percentage points behind him, 47% to 44%. GOP candidates Eric Hovde in Wisconsin and former Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan each also held their Democratic opponents’ leads to single digits. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., beat Hovde in the survey, 51% to 45%, while Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., managed to defeat Rogers, 47% to 41%. BLUE-STATE REPUBLICAN TOUTS HIS ANTI-TRUMP CREDENTIALS IN BID TO FLIP SENATE SEAT RED In Nevada, Ret. Army Capt. Sam Brown registered 10 points behind Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., who garnered 50% as she battles to hold onto her seat in the swing state. The tightening races across the board come as GOP strategists have predicted that average voters will begin paying attention and throwing their support behind GOP candidates with the election nearing. MICHIGAN BECOMES TOP GOP SENATE TARGET AS MIKE ROGERS TIES WITH DEM OPPONENT AMONG OLDER VOTERS The Senate contests in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wisconsin and Nevada are still considered “Lean Democratic” by a top non-partisan political handicapper, the Cook Political Report. The handicapper rated Michigan’s race as a “Toss Up” with the best chance of going Republican come election day. The tied Senate match-up in Pennsylvania is particularly significant as strategists believe incumbent Casey will be tethered to Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris with the strongest intensity, meaning her performance in the battleground will weigh heavily to pull him up or drag him down. In the latest CNN poll, former President Donald Trump and Harris were also tied at 47% each. The poll surveyed 4,398 registered voters in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin and queried them both online by telephone between August 23 and August 29. The margins of error were +/- 4.7% in Pennsylvania and Arizona, +/- 4.9% in Michigan and Nevada, and +/- 4.4% in Wisconsin. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Author: