Page 1680 – Texas Weekly Online

‘Will prepare…’: Maharashtra Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis reveals BJP’s strategy ahead of Assembly polls

Union Minister Piyush Goyal rejected the talk of changing the BJP’s state president and said that the BJP leadership has no such idea and no such discussion has taken place in the Maharashtra BJP core committee meeting.

AOC calls Netanyahu ‘war criminal,’ says he should not address Congress

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., fiercely criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming address to Congress next month, calling him a “war criminal,” and accusing him of having no regard for U.S. law. House and Senate leaders from both sides of the aisle have invited Netanyahu to address Congress on July 24, delivering the most recent show of wartime support for the longtime ally despite mounting political divisions over Israel’s military assault on Hamas in Gaza. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, along with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, signed the letter extending the invitation to Netanyahu. They said the offer was intended to “highlight America’s solidarity with Israel.” But not all members of Congress are in favor of the visit, including Ocasio-Cortez. NETANYAHU SAYS BIDEN PRESENTED ‘INCOMPLETE’ VERSION OF GAZA CEASEFIRE “This man should not be addressing Congress. He is a war criminal,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote in a post on X. “And he certainly has no regard for US law, which is explicitly designed to prevent US weapons from facilitating human rights abuses. His invitation should be revoked. It should have never been sent in the first place.” The representative and other progressive “Squad” Democrats are furious that their leaders agreed to invite Netanyahu to address Congress. The invitation spurred pushback from the left, where a growing number of Democrats have voiced criticism for Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza in retaliation for Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack in Israel. The controversy took on new significance last month when the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, announced he would seek arrest warrants against top Israeli and Hamas officials, Netanyahu included. ‘SQUAD’ DEMS FURIOUS AT NETANYAHU’S INVITE TO CONGRESS: ‘ACCUSED WAR CRIMINAL’ “Instead of coming here, we need Netanyahu to stop bombing indiscriminately in Gaza and for him to respect the president’s red line of not having continued military operations in Rafah,” Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, told Fox News Digital earlier this month. “I don’t think it’s a good time for him to be coming.” Asked if he planned to attend the speech, Casar said, “I don’t plan to attend, and I will plan to participate in whatever advocacy is being done to push for Netanyahu and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire.” Fox News Digital has reached out to Ocasio-Cortez for comment. ‘SHAMEFUL’: GOP LAWMAKER SHREDS ‘AWOL’ BIDEN FOR THROWING JEWS ‘UNDER THE BUS’ AMID ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS Earlier this month, she told reporters that Netanyahu’s visit would not be “productive.” “Not only is there very little purpose to it, but I think it is patently unproductive. I think it’s counterproductive right now for him to address Congress, particularly as we continue to try to nail down details on the cease-fire,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “I certainly do not approve of it, potentially may not attend.” Netanyahu’s visit to the Capitol also comes as the relationship between President Joe Biden and the leader of the Jewish state has frayed in recent months. Biden has privately and publicly criticized Netanyahu’s handling of the war, and criticized the Israeli government for not letting more humanitarian aid into Gaza. Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

Smasal wins Dem primary to face Jen Kiggans in key Virginia swing district

Voters in Virginia’s 2nd congressional district have selected military veteran Missy Cotter Smasal to face off against Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., in November. Like Kiggans, Smasal served in the U.S. Navy. Her campaign website states that she was a Surface Warfare Officer and deployed aboard the U.S.S. Trenton during Operation Enduring Freedom. Smasal is an adjunct professor and small business owner who also runs the nonprofit Valor Run, which is aimed at honoring female service members. FOX NEWS POLL: BIDEN, TRUMP IN A DEAD HEAT IN VIRGINIA Her victory puts Kiggans onto a political battlefield similar to the one she claimed victory on in November 2022, when she unseated incumbent former Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., also a Navy veteran. Smasal defeated Jake Denton, a former journalist and a civil rights attorney. Her website says she “is running to ensure that kids and families across coastal Virginia have the opportunities they need to succeed.” WHALE OF A LAWSUIT THREATENS TO SWALLOW UP BIDEN GREEN ENERGY AGENDA Kiggans is a first-term lawmaker representing a district with a heavy military presence and she also comes from a military family. Virginia’s 2nd congressional district encompasses a large part of the commonwealth’s shoreline, including Virginia Beach. It’s also one of the most politically fickle districts in the country – before Kiggans unseated her, Luria won the district in November 2018 by defeating then-Rep. Scott Taylor, R-Va. ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, JUNE 14, 1777, CONGRESS ADOPTS ‘STARS AND STRIPES’ FLAG, ‘THE NEW CONSTELLATION’ The freshman moderate Republican is one of 18 GOP lawmakers who won seats in districts that President Biden carried during the 2020 White House race. However, former President Trump narrowly won the district over Hillary Clinton in 2016. Kiggans is now being endorsed by Trump for reelection. Democrats are eyeing the area as a potential stop on their roadmap to win back control of the House of Representatives in November.

VA Rep. Wexton’s endorsed candidate wins Democratic primary to succeed her

Virginia State Sen. Suhas Subramanyam was projected to win the Democratic primary in Virginia’s 10th congressional district, after being endorsed by the lawmaker he is primed to succeed. Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-Va., announced her retirement effective at the end of her term after being diagnosed with a debilitating form of Parkinson’s called Progressive Supra-nuclear Palsy. Wexton later endorsed Subramanyam over a slew of other contenders for the seat, which was in Republican hands for most of the 20th century, but has trended Democratic in recent elections. Subramanyam was also endorsed by the State Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, a Democrat from Mount Vernon, along with a handful of other state senators near his district, which contains Dulles International Airport (IAD), as well as Ashburn – where the Washington Commanders NFL team is headquartered. VIRGINIA DECLARES INDEPENDENCE FROM CALIFORNIA AS YOUNGKIN EXITS EMISSIONS PACT Subramanyam previously said he was “humbled” by Wexton’s endorsement, and the outgoing lawmaker told the local Loudoun Times-Mirror the now-nominee is “deeply rooted in this community… and I’ve been glad to work with him on a variety of local issues important to constituents.” Subramanyam is also an attorney and served as a White House technology policy adviser to then-President Barack Obama, where he worked on cybersecurity threats and modernization of government agencies’ technologies. He also organized volunteers in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the city he attended college in: New Orleans. YOUNGKIN: EDUCATION IS THE BEDROCK OF THE AMERICAN DREAM The congressional district comprises densely-populated outer Washington, D.C. suburbs in Loudoun County, as well as the independent city of Manassas, and rural Fauquier and Rappahannock counties. Wexton’s seat was held for decades by Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., from the Reagan Revolution into the Obama era, when moderate Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va., a former aide, succeeded him. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In 2018, Wexton defeated Comstock and the district has trended more and more blue ever since. The Cook Political Report rates the district as D+6, predicting a likely Democratic hold in November.

Biden appears to freeze up, forget Homeland Security sec’s name during White House event: ‘all kidding aside’

President Biden appeared to freeze up and temporarily forget the name of his Homeland Security Secretary during a White House event Tuesday. The president had taken the podium in the White House’s East Room to announce new measures giving illegal immigrants living in the U.S. a pathway to citizenship. Biden introduced himself, using a familiar quip about being “Jill Biden’s husband.” He thanked Congress and Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, but seemed to trail off when trying to remember Mayorkas’ name. KARINE JEAN-PIERRE’S LIES ABOUT ‘DEEPFAKE’ VIDEOS REVEALED BIDEN TEAM’S WORRIES, SAYS KELLYANNE CONWAY “I’m not sure I’m going to be able to introduce you all the way,” Biden said, eliciting laughter from the audience. The president then appeared to brush off the flub as a deliberate joke, commenting, “But all kidding aside, Secretary Mayorkas, Secretary [of the Department of Health and Human Services] Becerra and advocates and families, law enforcement, faith leaders, and everybody that’s here.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment. Biden used the event to announce sweeping new policy changes in an election year that would give hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants in the United States a pathway to citizenship. The president announced that his administration will, in the coming months, allow certain American citizens’ spouses who are living in the U.S. illegally, to apply for permanent residency and eventually citizenship without having to first depart the country. Biden’s ostensible flub on Tuesday is the latest incident to draw into question the president’s mental acuteness going into an election year. Last week, The Wall Street Journal published a report, citing Republicans, and even some Democrats, who said the president was showing signs of slowing down during private meetings.

Tom Cole wins crowded GOP primary to fight for 12th term in November

Longtime House Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., won his Tuesday night primary and is on track to clinch his 12th term in the House of Representatives this November. Cole, who currently serves as chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, was facing a crowded GOP led by opponent Paul Bondar. Bondar is a political outsider and a businessman who has poured millions of his own dollars into the race. The senior Republican has represented Oklahoma’s 3rd congressional district since January 2003. The district encompasses part of Oklahoma City and the city of Norman. BATTLE FOR THE LAST FRONTIER: REPUBLICANS LOOK TO TAKE BACK HISTORICALLY GOP-HELD HOUSE SEAT IN ALASKA Cole had been expected to get at least a plurality of the vote, given his deep ties to Oklahoma GOP politics, but his reputation for working across the aisle has earned him challenges from his right flank. Bondar has tried to style himself as a more conservative alternative to Cole, bashing the congressman for being willing to work with Democrats on issues like government funding and Ukraine aid. Cole’s campaign has in turn styled Bondar as a carpetbagger trying to buy the race. Cole also came into the Tuesday election armed with an endorsement from former President Trump, who won the district by double digits in 2020. DEMOCRATS ‘FEAR’ THIS POSSIBLE TRUMP VP PICK WHO ‘SOULD SPELL THE END FOR BIDEN’: INSIDERS “Tom Cole is a fantastic Representative for Oklahoma’s 4th Congressional District. As Chairman of the POWERFUL Appropriations Committee, Tom is fighting hard to Secure the Border, Stop Migrant Crime, Strengthen our Military/Vets, Support our Great Law Enforcement, and Protect our always-under-siege Second Amendment,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in May. “He has almost always voted with me, including on both Impeachment Hoaxes. Tom Cole has my Complete and Total Endorsement – He will not let you down!” BLACK MALE VOTERS SOUR ON BIDEN, TRUMP: ‘TIRED OF BEING FORCED TO CHOOSE THE LESSER OF THE GREATER EVILS’ In addition to supporting Trump, Cole has also been a staunch ally of House GOP leadership. He previously served as head of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), House Republicans’ campaign arm, and before taking the Appropriations Committee gavel he served as the top Republican on the House Rules Committee. Other Republican hopefuls who ran to unseat Cole on Tuesday night are Nick Hankins, Rick Harris and Andrew Hayes.

Hern wins Oklahoma GOP congressional primary after lopsided funding battle

Rep. Kevin Hern won the Republican primary for Oklahoma’s First Congressional District, ending a lopsided fundraising battle, according to the Associated Press. The battle for the seat pitted Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., who has held the seat for six years, and Paul Royse, who ran on a platform his campaign boasted was “against Trump,” including plans to make “drastic cuts” to both Social Security and Medicare. INSIDERS PREDICT RUST BELT REPUBLICAN, POSSIBLE TRUMP VP PICK, COULD FLIP BIDEN VOTES IN KEY SWING STATES Hern has been a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump and was nominated for Speaker of the House last January as a protest of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. The incumbent expressed interest in seeking the nomination for Speaker in October before withdrawing himself from consideration. He then announced his desire to seek the nomination again after Reps. Steve Scalise, R-La., and Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, dropped out of the race. The race featured one of the more lopsided funding battles of any primary across the country, with Hern raising nearly $1.6 million, according to Federal Election Commission data. Royse, meanwhile, did not file any campaign finance disclosures with the FEC. EXPERTS PREDICT INFLATION ELECTION TROUBLE FOR BIDEN: ‘TOO LATE’ TO FIX Hern will now advance to November’s general election, where he will face off with either Evelyn Rogers, who has sought the seat in previous elections as an independent but is running as a Democrat in 2024 and former FBI agent Dennis Baker. Oklahoma’s First Congressional District has been solidly Republican for decades, with former Rep. James R. Jones being the last Democrat to win the seat in 1984.

Trump’s Veepstakes: Who Needs Who

It’s hard to tell who needs who more. Former President Trump or House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. It’s too early to say if Mr. Trump will return to the White House next January. But he needs assistance from Capitol Hill if he’s going to accomplish anything. And it’s a jump ball at best to determine which party might control the House. Johnson is certainly the odds-on favorite to retain the Speakership if Republicans hold the House. But it’s about the math. Eleven Republicans voted alongside an effort in early May by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to remove Johnson. That won’t work for Johnson if the GOP only maintains a slim majority. But an edict by a potential President-elect Trump in January 2025 could save the day for Johnson if he’s struggling to round up the votes for Speaker on January 3 – the Constitutionally-mandated day to begin the 119th Congress. HOUSE SPEAKER CHAOS: ‘ONE DUMPSTER FIRE AT A TIME’ Fox is told that former President Trump needs party unity. That could be the key to legislative success should Mr. Trump return to the White House for a 2.0 launch. He would need help from the Hill. Johnson made his second pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago to huddle with former President Trump in as many months this week. He brought with him Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). That’s the organization devoted to electing Republicans to the House. “We will not waste a moment. We will be working on a very aggressive agenda to fix all the great problems facing this country right now,” said Johnson ahead his visit to southern Florida. The meeting came just days after former President Trump visited House and Senate Republicans in separate meetings on both sides of Capitol Hill. It marked the first time Mr. Trump had crept anywhere close to the Capitol since the riot three-and-a-half years ago. “Unity is strength and the division is an invitation for your opponents to beat you. So I think he sees the advantage of unity,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Tex., of Mr. Trump. It’s worth noting that Cornyn could serve as either Senate Majority or Minority Leader next year. Current Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has a strained relationship with former President Trump. Measuring draperies? Unclear. But the former President and Congressional Republicans are sharpening their 2025 legislative agenda. “Securing the border!” said Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., on Fox. “We’ve got to bring down energy costs,” declared Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., on Fox. “The world is a tinderbox,” said Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y. The former President is already making promises. Some of which might not entail Congressional action. “On day one of my new administration, we all begin the largest deportation operation in American history,” warned Mr. Trump. HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADER DECLARES JUSTICE ALITO ‘AN INSURRECTIONIST SYMPATHIZER’ AMID FLAG FRACAS Another priority is renewing the expiring Trump-era tax cuts. Such a project likely requires the Senate use a special budgetary process to sidestep a filibuster. It’s known as “reconciliation.” The Senate can only deploy this parliamentary tool on bills which don’t deal directly with policy – but focus on tax or fiscal issues. Senate Republicans used budget reconciliation to greenlight the tax cuts in late 2017. Budget reconciliation always requires that legislation approved under this special set of rules not add to the deficit. It is unclear how re-upping the tax cuts won’t contribute to the national debt. This may require some fancy bookkeeping. Even so, former President Trump is likely to have narrow majorities in the House and Senate – if Republicans prevail. That’s why GOPers must stick together. “[Former President Trump] and I speak frequently about the election cycle, of course, and how we can complete the mission of restoring him to the White House and growing the House majority and winning the Republican majority in the Senate,” said Johnson. But critics claim there’s no agenda at all. It’s just about former President Trump. “The Constitution doesn’t matter to them. None of it matters to them. The only thing that matters is the pursuit of power,” opined Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who is running for the Senate. Democrats are banking on tying former President Trump to vulnerable Republicans facing competitive re-elections in battleground states or districts. “They’re going to have to defend this approach that they’ve taken over the next several months in advance of November before the American people,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. “With November fast approaching, Republicans continue to show the American people where they really are with MAGA extremists and not with the majority of America,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. President Biden and Democrats have long telegraphed their electoral strategy. They will run against three opponents this fall: Republicans. Former President Trump. And now, the Supreme Court. That’s why Democrats are escalating attacks on conservative Supreme Court justices in light of controversies about the conduct of justices and controversial rulings about guns and abortion. BIDEN’S ATTORNEY GENERAL IS FIGHTING BACK AS THE GOP-LED HOUSE CONTEMPLATES CONTEMPT “It appears that [Supreme Court] Justice [Samuel] Alito is an insurrectionist sympathizer, joined by his right wing buddy, [Supreme Court Justice] Clarence Thomas,” claimed Jeffries. Democrats accuse Thomas and Alito of questionable ethics. They ding Thomas for taking lavish getaways on the dimes of GOP megadonors. “He has done it 60 times. He was a vacation-taking fiend. My Lord!” thundered Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., on the Senate floor. The left targets Alito for flying controversial flags at his homes. “I believe the legacy of the [Chief Justice John] Roberts Court will be one of unchecked corruption and absolute politicization,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. An attorney for Thomas says ethics rules don’t require him to report such trips – so long as donors don’t have business before the Court. Alito says his wife flew the flags. Republicans contend the Democrats’ complaints are camouflage for what really needles left. “Democrats don’t like the fact that the

Former President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson: Who Needs Who?

Brian Jack wins Georgia’s 3rd congressional district Republican runoff

Brian Jack has won the Republican primary runoff in the race to represent Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District and will be the overwhelming favorite to beat his Democrat opponent in the November general election. The Associated Press called the race. Jack and Dugan were the top two vote-getters in Georgia’s May 21 primary election, but advanced to the runoff when neither reached the 50% threshold required by state election law. BIDEN MAKES MAJOR GAINS WITH CRUCIAL VOTING GROUP AHEAD OF 1ST DEBATE WITH TRUMP: POLL The race turned increasingly ugly in recent weeks, with Dugan, who served as majority leader in the state Senate, labeling Jack, who advised former President Trump’s 2016 and 2024 campaigns, a “D.C. insider,” citing his campaign’s out-of-state financial support. In turn, Jack blasted Dugan over his past support for a 2015 transportation bill that raised the gas tax to fund improved infrastructure and maintenance. Jack will likely become the next member of Congress from the district, replacing retiring Rep. Drew Ferguson, who announced last year he would not be seeking re-election. Elections analysts rate the race as either “safe” or “solid” Republican. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Author: