The Senate has received two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas from House Republicans.

On Monday‚ a congressional vote to move 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) bill to the Senate succeeded in the House with a vote of 259-128. The bill now goes to the Senate without any provision requiring warrants on the surveillance of Americans who are in communication with foreign actors. Rep. Luna made […] The post FISA Goes to the Senate with Warrantless Spying on Americans appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Speaker Johnson is facing threats of being ousted by Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie‚ a Libertarian. Rep. Massie told him to resign‚ or he would be ousted. Speaker Johnson will not resign. Rep. Massie is cosponsoring MTG’s vacate motion. He explains in the clip below. He said Speaker Johnson has caved on spending‚ […] The post The Coming Vacate Motion‚ Speaker Johnson Won’t Resign appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

On Tuesday‚ the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a West Virginia law that barred biological boys from participating in girls’ sports. The court claimed that HB 3293‚ passed in 2021‚ violated Title IX‚ which bars sex-based discrimination in schools. The case revolved around Becky Pepper Jackson‚ a 13-year-old boy who has been taking puberty-blocking medication and who was barred by the state from continuing to be a member of the middle school girls’ cross country and track team. “I will keep fighting to safeguard Title IX. We must keep working to protect women’s sports so that women’s safety is secured and girls have a truly fair playing field‚” Republican West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said after the decision was made. “We know the law is correct and will use every available tool to defend it.” “Women and young girls deserve to compete on a level playing field‚” Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Rachel Rouleau stated. “The court’s decision undermines equal opportunities and contradicts both biological reality and common sense. Title IX was designed to provide women with fair competition‚ and West Virginia’s women’s sports law does the same. Across the country‚ women and girls are unjustly losing medals‚ podium spots‚ public recognition‚ and the opportunity to compete when males take their places. While everyone knows that men competing against women creates huge disadvantages and safety concerns‚ the 4th Circuit fell prey to activists who are pushing an ideology over what is just for women and girls. We are considering all legal options to protect women’s sports‚ including an appeal of this decision.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP The court ruled 2-1 to overturn the West Virginia law. The dissenting judge‚ G. Steven Agee‚ wrote that the opinion “turns Title IX on its head and reverses the monumental work Title IX has done to promote girls’ sports from its inception … B.P.J. displaced at least one hundred biological girls at track-and-field events and pushed multiple girls out of the top ten. Similarly‚ by making the conference championships in two events (something reserved for the top three girls on a team)‚ B.P.J. took away at least two biological girls’ opportunities to participate in the conference championships. And this was in a single season. Thanks to the new-found rubric of today’s majority opinion‚ such displacement will become commonplace.”

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) slammed Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Tuesday for not reporting individual stocks she owned and accused her of misleading Congress when she previously claimed she did not own any. The heated exchange‚ which lasted several minutes‚ happened during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing. “When you were here last‚ I talked with you about the fact that more than 130 officials in the Energy Department reported more than 2‚700 trades of shares‚ bonds‚ and options in companies that ethics officers said was directly related to the agency’s work‚” Hawley began. “This is institutionalized corruption. And I asked you point blank‚ ‘Do you own any individual stock&;#63;’ And you told me‚ ‘No.'” “Turns out that was false‚” he continued. “You did own multiple individual stocks and you neglected to report it to this committee for months afterwards. Why did you mislead this committee&;#63;” “Oh‚ my goodness‚” Granholm responded‚ claiming: “I believed that I had sold all individual stocks. And I was incorrect.” After several moments of intense back-and-forth‚ Hawley pushed back on her claim that she immediately notified the committee when she learned that she owned individual stock. “Wait‚ wait‚ wait‚ wait‚ no‚ that’s not true‚ either‚” Hawley said. “Let’s just look at the timeline. Let’s not–‚ I just remind you‚ you’re under oath. Madam Secretary‚ you testified you didn’t own any individual stocks. You didn’t sell the stocks for a whole other month. And after you sold the stocks‚ you waited another month before you informed this committee. Why did you mislead us&;#63; And what were you hiding&;#63; Why did you wait so long&;#63; Why did you hide this&;#63;” Granholm insisted that she did not “hide” her false claim but later added that she didn’t know what five of the six individual stocks that she was forced to sell were. “You’re here before this committee a year later‚ after actively misleading us after denying and delaying and delaying. And now you won’t tell us. Was one of them Proterra&;#63;” Hawley pressed. “You sat on the board of directors at Proterra. You made millions in end reports and stock options at Proterra then you‚ you promoted Proterra stock and Proterra products as energy secretary. Was that one of the stocks that you sold&;#63;” “This is so‚ I mean‚ really&;#63;” Granholm responded. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “Yes‚ really‚” Hawley fired back. “You are presiding over institutionalized corruption in your Energy Department‚ you have violated the Stock Act nine separate times. You have been referred by the Inspector General for violations of the Hatch Act. It is institutionalized corruption that you are now the face of and here’s what I’m trying to figure out. I just want to know who really runs the Energy Department. Is it you&;#63; Or is it the mega-corporations whose stock that you own that you’re making profits in&;#63;” Hawley concluded a few minutes later by saying she needed to resign from her department. WATCH: MUST WATCH: Sen. @HawleyMO blasts a flustered Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm over failing to disclose owning conflicting stocks. pic.twitter.com/Md0JVc8LNJ — Conservative War Machine (@WarMachineRR) April 16‚ 2024

On Tuesday‚ the GOP-led House transmitted impeachment charges against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the border crisis to the Democrat-controlled Senate. The House managers tasked with prosecuting the case were introduced in the Senate chamber and Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-TN)‚ who is the lead manager‚ read aloud the text of the impeachment resolution. WATCH: House impeachment managers deliver articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the U.S. Senate. pic.twitter.com/dNCsJ3Qgeu — CSPAN (@cspan) April 16‚ 2024 A trial is expected to begin Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET with senators sworn in as jurors. Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray (D-WA) has been selected to preside over the proceedings. GOP lawmakers are concerned that Democrats‚ who have long called the impeachment inquiry a “political stunt‚” will try to cut short the process before a vote on whether to convict or acquit Mayorkas. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has so far not said whether there will be an effort to table or dismiss the impeachment charges. Last week‚ after the House delayed the delivery of the articles‚ Schumer said the Senate is “ready to go whenever the House is. We want to address this issue as expeditiously as possible.” The top Democrat also said impeachment “should never be used to settle policy disagreements. That sets an awful precedent.” House Republicans are “demanding” a full trial‚ Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said in a post to X on Tuesday‚ adding that Mayorkas is the “worst” Cabinet secretary in U.S. history. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Forty-three GOP senators signed onto a letter sent to Schumer that called on the Senate to “uphold its constitutional responsibility to properly adjudicate” the impeachment articles. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said he would “strenuously oppose any effort” to table the charges‚ noting the upper chamber has never agreed to do so in the past. After months of investigation‚ the House narrowly passed two impeachment articles in February. They accuse Mayorkas of “willfully and systemically” refusing to comply with federal immigration laws and allege he “breached the public trust” with false statements and obstructing lawful oversight of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mayorkas has pushed back against what he called “false accusations” levied against him. A DHS spokesperson reacted to the successful House impeachment vote by saying‚ “House Republicans will be remembered by history for trampling on the Constitution for political gain rather than working to solve the serious challenges at our border.” If a full trial does get held‚ a two-thirds vote will be required for a conviction‚ which would lead to removal from office. That appears unlikely‚ however‚ particularly given not every Republican senator appears to favor the impeachment effort. The Senate currently has 49 Republicans‚ 48 Democrats‚ and three independents who caucus with the Democrats. One GOP defector could be Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT)‚ who told Axios he does not “believe there’s a constitutional standard met.” Romney also said he would be “open” to tabling the impeachment articles if there is at least some debate on them.