Kerry Picket
Articles by Kerry Picket
McCarthy confident speakership intact as temporary spending measure fails
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy brushed off any concerns that Republican lawmakers are gunning for his job, but the looming government shutdown is haunting the California Republican. Published September 29, 2023
Biden plans to sign legislation reversing administration’s move to defund shooting sports in schools
Veto-proof supermajorities in both the House and Senate sent legislation to President Biden intended to stop the administration's move to defund shooting-sports programs in schools through its interpretation of a previous law. Published September 28, 2023
Progressive activist says Senate dress code is discriminatory against transgender individuals
A progressive activist questioned whether the Senate's dress code of business attire discriminates against transgender individuals. Published September 28, 2023
Jeffries urges House Republicans to bring Senate temporary spending measure to floor
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called on House Republicans to support the Senate's temporary spending bill as a way to avert a government shutdown Saturday. Published September 28, 2023
Ramaswamy skewered at GOP debate for his TikTok account and Chinese business deals
Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy's GOP rivals scrutinized him during the debate Wednesday for joining TikTok and profiting from Chinese business deals. Published September 27, 2023
DeSantis, Christie rip Trump for skipping debate
Former President Donald Trump was denounced by his Republican opponents Wednesday night for failing to show up on the debate stage and defend his record. Published September 27, 2023
Jan. 6 prosecutor accused of stabbing motorist on Tampa roadway
A Jan. 6 prosecutor from Tampa who helped the federal government indict Florida residents accused of participating in the riots at the U.S. Capitol is in his own legal trouble. Published September 27, 2023
House passes amendment to slash Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s pay to $1
The House Wednesday passed an amendment proposed by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene that would slash the salary of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to $1. Published September 27, 2023
GOP lawmakers press Pentagon about plans to send military advisers to Ukraine
Republican lawmakers on Wednesday warned Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin against sending U.S. military advisers to Ukraine. Published September 27, 2023
Rep. Matt Gaetz not ready to say who would replace an ousted Speaker McCarthy
Rep. Matt Gaetz avoided giving any names when pressed on who he would want as the new House speaker if he succeeds in ousting Kevin McCarthy from the job. Published September 27, 2023
New poll shows Virginia Democrat down big after online sex scandal
A Democratic candidate running for Virginia's State House is down by over 10 points among likely voters in her district in the wake of a scandal over her performance of online sex shows for "tips" with her husband. Published September 26, 2023
Senate to move first on stopgap bill while McCarthy blames Biden for shutdown showdown
The Senate is leapfrogging the House with a stopgap spending bill ahead of the Saturday shutdown deadline when government funding expires. Published September 26, 2023
House GOP tees up another attempt to approve spending bills as Trump, McCarthy clash on shutdown
House Republicans will make another attempt to resolve their impasse on spending bills Tuesday, while one GOP lawmaker joined the ranks of those opposing House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's effort to prevent a partial government shutdown by the end of the week. Published September 25, 2023
FBI defied agents with aggressive approach to search of Trump’s home
The Justice Department pushed for an aggressive approach to search for classified documents at Donald Trump's home after overruling agents who wanted to try to gain the former president's cooperation, a senior FBI official said. Published September 24, 2023
Congress plays hardball with Zelenskyy, demands accountability and end-game plan before more aid
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy faced a cool reception from the House in his appeal for billions of dollars in new U.S. aid as Republicans struggle to pass a government spending bill held back by a small group of hard-line fiscal conservatives. Published September 21, 2023
House and Senate Republicans tell Biden administration they oppose funding Ukraine war effort
A group of Republican House and Senate lawmakers told the Biden administration on Thursday they would not support funding additional aid to Ukraine without detailed information about the war effort. Published September 21, 2023
Ukrainian leader Zelenskyy fails to give U.S. lawmakers timeline of war’s end
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dodged Republicans' questions about when the war in his country will stop. Published September 21, 2023
McCarthy pitches plan for stopgap spending measure to keep government open
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Wednesday that the House will vote on a defense spending measure that failed earlier this week, and promised that he has flipped two of Republican holdouts after a closed-door meeting. Published September 20, 2023
AG Garland testifies that he had no personal knowledge of undercover FBI agents at Capitol riot
Attorney General Merrick Garland testified to the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that he had no personal knowledge that any undercover FBI agents or assets were present at the Capitol on Jan. 5, 2021, or the day after. Published September 20, 2023
FBI ex-official confirms to lawmakers that bureau had human sources in place on Jan. 6
A former top FBI official has told a House panel that the agency's Washington Field Office learned that FBI informants were involved in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot. Published September 19, 2023
