TheNewsGuru

Tag: Congress

  • Just in: Pro-Trump supporters clash with police, overwhelm US capitol, disrupt Congress certification of Biden’s victory

    Just in: Pro-Trump supporters clash with police, overwhelm US capitol, disrupt Congress certification of Biden’s victory

    Hundreds of Trump supporters overturned barricades and clashed with police on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol where Congress abruptly recessed a meeting to certify Biden’s electoral win.

    Outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier addressed thousands of supporters, including members of far-right groups, at a rally in Washington protesting Wednesday’s meeting of Congress to confirm his election loss to President-elect Joe Biden in November.

    A short walk from the rally, hundreds of Trump supporters overturned barricades and clashed with police on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol where Congress was meeting, clambering onto the structures erected for Biden’s inauguration ceremony on Jan. 20 to unfurl Trump flags and gathering on the Capitol steps. Police used teargas and pepper spray on some of the protesters.

    Trump, who has spent much of his time since the Nov. 3 election trying to overturn the results, falsely said he won as he spoke on an outdoor stage framing the White House, which Biden is due to move into in two weeks.

    Crowds gathered at the “Save America March” wore Trump-approved red baseball caps and cheered as Trump repeated the groundless conspiracy theories that have consumed his final days in office — a period in which coronavirus infections have surged throughout the United States as the pandemic worsens.

    “You don’t concede when there’s theft involved,” Trump, a Republican, said after taking the stage following a playlist blasted over loudspeakers of power ballads by Elton John and Phil Collins. “Our country has had enough and we will not take it any more.”

    Curfew in Washington

    Washington, DC, will be under a 6:00 p.m. curfew tonight, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced in a tweeted statement. It will remain in effect until 6:00 a.m. Thursday.

    The Electoral College certification vote has been paused after protesters incited by Trump breached the Capitol building.

    “During the hours of the curfew, no person, other than persons designated by the Mayor, shall walk, bike, run, loiter, stand, or motor by car or other mode of transport” within the district, the statement said.

    The US House and Senate were forced into emergency recess on Wednesday after protesters supportive of outgoing President Donald Trump breached security cordons and entered the Capitol building after clashing with police.

    “Without objection the chair declares the House in recess,” congressman Jim McGovern said, banging down the gavel as loud shouts and disturbances could be heard in the public galleries in the chamber.

  • US Congress set to seal Biden’s electoral win over Trump

    US Congress set to seal Biden’s electoral win over Trump

    President Donald Trump’s extraordinary effort to overturn the presidential election is going before Congress as lawmakers convene for a joint session to confirm the Electoral College vote won by Joe Biden.

    The typically routine proceeding Wednesday will be anything but, a political confrontation unseen since the aftermath of the Civil War as Trump mounts a desperate effort to stay in office. The president’s Republican allies in the House and Senate plan to object to the election results, heeding supporters’ plea to “fight for Trump” as he stages a rally outside the White House. It’s tearing the party apart.

    The longshot effort is all but certain to fail, defeated by bipartisan majorities in Congress prepared to accept the results. Biden, who won the Electoral College 306-232, is set to be inaugurated Jan. 20.

    “The most important part is that, in the end, democracy will prevail here,” Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, among those managing the proceedings, said in an interview.

    The joint session of Congress, required by law, will convene at 1 p.m. EST under a watchful, restless nation — months after the the Nov. 3 election, two weeks before the inauguration’s traditional peaceful transfer of power and against the backdrop of a surging COVID-19 pandemic.

    Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who warned his party off this challenge, is expected to deliver early remarks. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, set to gavel proceedings on her side of the Capitol, called it a day of “enormous historic significance.” It is about “guaranteeing trust in our democratic system,” she said in a letter to colleagues.

    But it is Vice President Mike Pence who will be closely watched as he presides over the session.

    Despite Trump’s repeated claims of voter fraud, election officials and his own former attorney general have said there were no problems on a scale that would change the outcome. All the states have certified their results as fair and accurate, by Republican and Democratic officials alike.

  • Trump’s supporters, police clash as Congress set to certify Biden’s victory

    Trump’s supporters, police clash as Congress set to certify Biden’s victory

    A mass demonstration in support of outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. escalated into clashes with the police, resulting in the arrest of six people, U.S. media reported on Wednesday.

    U.S. Congress is due to certify Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election later in the day.

    Trump supporters have been flocking to Washington from all across the country since the weekend to attend the rally and demand that pro-Biden electoral votes in swing states not be accounted for due to violations in the electoral process.

    As reported by Fox News, a rally on Tuesday night began peacefully but escalated into clashes with people opposed to Trump and police officers, who fired tear spray repeatedly.

    Local broadcaster WUSA 9 reported that six people were arrested on charges including illegal possession of guns and munitions, illegal possession of fireworks, and assault on a police officer.

    Abundant video footage from the scene shows police officers lined up next to protesters.

    A video caught a white woman punched in the face to blood by a black woman, who she said she believes was a Black Lives Matter activist.

    The victim complained on camera about the police officers standing by and doing nothing to contain the attacker.

    The main rally is yet ahead, however.

    U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to deliver an address at 11 a.m. ET (16:00 GMT) as Congress will be counting the electoral votes.

  • VIDEO: Trump rejects ‘disgraceful’ $900bn COVID-19 relief bill passed by Congress

    VIDEO: Trump rejects ‘disgraceful’ $900bn COVID-19 relief bill passed by Congress

    U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday rejected the $900 billion (N349.2 trillion) Coronavirus (COVID-19) relief bill passed by Congress, describing it as a disgrace.

    In a video message posted on Twitter, Trump alleged that the bill contained “wasteful and unnecessary items”, adding that there was almost nothing about COVID-19 in it.

    According to him, the bill contains $85.5 million (N33 billion) for assistance to Cambodia and $134 million (N51,9 billion) to Burma.

    The president stated that there was also a provision of $1.3 billion (N504 billion) for Egypt and the Egyptian military.

    He said the Egyptian military would use the money to “buy almost exclusively”, military equipment from Russia.

    Trump added that $25 million (N9.7 billion) was provided for democracy and gender programmes in Pakistan, and $505 million (N195.9 billion) for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama.

    He highlighted the other “unnecessary items” worth billions of dollars to include public facilities in the U.S. such as the National Gallery of Arts which he alleged were not open.

    “The bill also allows stimulus checks for the family members of illegal aliens, allowing them to get up to $1,800 (N698,400) each.This is far more than the Americans are given.

    “In spite of all these wasteful spending, and much more, the $900 billion package provides hard working tax payers with only $600 (N232,800)

    each in relief package.

    “Not enough money is given to small businesses, and in particular restaurants whose owners have suffered so grievously.

    “Congress found plenty of money for foreign countries, lobbyists and special interests, while sending the barest minimum to the American people who need it,” he said.

    Trump urged Congress to amend the bill and increase the “ridiculously low” $600 to $2,000 (N776,000) or $4,000 (N1.5 million) for couples.

    He also asked the lawmakers to remove the “wasteful and unnecessary items” and send him a suitable bill.

    The president said if they failed to do so, then Americans would have to wait for the next administration, which he said might be him, to give them COVID relief package.

  • US applauds Owolewa’s feat as first Nigerian-American elected to congress

    US applauds Owolewa’s feat as first Nigerian-American elected to congress

    The United States Mission in Nigeria has applauded the feat achieved by 31-year-old Oye Owolewa in the 2020 election.

    @USinNigeria made this known in a congratulatory message on Thursday night, describing it as ‘historic’.

    It wrote, “DYK – Adeoye Owolewa was the first Nigerian-American elected to Congress?! Historic numbers of young Americans voting reaffirming pillars of democracy: transparency and accountability. #USDecides #NigeriaDecides #USElections2020.”

    TheNewsGuru recalls that Owolewa was on Tuesday elected as a shadow member of the US House of Representatives from the District of Columbia, making him the first Nigerian-American to achieve the landmark.

    According to election results on the website of the District of Columbia Board of Elections on Wednesday morning, Owolewa polled 81.59% of the votes, which represents 164,026 votes against Joyce Robinson-Paul, who scored 18,600 votes, and Sohaer Syed with 15,372 votes.

    Owolewa, whose father is from Kwara State and mother is from Oyo State, was elected on the platform of the Democratic Party.

    The PhD holder in Pharmacy from the Northeastern University, Boston, is one of the nine Nigerian-Americans on the ballot in Tuesday’s general elections.

     

  • 2023: Gov Okowa sends warning to political gladiators in Delta

    2023: Gov Okowa sends warning to political gladiators in Delta

    Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta has maintained that his administration will not be distracted by political gladiators who push for 2023 elections.

    The Governor gave the assurance while addressing the elected 39 member- State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Executive Council following a successful party state congress on Saturday in Asaba.

    The State PDP Chairman, Mr Kingsley Esiso, and other 38 executives were returned unopposed for a second term of four years.

    He warned those campaigning for 2023 to soft pedal as there was a lot of time ahead and the opposition to stop distracting government from its pledged responsibilities to the people of the state.

    The Governor assured the public that the government would continue to deliver on its promises to the people though there was need for patience because of the challenging time.

    He said the State Government had remained a model for copy by other states in the area of health insurance, youths empowerment programme, among others.

    According to Okowa, the revenue accruals to the State has reduced but projects are ongoing and government is focused on its programmes.

    “There is no doubt that we are working and in every aspect, Delta is doing well in infrastructure, education, health services and in youths empowerment.

    “We will not be distracted by the opposition party, and I charge you to remain focused and not be distracted,” he said.

    While congratulating the party executives for the peaceful exercise in the state, Okowa charged them to deepen their commitment and loyalty to the party which had been the reason for the party success in all elections in the state.

    According to him, the party in the State has always had a consensus building which has come to play in the ward and local government and state congresses where all the executives were returned unopposed.

    “All the time, we have always had this consensus building and we have continued with it since the party came to power in the state.

    “This shows how united, reasonable, peaceful that we are and that we understand politics and shall continue to win this state,” he said.

    The Governor, however, urged the council members to work with one mind.

    “I want to plead that there is the need for caution because there is a lot of time ahead of us; we have been elected as a government to provide dividend of democracy to our people.

    “So, it is important that we are cautious, there is time; I am not saying that people should not play politics, but let’s do it cautiously in a decent manner, he said.

    While congratulating the newly elected party executives, the Governor commended them for the good job in the first tenure, particularly, the Publicity Secretary, Dr Ifeanyi Osuoza, and Esiso for effective leadership.

    He charged them to work harder to ensure that the party sustains its victory both in the state and at the national.

    “I know that in the coming elections we shall repeat the same victory; there is need for greater works, greater unity and reaching out to win more members to the party.

    “We shall continue to work hard to ensure that in all our elections that it is free, fair and justice-able,” he said.

    The State party Chairman, Esiso, pledged their total commitment to the party and to the government to deliver on the the agenda of the Okowa-led administration.

    The party election committee was chaired by Mr Lawrence Ezenwa and was witnessed by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

  • PDP ward congresses crisis: Trouble looms as members accuse Secondus of manipulation

    Again, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is engulfed in crisis as trouble looms over the inauguration of the new Ward Executive Committees of the Party across Nigeria in which accusing fingers are being pointed at its National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus and National Working Committee (NWC), of mismanaging the exercise because of their alleged personal interest.

    It was gathered that the tenures of the occupants, going by the Constitution of the Party, expired by 11: 59 pm on Thursday last week and while the new Excos were expected to be inaugurated on Friday May 1, in those states where the Congresses had already been concluded before the lockdown orders occasioned by the Coronvirus pandemic in the country.

    This development is said to have sharply divided the NWC with some members accusing the National Chairman of the Party, Prince Secondus of not implementing the collective decisions of the body to the letter on vital issues for the progress of the Party.

    One of the aggrieved who spoke on the condition of anonymity said”all is not well in the party right now, our National Chairman is the only one that can explain the case of the current issues being raised concerning the inauguration of the Ward Excos because we sat as a body and resolved that the exercise should be put on hold in some places such as Ekiti, Kano, Cross Rivers and others where we had some issues to be resolved, but to the surprise of every one, the Press statement on the decision was never made public.

    “Our findings revealed that the non-release of the statement at the appropriate time gave room for manipulations. For instance, in Ekiti State where we have some issues to resolve, two parallel Excos were inaugurated, one on Thursday and the second one on Friday, we even learnt they went to court over the matter under this lockdown.

    “Also note that there are inuaguration of parallel State Excos in Osun, Ondo and of late, Ogun States, all these should be of concern to loyal party members and they should look into these issues before the party collapsed all because of personal interest.

    “Our take is that if the National Chairman had allowed the Press statement as resolved by the NWC, there would not be room for the shortcomings we are witnessing now, am afraid if something is not done urgently to rescue the Party, we should as well forget 2023.

    “Another issue of contention we have been battling with is the indefinite suspension slammed on some of our lawmakers in the House of Representatives. It was supposed to last for a month but look at where we are now. We never tabled their extension at any of our meetings, the Chairman only extended it by fiat through a Press statement.

    “Anyway, some of us kicked against it because of the realities on ground. PDP is not the only party that makes up the Minority in the House, others met and they elected their leaders which were ratified by the House. We think that those who are representing us are doing very well based on their brilliant performances, they are our first eleven, we don’t know why the Chairman is looking the other way.

    “The time has come when the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives should wade into the matter before the affected lawmakers will be frustrated to dump the Party.

    However, the National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus and the National Secretary, Sen. Umaru Ibrahim Tsauri, in a joint statement on Saturday, reacted to the inauguration of organs of the Ogun state chapter of the party, dissociating the the NWC of the Party from such an illegal action.

    According to the statement, the attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to some media publication, especially, the online media concerning a purported inauguration of certain unknown persons as State Officers of the Party in Ogun State on Friday, May 8, 2020.

    “We want to advise members of the public, especially, the teeming members of our great Party in Nigeria and Ogun State in particular, that the Peoples Democratic Party has not conducted any congress for the election of the Party officers at any level of the Party: Ward, LGA Chapter and or State, in Ogun State.”

    In the same vain, leadership of the Party has also appointed a Caretaker Committee for the Ekitii State Chapter of the Party headed by Senator Hosia Agboola in the wake of the crisis rocking the State chapter of the Party that had two parallel Ward Executives inuagurated.last week.

  • U.S. Congress to return on May 4 to start coronavirus stimulus talks

    U.S. Congress to return on May 4 to start coronavirus stimulus talks

    Both chambers of the U.S. Congress will convene on May 4 to begin working on the government’s fifth bill this year to address the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives said.

    “If it is essential for doctors, nurses, health care workers, truck drivers, grocery store workers, and other brave Americans to keep carefully manning their duty stations, then it is essential for senators to carefully man ours and support them,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a tweet.

    Following McConnell’s announcement that the Senate would convene on May 4, House majority leader Steny Hoyer said the Democrat-controlled House would do the same.

    The latest stimulus package has already been beset by partisan divides as Democrats seek government funds for state and local authorities, while McConnell has accused Democratic governors of financial mismanagement prior to the pandemic.

    “Why should the people and taxpayers of America be bailing out poorly run states (like Illinois, as example) and cities, in all cases Democrat run and managed, when most of the other states are not looking for bailout help?,” U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted on Monday.

    Hoyer said on Monday that Trump is “leaving states to fend for themselves.”

    The U.S. Congress has passed an unprecedented amount of stimulus funding – nearing 3 trillion dollars – with many Americans already obtaining direct payments of 1,200 dollars.

    The latest 484-billion-dollar stimulus, passed in late March, aimed at aiding small businesses and hospitals, and provided new funding for coronavirus testing capacities.

  • US House Committee votes to defeat Trump’s travel ban

    US House Committee votes to defeat Trump’s travel ban

    The US House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday voted, 22-10, to terminate President Donald Trump’s expanded travel ban and rein in presidential authority to issue such travel restrictions.

    Now headed to the House floor, the bill is not expected to clear the Republican-controlled Senate, the Politico reports.

    The legislation would void all of Trump’s executive actions establishing travel restrictions. It would also limit the president’s powers under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which says the president can suspend entry of foreigners deemed “detrimental to the interests of the United States.”

    Under the bill, presidents would be required in the future to consult with the secretaries of State and Homeland Security before exercising this power. The secretary of State would have to affirm, “based on credible facts,” that a barred class of foreigners poses risks to public safety, security, human rights or other factors. Congress would receive updated notifications throughout the duration of the travel restrictions.

    Republicans on the committee said that the legislation would usurp the power of the president. The bill “effectively eviscerates the ability of the administration to take quick and decisive action to protect our homeland when concerns arise,” ranking member Doug Collins (R-Ga.) said.

    A Republican amendment to return decision-making power from the secretary of State to the president was defeated in committee.

    Seven days after he took office, Trump signed a controversial executive order denying visas to citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries. The action followed candidate Trump’s call for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.”

  • UPU holds 88TH congress

    Activities towards the 88th Congress of the Urhobo umbrella body, Urhobo Progress Union, will commence on Thursday, December 5, with an economic summit towards repositioning the Urhobo Nation economically.

    According to a schedule of activities released by the UPU, Friday’s activities will start with the inauguration new members into the Board of Trustees of UPU. Among the new members of the board are Dr. Goodie Ibru and Chief Johnson Barovbe.

    There will also be an election on Friday to usher in a new executive to pilot the affairs of the union for the next three years. The President General of UPU, Olorogun Moses Taiga, who is seeking re-election, will also give an account of his stewardship over the last three years.

    The 88th Congress, which has as chief host the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and the Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, as special guest, will also witness cultural displays by all the 24 Kingdoms of Urhobo.

    The congress will end on December 8 with an interdenominational service. All the activities will take place at the Urhobo Cultural Centre, Uvwiamughe-Agbarho, Delta State.