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Empty chair and a prop chicken: Barr skips Mueller hearing

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General William Barr skipped a House hearing Thursday on special counsel Robert Mueller’s Trump-Russia report, escalating an already acrimonious battle between Democrats and President Donald Trump’s Justice Department.

Barr’s decision, made after a disagreement with a House committee over questioning, came the day the department also missed a committee deadline to provide it with a full, unredacted version of Mueller’s report and its underlying evidence. In all, it’s likely to prompt a vote on holding Barr in contempt and possibly the issuance of subpoenas, bringing House Democrats and the Trump administration closer to a prolonged battle in court.

As the hearing opened, lawmakers faced an empty chair with a place card set for Barr. Democratic members of the committee had fun with the spectacle, placing a prop chicken by Barr’s microphone — to underscore their contention that he was afraid to appear — and jokingly looking under the desk to make sure he wasn’t there.

Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler of New York said that if Barr doesn’t provide the committee “with the information it demands and the respect that it deserves, Mr. Barr’s moment of accountability will come soon enough.”

Republicans were not amused by the antics or Nadler’s tough talk.

University of Chicago professor William Howell says Attorney General William Barr's performance before the Senate Judiciary Committee was impressive for its calm, but corroded public perceptions of independence. (May 2)

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“The reason Bill Barr isn’t here today is because the Democrats decided they didn’t want him here today,” said the top Republican on the panel, Georgia Rep. Doug Collins. Nadler and the Democrats had demanded that staff attorneys in addition to lawmakers be allowed to question Barr. Barr said he wouldn’t attend under that condition.

As Barr refused to testify, Democrats sought to speak to Mueller himself. Nadler said the panel hoped the special counsel would appear before the committee on May 15 and the panel was “firming up the date.”

The attorney general’s cancellation meant he would avoid another round of sharp questioning after testifying Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Democrats on the panel contended that Barr was protecting Trump after he assessed Mueller’s report on his own and declared there wasn’t enough evidence that the president had committed obstruction of justice. Mueller didn’t charge Trump with obstruction but wrote that he couldn’t exonerate him, either.

The standoff with the Justice Department is one of several fights House Democrats are waging with the Trump administration. Trump has vowed to fight “all of the subpoenas” as multiple committees have sought to speak with administration officials or obtain documents relevant to his policies and finances. Democrats have signaled they won’t back down and will take the steps necessary — including in court — to get the White House to comply.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she’s not interested in impeachment, for the moment. But she told The Associated Press on Wednesday that “the threat of impeachment is always there.”

Nadler and the Justice Department traded barbs Wednesday shortly after Barr informed lawmakers of his decision on the hearing, with Nadler saying the attorney general was “trying to blackmail the committee” by setting his own terms.

Also weighing in on the matter of who would ask questions was Trump.

“They want to treat him differently than they have anybody else,” the president told Fox Business Network’s Trish Regan on Wednesday night, adding, “You elect people that are supposed to be able to do their own talking.” Trump said he heard that Barr had performed “incredibly well” before the Senate panel.

It’s unclear whether Barr will eventually negotiate an appearance with the House panel. Nadler said he would not issue a subpoena for Barr’s appearance on Thursday but would first focus on getting the full Mueller report, likely including a vote holding Barr in contempt of Congress.

While a contempt vote would make a strong statement, it is unlikely to force the Justice Department to hand over the report. A vote of the full House on contempt would send a criminal referral to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia — a Justice Department official who is likely to defend the administration’s interests. But even if the U.S. attorney declines to prosecute, Democrats could pursue other avenues in court.

In a letter sent to the committee late Wednesday, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd laid out a list of reasons that the department won’t provide the full Mueller report or all the underlying evidence. Boyd said the special counsel’s investigative files include “millions of pages of classified and unclassified documents, bearing upon more than two dozen criminal cases and investigations, many of which are ongoing.” Boyd also reiterated that the department would not disclose secret grand jury material, another battle that could end up in court if Nadler decides to fight it.

The Justice Department has already made a less-redacted version of the report available for a small number of lawmakers, including Nadler and Pelosi, but Democrats have so far declined to read it, saying they want the entire report released to a wider audience.

Republicans objected to Nadler’s demands and say the staff questioning is unnecessary. They argue that Democrats are trying to have impeachment hearings without going through the official process of impeachment.

“Chairman Nadler sabotaged his own hearing,” Collins said. “That’s sad. Because now Republicans and Democrats are not going to be able to question Bill Barr.”

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Frost Secures Nearly $12 Million For Key Local Projects in Central Florida

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FILE-Congressman Maxwell Frost (D, FL-10) speaks at Orlando City Hall to announce a $1.5 million grant from the Department of Justice as part of their Office of Justice Programs Community Violence Intervention Initiative October 9, 2023. Photo: J. Willie David III, Florida National News file photo.

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10) announced that he has successfully secured nearly $12 million in federal dollars to fund all 15 of his Community Funding Projects requests and deliver millions to support critical projects to improve housing, transportation, and infrastructure across Central Florida.

The funding, which was signed into law by President Biden earlier this month, will soon start being distributed across Central Florida.

Last Spring, Congressman Frost worked closely with local community partners and stakeholders to submit funding proposals for 15 comprehensive projects to support a wide range of efforts from affordable housing to infrastructure and transportation. Some of the landmark projects that will now receive federal dollars thanks to Congressman Frost’s efforts include:

  • $4,116,279 million to convert a vacant property in Eatonville into an affordable multi-family housing rental apartment building;
  • $1,709,752 to the City of Orlando to rehabilitate a local community center used for Community Violence Intervention programs to stop gun violence before it happens, and to make major improvements to stormwater management to prevent flooding;
  • $1,641,000 to Orange County to construct a multicultural senior center where folks can congregate and be connected to services in partnership with the Office on Aging, and support transportation and energy efficiency projects;
  • $750,000 to support the construction of quality, affordable small houses for low-income people in Bithlo;

“I came to Congress with a mission to deliver on affordable housing, transportation and infrastructure issues, and to make our communities a better place where everyone can live and thrive, and I am now proud to say that our team is making these goals a reality” said Congressman Maxwell Frost. “Central Florida is now set to receive nearly $12 million in federal dollars that will help transform our communities and help grow our local economy. While this $12 million is going to make a world of difference for so many working people and families in the Orlando area – this is only the beginning. My team is ready to secure and bring home even more money to help change Central Florida for the better.

Thanks to Congressman Frost, Central Florida will now receive $11,922,031 to fund the following 15 projects:

  • $4,116,279 for the Town of Eatonville to create a multi-family affordable housing apartment building;
  • $1,000,000 for construction at the Multicultural Senior Center;
  • $750,000 for community center rehabilitation for the Community Violence Intervention Project as part of the City of Orlando;
  • $500,000 for North Independence Lane Expansion for the City of Maitland;
  • $370,000 to provide low-income seniors with high efficiency air conditioning replacement, service, or system upgrades so they can stay in their homes longer;
  • $271,000 for Transportation Mobility Hubs for Orange County Government;
  • $500,000 for a housing rehabilitation and affordability preservation program in the City of Winter Park;
  • $750,000 for the Small House Project at Transformation Village in Bithlo;
  • $850,000 for bus bay reconstruction at LYNX Central Station Bus Terminal;
  • $500,000 for solar technology for bus shelters and shelter refacing for LYNX;
  • $200,000 to purchase and install a thermal energy storage system so Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida can store more food;
  • $400,000 for roof replacements for Meadow Lake Apartments for the Orlando Housing Authority;
  • $500,000 for community center education space for Shalom Orlando;
  • $255,000 for acquisition and rehabilitation of a vacant two-unit complex to create into affordable housing;
  • $959,752 for stormwater management improvements for Haralson Estates.

 

Congressman Frost will soon embark on a Community Project Funding tour across Central Florida to revisit the sites and projects that will soon receive federal funding.

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Florida’s Jewish Legislative Caucus on Antisemitic Attacks in Broward County

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Florida’s Jewish Lawmakers Show United Front Over Israel’s Right to Defend Itself
Area Representatives Randy Fine and Jennifer "Rita" Harris are members of the Florida Legislative Jewish Caucus

DAVIE, Fla. – In response to recent events effecting the Jewish community of South Florida, Chair of Florida’s Jewish Legislative Caucus, Representative Michael Gottlieb (D- Davie) issued the following statement:

“The South Florida Jewish community is once again the victim of deliberate and cowardly attacks. In recent days, an arsonist set fire to a vehicle at the Las Olas Chabad in Fort Lauderdale, and a violent protest erupted at the Jewish Community Center in Davie. We are deeply saddened and angered by these attacks.

These are just a few of the many examples of the rampant antisemitism that Jews face daily. This is why the Jewish caucus remains vigilant in helping to pass legislation defining antisemitism and creating criminal penalties for antisemitic and racist activities. We condemn this and all hate crimes and remain committed to fighting for Jews in the diaspora to be able to live and worship freely.”

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The Florida Legislative Jewish Caucus

Representative Michael Gottlieb, Chair

Senators

  • Senator Lori Berman
  • Senator Lauren Book
  • Senator Tina Polsky

Representatives

  • Representative Hillary Cassel
  • Representative Randy Fine
  • Representative Peggy Gossett-Seidman
  • Representative Rita Harris
  • Representative David Silvers
  • Representative Kelly Skidmore
  • Representative Allison Tant

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President Joe Biden on the Volkswagen Plant in Tennessee

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I congratulate the Volkswagen autoworkers in Chattanooga who filed for a union election with the UAW. As one of the world’s largest automakers, many Volkswagen plants internationally are unionized. As the most pro-union president in American history, I believe American workers, too, should have a voice at work. The decision whether to join a union belongs to the workers.

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