Rep. Jeffries Reflects on D.C.: ‘The Tea Party Folks, They’re off the Chain’
Months into his first term, his short time in Washington D.C. has Congressman Hakeem Jeffries convinced the Tea Party is out of control. Read More
Grace Meng’s First Policy Letter Critiques Chuck Schumer’s Immigration Bill
It’s not just conservatives who are critiquing Sen. Chuck Schumer and the rest of the so-called “Gang of Eight” for their immigration bill.
Freshman Congresswoman Grace Meng, a steady liberal hand, is also urging to re-assess the latest version of the proposed federal immigration overhaul. But her warnings come with a unique twist: potential damage to Asian-American immigrant families.
In her first such letter to lawmakers on a major piece of legislation, Ms. Meng, New York’s first Asian-American Congresswoman, told Mr. Schumer, New York’s most politically powerful voice in Washington, that she has concerns about certain provisions of the sweeping reform bill, which is set to be taken up by the Senate Judiciary Committee this week. Read More
Charlie Rangel’s Campaign Account Sinks Into Debt
Octogenarian Congressman Charlie Rangel staved off a vigorous primary challenge from State Sen. Adriano Espaillat last year, but he has yet to gear up his operations for what could be another tough re-election fight. According to his latest filings, Mr. Rangel spent more than he raised and has negative $4,800 cash on hand and $36,000 in debts and obligations. Read More
Bloomberg Decries Death of Background Check Bill in Senate
The U.S. Senate voted down a bipartisan deal to expand background checks to gun shows and internet sales today, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg isn’t happy.
“Today’s vote is a damning indictment of the stranglehold that special interests have on Washington,” Mr. Bloomberg declared in a statement condemning both parties for their inaction. Read More
Chuck Schumer Says Rand Paul Is ‘Really Helpful’ on Immigration
Earlier this week, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul reportedly endorsed a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. And although Mr. Paul disputes that exact phrasing to describe his speech, it was a notable announcement from the Tea Party conservative as the U.S. Congress debates the issue. Indeed, New York’s own Senator Chuck Schumer, part of a bipartisan octet negotiating a comprehensive immigration bill, praised the move last night.
“I think the bottom line is having Rand Paul come out for something not that far away from our group of eight is really helpful,” Mr. Schumer said on Inside City Hall. “After all, he’s the hard right. He’s the Tea Party. And if he can be for it, so can most Republicans. And that gives me a lot of hope we can pass a bill in both the Senate and the House. And the House will be even tougher than the Senate.” Read More
Domenic Recchia’s Plan to Take Out Michael Grimm
Last year, Mark Murphy ran a sharply negative campaign against Staten Island Congressman Michael Grimm that focused on an ongoing federal investigation into the incumbent’s 2010 fundraising efforts. The drumbeat was relentless; Mr. Murphy held regular press conferences about the investigation, worked it into his everyday messaging and even sent out direct mail with a faux mugshot of Mr. Grimm’s face on it. Despite these intense attacks, Mr. Murphy went on to lose 46 percent to 53 percent to the Republican Mr. Grimm in a swing district narrowly carried by President Barack Obama.
Councilman Domenic Recchia, who is planning to take on Mr. Grimm next year, is charting a different course for his campaign.
“Listen, I don’t get involved with people’s private lives,” Mr. Recchia told us as we sat down outside his government office earlier today. “This is not about Michael Grimm and his personal life, what he might have done or might not have done. I don’t know. This is about myself running for Congress to support the people of Staten Island and southern Brooklyn so I can really help them.” Read More
Attorney Announces Campaign Against Nydia Velázquez
Jeff Kurzon, the managing partner of Manhattan law firm, says he’s ready to run for Congress and challenge Nydia Velázquez in the Democratic primary next year.
“Hi,” Mr. Kurzon says on his recently-launched campaign website. “My name is Jeff Kurzon. I am a 36 year old attorney and have lived in both ends of District 7: from Bushwick in Brooklyn to Little Italy in Manhattan. I am a proud American with diverse roots ranging from Armenian to English, Irish and Scottish descent. My mother, a former social worker, now runs a small publishing business. My father is a retired physician who served in the U.S. Navy. I am Catholic, however, I respect all forms of spirituality that strengthens us as humans and connects us to each other and God.” Read More
Carolyn McCarthy Makes Impassioned Plea for New Assault Weapons Ban
Earlier this morning, Democratic lawmakers gathered in Washington D.C. to unveil the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013, which is legislation that would ban “military-style” assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips. The press conference announcing the bill featured New York Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, the legislation’s House sponsor, as its first speaker. Needless to say, Ms. McCarthy–whose husband was killed in a 1993 shooting spree on the Long Island Rail Road–made it clear it wasn’t going to be a speech that stuck to the script.
“This battle has been a very lonely battle for many, many years,” Ms. McCarthy began. “You know, a lot of words can be said. I’ve got a great speech here and my staff worked on it a long time and I’m probably going to do what they always tell me not to do. That means just talk from my heart.”
Ms. McCarthy expressed particular frustration that gun control legislation has stalled in Congress but argued that the recent massacre at a Newtown, Connecticut elementary school would be the catalyst for change. Read More
Lawmakers Make 2016 References While Grilling Clinton Over Benghazi
For a good portion of the day, outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been testifying before Congress about federal government’s response to the September 11th attacks against the American diplomatic mission in Libya, but that doesn’t mean presidential politics have completely left the room.
Indeed, in front of the House Foreign Affairs Committee earlier this afternoon, Ms. Clinton faced at least two questioners dropping not-so-subtle suggestions regarding her hypothetical campaign for the White House in 2016. Notably, Democratic Rep. Ted Deutch, who represents the Miami suburbs, expressed hope he’ll be seeing Ms. Clinton politicking in his swing state in the future. Read More
Poll Finds Congress Less Popular Than Cockroaches and Root Canals
A new poll out from the liberal-leaning firm Public Policy Polling shows just how much dislike Congress. While polls typically simply show lawmakers’ low approval ratings, PPP decided to take a different route and poll approval ratings for Congress compared to other wildly unpopular things. Amazingly, Congress polled even lower than a slew of them including lice, traffic jams, root canals, colonoscopies, cockroaches and the ancient Mongolian warlord Genghis Khan.
“When you’re less popular than cockroaches, Genghis Khan, traffic jams, and yes even Nickelback, well, it might be time to reevaluate,” Tom Jensen, PPP’s director, said in a statement accompanying the poll. Read More
