Ousters, upsets halfway through 2022 primary election season
More than halfway through a tumultuous primary season, voters have rendered verdicts in a number of contests, many of which featured candidates arguing they best represented a continuation of policies favored by former President Donald Trump.
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Congress OKs $1.9T virus relief bill in win for Biden, Dems
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., pose after signing the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill during an enrollment ceremony on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, March 10, 2021, in Washington. Ad“Help is here,” Biden tweeted moments after the roll call, which ended with applause from Democratic lawmakers. The measure addresses Democrats’ campaign promises and Biden’s top initial priority of easing a one-two punch that first hit the country a year ago. According to a CNN poll released Wednesday, the relief bill is backed by 61% of Americans, including nearly all Democrats, 58% of independents and 26% of Republicans. On the relief bill, progressives had to swallow big concessions to solidify moderate support.
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Nebraska Sen. Sasse bets political future on opposing Trump
The 63-year-old auto mechanic praises Nebraska Republican Sen. Ben Sasse for condemning former President Donald Trump's actions before the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. AdSasse's criticism of Trump is angering plenty of activists in deeply Republican Nebraska. He is, in effect, betting there's a political future in trying to fight for the comeback of the establishment Republican party. Limited government.”Even in Nebraska, Sasse has some reason to think there's a market for what he's selling. Meanwhile, 7% of Republicans voted for Biden, while 3% of Republicans voted for Sasse's challenger, Democrat Chris Janicek.
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South Carolina GOP censures Rep. Rice for impeachment vote
FILE - In this Dec. 18, 2019, file photo, taken from video, Rep. Tom Rice, R-S.C., speaks as the House of Representatives debates the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump at the Capitol in Washington. (House Television via AP, File)COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina Republicans on Saturday issued a formal censure to U.S. Rep. Tom Rice to show disapproval over his vote in support of the second impeachment of former President Donald Trump. AdIn his only primary since first elected in 2012, Rice won with 84% of the vote. Rice told the AP he knew he’d likely face a difficult primary and that the impeachment vote could potentially cost him his seat. These people did not vote for you to vote your conscience; these people voted for you to support us and our district and the president."
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In fight over GOP, state parties stand as firewall for Trump
Former Scott County Republican Party chairman Dave Millage at his home, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, in Bettendorf, Iowa. In swing states and GOP bastions, state and local Republican committees are stocked with Trump supporters who remain loyal. The Arizona state party Saturday reelected its controversial Trump loyalist chairwoman, Kelli Ward and censured Trump critics Cindy McCain, former Sen. Jeff Flake and even Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican Trump supporter who offended the party leadership by certifying Trump's loss in the state. In Pennsylvania, another state Trump lost, nearly 10,000 voters registered as Republicans had dropped their GOP affiliation as of Monday, according to state data.
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In voting to impeach, SC's Rice acknowledges political risk
Rice on Wednesday was one of only 10 House Republicans to join Democrats in voting to impeach the president. I have supported him in voting,” Rice said. Rice represents South Carolina’s 7th District, an area including Myrtle Beach that has voted heavily for Trump. “It is a remarkably high hurdle to make that argument, when you have, in Tom Rice, a guy that supported Donald Trump 94% of the time," Whetsell said. “My first reaction was, gosh, Tom Rice is not running again," Moore said, citing Trump's high base of support in Rice's district.
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Led by Cheney, 10 House Republicans back Trump impeachment
3 House GOP leader — voted to impeach President Donald Trump Wednesday over the deadly insurrection at the Capitol. The GOP votes were in sharp contrast to the unanimous support for Trump among House Republicans when he was impeached by Democrats in December 2019. Cheney, whose decision to buck Trump sparked an immediate backlash within the GOP, was the only member of her party's leadership to support impeachment, which was opposed by 197 Republicans. The younger Cheney has been more critical of Trump than other GOP leaders, but her announcement hours before Wednesday's vote nonetheless shook Congress. After the impeachment vote, Trump released a video calling on his supporters to remain peaceful amid concerns about additional violence in the days before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.
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Pelosi requiring masks for lawmakers for House hearings
WASHINGTON Speaker Nancy Pelosi is requiring that House members wear masks when attending committee hearings, an edict that comes amid spiking COVID-19 cases in many states. Pelosi, D-Calif., wears a mask when making her way about the Capitol but removes it when speaking. Pelosi is requiring lawmakers to conform to the guidance, according to an advisory to lawmakers shared by a senior Democratic aide on condition of anonymity. The Capitol complex is typically bustling at this time of year, but the House, with 431 voting members at present, has been mostly absent, voting most recently late last month. The Senate, more manageable with 100 members, has been voting regularly, and most members are disciplined about wearing a mask.