News about Chris Van Hollen

Over fiscal year 2024, two spending bills to support 12 departments of government total cost $8,000. This never should have happened.' The cure, on the other hand, is simple and the same as always: ban earmarks are outlawed.' Representatives from 17 advocacy organizations, including Heritage Action, Family Research Council, and the State Freedom Caucus Network, had signed the document. According to Paul Teller, Advancing American Freedom executive director Walter Teller, "Washington uses earmarks to grease the skids for runaway spending."

The earmarks have already caused scandal in the Senate, where Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman's staff tried to rescind his vote for a $1 million earmark for a BDSM-owned gay center in Pennsylvania. Fetterman, who was long one of the most adamant pro-LGBTQ legislators in the Keystone State, retaliated on social media, causing a backlash, prompting him to try to erase his name from the earmark. Fetterman told reporters later that it was his employees, not him, that attempted to withhold the funds. 'It wasn't my decision,' he said. I was not aware of the procedure.'

After Democrats rally hardline Republicans to the tank bill, Speaker Mike Johnson's $17 billion Israel aid standalone bill failed on the House floor. Since the deadly October 7 Hamas attack that caused a war in Gaza, the United States' most critical ally has now gone nearly four months without assistance.

Although a number of House Democrats have already stated that they will vote against the veto provision, the passage of the $17.6 billion House bill is in jeopardy. The bill was classified by the Office of Management and Budget [OMB] as a "cynical political tactic" aimed at destroying the chances of a Senate agreement that would fund Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, and the border from passing. As are at least 20 Senate Republicans, House Republicans are firmly opposed to the broader bipartisan bill. Months ago, the House passed a $14 billion Israel bill, but Democrats resisted it due to the offsets, which scampered back money from the IRS.

Robert Hur previously worked at the Maryland Department of Justice and was the top prosecutor in Maryland, where he prosecuted gang cases and went after public corruption in Baltimore. He also went after an NSA employee who discovered a'massive trove' of government documents to his home and car.

At an Italian dinner, the Senate Majority Leader was overheard, undermining the Democrats' chances of holding the House at only 40%. He was more optimistic about his party's chances of retaining the Senate, though he contributed at 60%.

At a Maryland rally on Thursday night, President Joe Biden blasted former President Donald Trump and the "MAGA Republicans" for'destroying America. (center) "I support conservative Republicans, but I don't approve these MAGA Republicans," Biden told the audience assembled at the Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, a suburb of Washington, D.C. (left). "The MAGA Republicans don't only threaten our personal rights and economic stability, they're a threat to our very democracy,' Biden said. Biden defeated Congressional Republicans who said they should have voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, his most recent legislative accomplishment that includes healthcare, prescription drug, and climate policies, but not because of political repercussions. The president was also briefly interrupted by a heckler who yelled: 'You stole the election!You stole the election!' The guy, wearing a suit, was booed by the crowd and was swiftly ushered out (right). He shot up his fingers in a 'V' formation, a la Richard Nixon, and took a brief bow before leaving the room.

At a fundraiser Thursday evening at a $3.1 million Bethesda, Maryland home, President Joe Biden accused former President Donald Trump and the 'extreme' Republicans of'semi-fascism.' We're seeing now is either the start or the end of an extreme MAGA approach,' Biden told about 100 wealthy contributors.' 'It's not just Trump; it's the whole scheme that underpins the - I'm going to say something - it's like semi-fascism.'