Latest news with #HouseCommittee
Wall Street Journal
13-06-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
To Feed Power-Wolfing AI, Lawmakers Are Embracing Nuclear
Lawmakers across the aisle are looking to galvanize projects that would help tech companies power their bold artificial-intelligence ambitions. At a hearing Thursday of the energy subcommittee of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, representatives from both parties pressed the nuclear industry on how they could help it boost growth.
E&E News
13-06-2025
- Business
- E&E News
House Republicans try again on water permitting bills
Republicans on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee introduced 15 water-related bills Thursday, targeting everything from the length of federal permitting to the types of water resources protected by the Clean Water Act. The bills would benefit oil and gas companies, farming interests, homebuilders, water utilities and others who say that environmental reviews and long permitting timelines are stifling development. They were introduced by Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chair Mike Collins (R-Ga.) and Reps. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), David Rouzer (R-N.C.), Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), Burgess Owens (R-Utah), Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.), Jefferson Shreve (R-Ind.), Dave Taylor (R-Ohio) and Jimmy Patronis (R-Fla.). Advertisement 'The Clean Water Act was intended to protect water quality, support healthy communities, and balance the demands of economic growth across the United States,' Graves said in a statement.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Biden breakdown: Where investigations into the former president stand
Former President Joe Biden left office in January, but questions about his mental acuity and decline while in office continue to mount amid the release of audio of his interview with former Special Counsel Robert Hur and his cancer diagnosis, drawing attention to a number of actions taken in his final days in office and beyond. Biden Struggles With Words, Key Memories In Leaked Audio From Special Counsel Hur Interview Here's a look at the known, active investigations into the former president and his team: Former President Joe Biden used his final weeks as commander-in-chief to grant clemency and pardon more than 1,500 individuals, in what the White House described at the time as the largest single-day act of clemency by a U.S. president. The Justice Department is reviewing the list of people that were granted pardons by former President Joe Biden, amid concerns about his use of an AutoPen to automatically sign documents. DOJ Pardon Attorney Ed Martin is reviewing the list of Biden-era pardons granted during the former president's final weeks in office, including the one granted to his son, Hunter Biden, and the preemptive pardons granted to Dr. Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley, Biden family members, and members of the House Committee investigating Jan. 6. Read On The Fox News App Biden Only Hand-signed One Pardon During Final Spree, And It Was His Most Controversial One But Biden only signed one pardon by hand during his final weeks in office—and it was his most controversial one—for his son, Hunter Biden. Biden pardoned his son Hunter in December 2024 after vowing to the American people for months he would not do so. Hunter Biden was found guilty of three felony gun offenses during special counsel David Weiss' investigation. The first son was also charged with federal tax crimes over his alleged failure to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes. Before his trial, Hunter Biden entered a surprise guilty plea. Former President Biden in December 2024 announced a blanket pardon that applies to any offenses against the U.S. that Hunter Biden "has committed or may have committed" from Jan. 1, 2014, to Dec. 1, 2024. "From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department's decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted," the former president said. Here Are Biden's Most Controversial Pardons, Mainly Signed Using Autopen "There has been an effort to break Hunter — who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution. In trying to break Hunter, they've tried to break me — and there's no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough. "I hope Americans will understand why a father and a president would come to this decision." The House Oversight Committee, led by Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is leading an investigation into an alleged cover-up of Biden's mental decline. The investigation, specifically, is into whether those inside Biden's inner-circle knowingly colluded to hide the former president's declining mental acuity and used methods to circumvent the former president when it came to the issuance of important orders, particularly through the use of an autopen tool used to mimic the president's signature. House Gop Secures Four Key Witnesses In Biden Mental-decline Probe As Former Aides Agree To Talk So far, four former Biden aides have agreed to voluntarily testify for transcribed interviews, including the director of Biden's former Domestic Policy Council, Neera Tanden, Biden's assistant and senior advisor to the first lady, Anthony Bernal, former special assistant to Biden and Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations, Ashley Williams, and Biden's Deputy Chief of Staff, Annie Tomasini. Tanden will appear before the House Oversight Committee on June 24, Bernal two days later on June 26, while Williams will testify July 11 and Tomasini on July 18. Lone Biden Official Breaks Silence On Cognitive Decline As Cabinet Stays Mute But Biden's former White House doctor, Kevin O'Connor declined an invitation to sit for a transcribed interview scheduled for June 27. Comer subpoenaed O'Connor to compel that testimony. Comer sent letters to five more top former Biden staffers, putting his total outreach in the investigation to 10 people so far. The latest round of letters are being sent to former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, former senior communications advisor Anita Dunn, former top advisors Michael Donilon and Steve Ricchetti, and former Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Bruce Reed. Former President Joe Biden was diagnosed with an "aggressive form" of prostate cancer in May. "Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms," Biden's team shared in a statement. "On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone." "While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management. The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians," the statement said. Joe Biden Diagnosed With 'Aggressive Form' Of Prostate Cancer With Metastasis To The Bone During his presidency, Biden had a "cancerous" skin lesion removed from his chest, the White House said at the time. Biden, during a 2022 speech discussing pollution in his home state, said: "That's why I and so damn many other people I grew up (with) have cancer." But House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has expanded his investigation into Biden's mental decline to include an investigation into the timeline of when Biden learned he had cancer. Biden's White House Physician Subpoenaed As Republicans Dig Deeper Into Alleged Cognitive Decline Cover-up "If you'll remember, Joe Biden did an interview several years ago and said he had cancer. The White House quickly issued a statement saying, oh, he misspoke," Comer said during an appearance on Fox Business' "Mornings with Maria." "Now, how many people do you know in the history of the world that have misspoke saying they had cancer when they really didn't?" Comer added: "So there's evidence out there that would suggest that there's been a cover-up with respect to his cancer for many years, just based on Joe Biden's own words." Comer has subpoenaed O'Connor, the former White House physician who gave Biden several clean bills of health. Fox News' Alec Schemmel and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report. Original article source: Biden breakdown: Where investigations into the former president stand
Forbes
06-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Republican-Led House Committee Passes Bill To Ban Hemp Products With THC
Delta-8, which contains tetrahydrocannabinol, which the FDA says has not been evaluated or approved ... More "for safe use and may be marketed in ways that put the public health at risk," according to the federal government website, is being marketed in the mid-Atlantic area, including in stores like this one in downtown Baltimore on May 12, 2022. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) A Republican-led House committee has approved a spending bill that includes a measure to ban all hemp products with THC nationwide, a move that could upend the entire U.S. hemp industry. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies approved on June 5 the fiscal year 2026 spending proposal in a 9–7 vote, sending it to the full Committee. The bill covers a wide range of issues, including hemp. One section of the bill would, in fact, redefine hemp under federal law to ban cannabis products that contain any 'quantifiable' amount of THC or any other cannabinoids with similar effects or marketed as such on people or animals. The language used to define hemp is similar to an amendment to the new Farm Bill that was approved last year by the U.S. House Agriculture Committee. That amendment, proposed by Republican Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois, aimed to shut down the gray market for intoxicating hemp-derived products like delta-8 THC by closing the loophole created by the 2018 Farm Bill. However, it wasn't ultimately enacted by the last Congress. Still, the goal remains the same: to close the hemp loophole that's led to a flood of unregulated, intoxicating products being sold online and at gas stations nationwide, as emphasized by the Committee's press release. Specifically, the bill would redefine hemp to exclude any finished hemp products that contain cannabinoids not naturally produced by the plant, cannabinoids that are naturally occurring but were made or altered outside the plant, any quantifiable amount of THC or THCA, or other cannabinoids with similar effects on people or animals. It would also give the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services the authority to decide what counts as a 'quantifiable amount' of THC or similar cannabinoids. At the same time, industrial hemp grown for industrial purposes would be treated differently, signaling a significant change to the current hemp definition, which, under the 2018 Farm Bill, meant plants with no more than 0.3% THC by dry weight before harvest. Paula Savchenko, Esq., founding partner of Cannacore Group and PS Law Group, said that the proposed legislation, while maintaining the legal status of industrial hemp for purposes such as fiber, grain, and certain edible products intended for human consumption, 'would effectively ban the vast majority of hemp-derived cannabinoids,' adding that 'its future will depend on further deliberations in Congress and potential revisions during the legislative process.' The bill is now set for discussion and possible amendments before the full House Appropriations Committee on June 11. Hemp was legalized nationwide in 2018 with the Farm Bill, which set a limit of 0.3% THC for cannabis grown for industrial purposes. This was meant to keep hemp products from having the intoxicating effects of recreational cannabis, which remains illegal at the federal level. But the rise of hemp cannabinoid extraction opened the door to products containing intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids like delta-8 THC, which users say produces a similar high to traditional cannabis. These products are now widely sold in stores, gas stations, and online across the country. A 2022 study found they're especially popular in states that haven't legalized recreational cannabis. The gray legal status of hemp products with THC has stirred concern over both safety and regulation. Though technically legal under federal law, their effects closely mirror those of recreational cannabis, which is still banned at the federal level. That disconnect has left states scrambling, as businesses capitalize on a loophole in the Farm Bill to produce and sell these products with little oversight. The boom of hemp products with THC has, in fact, fueled what's expected to become a multi-billion dollar industry. But it has also pushed many states to step in with their own rules, some opting to regulate, others choosing outright bans. States like Minnesota, Iowa, and Kentucky have regulated products like delta-8 THC, while New York, Delaware, and Colorado, among other states, have banned them altogether. In recent months, Texas lawmakers have been trying to ban hemp products with THC. While states continue crafting their own rules on hemp products with THC, this federal bill could shut the entire market down by banning all such products nationwide and closing the loophole that allowed hemp products with THC to be sold legally under the 2018 Farm Bill. The move, however, has sparked a backlash from hemp industry associations. Jonathan Miller, general counsel for the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, said in a press statement that the group is 'deeply disappointed' with Rep. Andy Harris, Republican of Maryland, who chairs the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee. Miller accused Harris of trying to 'shoehorn a farmer-crushing, job-killing hemp ban into a spending bill,' and expressed hope that the effort will fail, as it has in the past. Meanwhile, the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) is calling on lawmakers to reject proposed language that would redefine hemp in a way that bans any product with a 'quantifiable' amount of THC. The group warns that the ban on hemp products with THC would devastate legal businesses and drive demand toward the unregulated black market.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Louisiana House committee rejects bill on homeless camps
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — An effort to deal with the state's homeless issue failed in the House Committee on Appropriations on Monday. Rep. Alonzo Knox (D-New Orleans) authored HB 619. He told the committee his legislation was a compassionate way to deal with the homeless problem. The bill would allow local governments to designate certain areas as homeless encampments if beds at homeless shelters are not available. But Knox said standards would be in place for those encampments. 'Those standards were recommended by an audit this past March, which states the legislature should take action that have statewide standards as it relates to shelters and how we address homelessness in the state,' said Knox. Some of those standards include providing places to go to the bathroom and wash their hands. 'Port-a-Potties, and a place to wash your hands, the bare minimum,' said Knox. Some committee members opposed the bill, calling it an unfunded mandate on local governments. Knox reminded members that governments were not required to make the designations, and it was up to each entity to decide how to handle homelessness in their respective parishes or cities. Knox said his bill was a fair way to address the issue for both sides of the issue. When asked what the goal of his bill was. Knox said, 'To bring dignity, fairness, and balance to a very complex and nuanced subject.' But not everyone shared his vision of the solution. 'There are parts of this thing that I do like, but there are parts I don't like. I think in some ways we're creating unfunded mandates, and we're creating an opportunity for things in communities that I don't want. I don't want them in my community,' said Representative Jack McFarland, R-Leesville, the committee Chair. Fellow democrat, Jason Hughes, told Knox his bill was in danger of dying in committee, and that it was up to him on how to proceed. 'Your bill is on life support,' said Hughes. If Knox voluntarily deferred his bill and worked with other lawmakers on some amendments, he could have brought it back in this session, but he chose to roll the dice and force the vote. It was close. 10 were for and 11 were against, so it failed. Knox tells Louisiana First News he doesn't regret the gamble, as only a few days are left in this session, and he was glad to get the conversation on homelessness started. This regular legislative session ends June 12. Knox said he will consider bringing the bill back in the next legislative session. Louisiana House committee rejects bill on homeless camps Volunteer Louisiana director gets national service award Weather Service rehiring at offices left 'critically understaffed' by layoffs Senators itching for Trump green light to move on Russia sanctions Fan reportedly struck by falling concrete at Dodger Stadium Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
