Even as drastic budget cuts hit across the agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development is boosting investment in one area: housing assistance for former foster youth. What’s uncertain is how much that new funding could be offset by the broader cuts. HUD this month announced a $1.8 million investment in its Foster Youth...
Democrats want to force a vote on Trump’s memecoin activity
As President Donald Trump headed over to his Virginia golf course for a gala with the 250 top buyers of his $TRUMP “memecoin,” Democrats are trying to find ways to push back on the president’s incursions in the cryptocurrency market. Sen. Chris Murphy said Thursday that Democrats will demand a vote on an amendment prohibiting...
Senate overturns California’s electric vehicle mandate
The Senate voted 51-44 to overturn California’s electric-vehicle mandate via the Congressional Review Act on Thursday, defying the Government Accountability Office and the Senate parliamentarian. Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate’s parliamentarian, said the chamber could not use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) — a maneuver that permits a 50-vote threshold for overturning agency rules in the...
Senate Republicans plan to eliminate California phase out of gas cars
Republicans are planning to break decades of precedent and overrule the Senate parliamentarian to undo a Biden-era environmental policy. Majority Leader John Thune announced Tuesday morning that the Senate will take up the vote to overturn waivers the Environmental Protection Agency granted to California that allowed the state to phase out gas-powered cars. The Senate...
California lawmakers want to let citizens sue Elon Musk over DOGE cuts
A trio of freshmen House Democrats introduced a bill on Thursday that would allow individuals to sue the government — and even specific officials like Elon Musk — over decisions that block congressionally approved spending. California Reps. Sam Liccardo and Dave Min, along with Virginia Rep. Eugene Vindman, introduced the Protect Our Constitution and Communities...
‘It’s a stupid idea’: California lawmakers say about reopening Alcatraz
California lawmakers reacted to President Donald Trump’s suggestion that he would reopen Alcatraz with laughter, mockery and, for Democrats, indignation. “I won’t suggest who should go there first,” Rep. Sam Liccardo said. Trump posted on Sunday evening that he was ordering the refurbishment of Alcatraz, the island prison-turned historic landmark and tourist site off of...
Lawmakers eye federal fix for California’s slow vote counting
The final makeup of the 119th Congress was not settled until a month after the 2024 election as California worked to tabulate and certify its results. Representatives from both sides of the aisle say that was a problem, and some are pushing for Congress to intervene. “Everyone has experienced the heartache of seeing their candidate...
Democrats accuse Trump and his allies of profiting from tariff flip
Democrats want to know whether President Donald Trump and his GOP allies financially benefited from implementing and then pausing recent tariffs — a move some said was effectively insider trading. “It happened in front of our eyes,” Sen. Ruben Gallego told NOTUS. “This hurt the economy in the end. People on Main Street are going...
‘We can fight this,’ San Jose congressman says about eliminating DEI
California Democrats in Congress say they don’t want state leaders to cave to the Trump administration’s attempts to attach strings to federal support and its most recent demand to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs at schools — even if that means the state could lose out on millions or billions of dollars in federal funding. “The...
California lawmaker condemns dismantling of Head Start program
Congress is calling for the reinstatement of federal employees that oversee critical early childhood programs serving families in poverty as regional Head Start offices are slashed — including one that serves Santa Clara County. U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla is leading dozens of senators in condemning U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy for...