It usually takes 218 votes—a simple majority of the 435 members of the House—to become House Speaker, but due to two vacancies, only 217 votes are currently needed. For more than two weeks though, Republicans have failed to agree on a new leader, leaving the federal government paralyzed.
“[These] charges are taking real money out of the pockets of American families. These junk fees can add up to hundreds of dollars, weighing down family budgets, making it harder to pay family bills,” President Biden said on Wednesday.
The Biden administration’s newly proposed actions, which would likely take effect in 2024, would lower child care costs for 80,000 American families.
The PACT Act removed the need for certain veterans to prove a service connection if they are diagnosed with certain cancers or respiratory conditions and sped up the process of receiving benefits.
The Biden administration has been putting pressure on companies across multiple sectors to be more transparent with consumers.
The 2024 election election could be a repeat of 2020, as former President Donald Trump has already been campaigning for several months.
House Republicans have spent their first 100 days in power discussing plans to cut social programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and food assistance and conducting half-baked and conspiracy-fueled investigations.
Republicans immediately rejected Biden's plan, but have yet to release their own budget. They have made it clear, however, that they want to apply deep spending cuts to everything from health insurance to food assistance benefits.
Between Republicans’ economic agenda, spurious investigations, and threatened impeachments, the House is looking at a busy but unproductive year.
In a letter addressing the US Senate leader, Barber said it’s time for these lawmakers to “show the people who worked tirelessly to keep them in power that they are ready to go to work for them.”
