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Hawley says GOP missed opportunity to say ‘we are for workers’ with rail strike vote

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Sen. Josh Hawley was one of six GOP senators who supported mandating seven extra days of paid sick leave for rail workers Thursday, in a vote he said was a litmus test for a party he wants to move in a more populist direction. 

“It really clarifies the stakes for the Republican Party,” Hawley, R-Mo., said in an interview with Fox News Digital after the vote. “This is a great example, a great opportunity, for Republicans to say we are for workers over and against all of these other people. And sadly, we didn’t take it.”

However, Hawley voted to reject the fuller measure to avert the strike – which could have wreaked havoc on the U.S. economy just before Christmas. 

As the potential rail strike loomed, the Senate Thursday took up a House-passed bill which would avert a strike by mandating a contract agreement that was negotiated in September go into effect. That agreement would have granted workers three unpaid sick days as long as employees were provided at least 30 days’ notice before the time was taken. 

SENATE PASSES BILL TO PREVENT RAIL STRIKE, WHICH COULD HAVE WREAKED HAVOC ON ECONOMY BEFORE HOLIDAYS

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., voted to give rail workers an extra seven days of paid sick leave Thursday. 

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., voted to give rail workers an extra seven days of paid sick leave Thursday. 
(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

However, some transportation unions since have said the deal was unfair and threatened a strike. House lawmakers also passed a measure to tack extra sick days onto the contract agreement, and the Senate Thursday voted on that as an amendment to the underlying bill to avert the strike. 

Hawley and Sens. Mike Braun, R-Ind., Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., John Kennedy, R-La., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., joined almost all Democrats in voting for the sick time for workers. However, with the threshold for that amendment to pass set at 60 votes, the measure failed ahead of a vote on the underlying bill, which passed overwhelmingly. 

“These are working class independent voters, many of them Republican voters, I mean in my state there’s over 3,000 of these railroad workers,” Hawley said. “These are people who live very conservative lives, and they just want to have a chance to earn a good living.”

The Senate passed a bill to avert a rail strike Thursday. 

The Senate passed a bill to avert a rail strike Thursday. 
(Mario Tama/Getty Images)

RAIL UNION STRIKE WOULD CREATE A ‘CRIPPLING’ ECONOMY, INDUSTRY OFFICIAL WARNS

“Are you for working people or not?” Hawley said. “My feeling is that if the Republican Party is going to be a majority party in this country, we have to be for working people.”

Many lawmakers who opposed adding the paid sick leave said they were concerned about whether it was Congress’ role to step into labor disputes like this one. 

“While I am sympathetic to the concerns union members have raised, I do not believe it is the role of Congress to renegotiate a collective bargaining agreement that has already been negotiated,” Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who was the only Democrat to vote against the paid sick leave, said.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., was the only Democrat to vote against giving rail workers more paid sick leave.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., was the only Democrat to vote against giving rail workers more paid sick leave.
(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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“I am very glad that the two sides got together to avoid a shutdown which would have been devastating for the American people, for the American economy, and so many workers across the country.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said.

When asked if he sees any movement from the upper echelons of Congressional leadership moving towards the GOP becoming the working-people party he advocates for, Hawley said, “No.” 

“At lunch yesterday… I just made the point that if we’re going to ask independent working class people to vote for us… we’ve actually got to do something that is good for them,” Hawley said. “We ought to be the party that is for that, and we shouldn’t be the party that is defending the suits and defending the multinational corporations and defending the C-suite.”

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hawley-gop-missed-opportunity-workers-rail-strike-vote

Politics

NY Times article on Biden’s age ripped as ‘slobbering,’ ‘embarrassing’ after latest fall

The New York Times is facing ridicule on Twitter after an article Sunday painted President Biden’s old age in a positive light, describing the 80-year-old president as “sharp,” “fit” and having “striking stamina.”

The Times article by White House reporters Peter Baker, Michael Shear, Katie Rogers and Zolan Kanno-Youngs, titled, “Inside the Complicated Reality of Being America’s Oldest President,” claimed Biden’s aides have been purposely limiting his exposure to the media to avoid any potential gaffes.

“The two Joe Bidens coexist in the same octogenarian president: Sharp and wise at critical moments, the product of decades of seasoning, able to rise to the occasion even in the dead of night to confront a dangerous world,” the article said. “Yet a little slower, a little softer, a little harder of hearing, a little more tentative in his walk, a little more prone to occasional lapses of memory in ways that feel familiar to anyone who has reached their ninth decade or has a parent who has.”

“Like many his age, Mr. Biden repeats phrases and retells the same story, often fact-challenged stories again and again,” the article continued. “He can be quirky; when children visit, he may randomly pull a book of William Butler Yeats off his desk and start reading Irish poetry to them.”

Biden falls at Air Force Academy

President Joe Biden is helped up after falling during the graduation ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Academy, near Colorado Springs, Colorado, on June 1, 2023. (Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

“At the same time, he is trim and fit, exercises five days a week and does not drink,” it added. “He has at times exhibited striking stamina, such as when he flew to Poland then boarded a nine-hour train ride to make a secret visit to Kyiv, spent hours on the ground, then endured another nine-hour train ride and a flight to Warsaw. A study of his schedule by Mr. Biden’s aides shows that he has traveled slightly more in the first few months of his third year in office than Mr. Obama did in his.”

BIDEN’S FALL AT AIR FORCE COMMENCEMENT DRAWS CONCERN, MOCKERY: ‘THIS ISN’T FAIR TO ANYONE’

Steve Guest, a special adviser for communications for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called the article “embarrassing.”

News Cycle Media President Jon Nicosia called the article “slobbering.”

Former Obama speechwriter Jonathan Favreau, who now co-hosts “Pod Save America,” said the article was “pretty positive.”

National Review contributor Pradheep Shanker said the article was “not totally objective” but at least opened the door for questioning the president’s capabilities.

“Good for the Times to actually write this… It’s still not totally objective, but it’s a solid effort at least,” Shanker wrote. “I mean those is a positive spin at best. What’s more likely is that many, many of the presidential level decisions are not being made by Biden at all.”

Biden tripped and fell during a U.S. Air Force Academy commencement ceremony Thursday, prompting three Secret Service agents to rush to help the president up.

Biden fall

US President Joe Biden fell during the graduation ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Academy on June 1, 2023. (Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

Air Force Academy salutes Biden

President Joe Biden arrives to deliver the commencement address at the Air Force Academy on June 1, 2023. (Getty Images)

The White House said Thursday that Biden tripped over a sandbag and was not injured by the fall. 

The fall reignited concerns about Biden’s age, prompting a number of media outlets to pounce and seize on Republicans voicing concerns about Biden’s physical health.

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Capitol Police stop youth choir during national anthem performance, sparking outrage: ‘I was shocked’

Video footage showing a South Carolina-based children’s choir being stopped by a Capitol Police officer from singing the national anthem in the U.S. Capitol has gone viral with millions of views.

Capitol Police said singers with the Rushingbrook Children’s Choir from Greenville were stopped because of a “miscommunication,” which occurred May 26.

Capitol Police initially issued a statement that said they were under the impression the group didn’t have permission to perform in the building but clarified later that they “were not aware that the Speaker’s Office had approved this performance.”

Choir director David Rasbach and another choir leader said the visit was approved by the office of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., which the speaker’s office confirmed.

Rushingbrook Children’s Choir

In this image taken from video, the Rushingbrook Children’s Choir sings the “The Star-Spangled Banner” in the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall on May 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Farnoush Amiri)

“I was shocked, I was dismayed, I was stunned,” Rasbach, who said he secured permission from three congressional offices to perform at the U.S. Capitol, told the Daily Signal. “I couldn’t believe that was happening, that they would stop the national anthem, of all songs.”

Video of the event showed the children singing as a Capitol Police officer spoke with two other men. One of the men, who appears to be a congressional staffer, then approached Rasbach. A few seconds later, Rasbach motioned to the choir and cut them off to stop singing.

A patch for a United States Capitol Police Officer

Capitol Police said singers with the Rushingbrook Children’s Choir from Greenville were stopped because of a “miscommunication,” which occurred May 26. (U.S. Capitol Police)

Capitol police officers at the capitol building

Police arrive by bus at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez/File)

Some Republicans accused Capitol Police of taking action against the kids due to political bias, but the Capitol Police said that is untrue and accused the congressional staffer of lying “to the officers multiple times about having permission from various offices” in one emailed statement to the Daily Signal.

“Recently somebody posted a video of a children’s choir singing the Star-Spangled Banner in the U.S. Capitol Building and wrongfully claimed we stopped the performance because it ‘might offend someone,’” the Capitol Police said. “Here is the truth. Demonstrations and musical performances are not allowed in the U.S. Capitol.”

“Of course, because the singers in this situation were children, our officers were reasonable and allowed the children to finish their beautiful rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner,” the statement added. “The Congressional staff member who was accompanying the group knew the rules, yet lied to the officers multiple times about having permission from various offices. The staffer put both the choir and our officers, who were simply doing their jobs, in an awkward and embarrassing position.”

McCarthy and three Republican members of Congress involved in inviting the group to the Capitol issued a joint statement, saying they were “very disappointed” that the performance was cut short.

“We recently learned that schoolchildren from South Carolina were interrupted while singing our National Anthem at the Capitol. These children were welcomed by the Speaker’s Office to joyfully express their love of this nation while visiting the Capitol, and we are all very disappointed to learn their celebration was cut short,” McCarthy and three House Republicans said. “We are delighted that the People’s House has been reopened particularly for our children and we look forward to welcoming more Americans back to the halls of Congress.”

Capitol Police did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Biden admin slammed as granting ‘major coup’ to China after top officials visit on Tiananmen massacre date

EXCLUSIVE: The Biden administration is getting slammed as handing a “major coup” to Chinese President Xi Jinping after two senior officials made a trip to China on Sunday in an attempt to ease tensions between the two countries.

Critics immediately pointed out that Sunday, June 4, marks the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, when the Chinese military slaughtered hundreds, possibly thousands, of pro-democracy protesters.

Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, and Sarah Beran, the National Security Council’s senior director for China and Taiwan affairs, arrived in Beijing to discuss “key issues in the bilateral relationship,” the State Department said in a press release.

Tiananmen Square in Beijing

Demonstration at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, on June 1, 1989. (Eric Bouvet/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Wang Yi and Antony Blinken shake hands

Secretary of State Antony Blinken shakes hands with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a meeting on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on July 9, 2022. (Stefani Reynolds/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., called attention to the timing of the trip on Twitter.

“Is the Biden Administration sending senior officials to China as we remember the anniversary of the massacre in Tiananmen Square?” he wrote.

BLINKEN AND WIFE EMAILED FREQUENTLY WITH HUNTER BIDEN, RAISING QUESTIONS ABOUT ROLE IN LAPTOP COVER STORY

Issa, who serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Fox News Digital that the trip only benefits China and Chinese President Xi Jinping while weakening the United States’ position on the world stage.

“This is no ordinary foreign policy stumble,” he said. “It’s a concession demanded by the Chinese and granted by a White House and State Department willing to bend. It’s a major coup for Xi, and America’s position in the world just got weaker – where it matters most.” 

“There’s no way the Congress can just look away and let this go,” he added.

Darrell Issa

Rep. Darrell Issa during a House Judiciary Committee field hearing in New York on April 17, 2023. (Stephanie Keith/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Nearly two hours after the first press release, the State Department issued another one honoring the Tiananmen Square anniversary.

“Tomorrow, we observe the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre,” the release said. “On June 4th, 1989, the Government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) sent tanks into Tiananmen Square to brutally repress peaceful Chinese pro-democracy protesters and bystanders alike.” 

“The victims’ bravery will not be forgotten and continues to inspire advocates for these principles around the world,” it added. “The United States will continue advocating for people’s human rights and fundamental freedoms in China and around the world.”

BLINKEN SAYS ‘I DON’T DO POLITICS’ DESPITE SPENDING DECADES IN POLITICS, DONATING LAVISHLY TO DEMS

Issa’s office said he plans to send a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken demanding answers about the China trip.

A State Department spokesperson told Reuters that Kritenbrink’s official meetings will begin Monday, and that he would raise the issue of human rights in the communist country.

Blinken

Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a joint news conference after the 32nd annual Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations, Dec. 6, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Michael Sobolik, a fellow in Indo-Pacific Studies at the American Foreign Policy Council, responded to the press release about the China visit by asking, “Is this a joke?”

Isaac Stone Fish, the CEO of Strategic Risks, which “quantifies corporate exposure to China,” and a visiting fellow at the Atlantic Council, offered a “pro-tip” on Twitter, saying, “Don’t be a senior government official visiting China on the anniversary of Tiananmen Square.”

Fox News Digital asked the State Department and the White House whether the Tiananmen Square massacre would be discussed, but neither responded.

Dialogue between the Biden administration and Beijing has been nearly dormant in recent months as attempts at interactions have been shuttered since the U.S. shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon that traversed the country earlier this year.

A previously scheduled trip by Blinken, where he was expected to meet with Xi, was canceled because of the China spy balloon incident.

The U.S.-China relationship has been further strained over China’s military activity in the South China Sea and the United States’ support of Taiwan.

34th anniversary of Beijing Tiananmen crackdown

People take part in a vigil at the Liberty Square of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall to mark the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989, in Taipei, Taiwan, on Sunday, June 4, 2023. (Lam Yik Fei/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Additionally, Beijing has taken umbrage after the U.S. warned China against arming Russia to help its war in Ukraine. 

CIA Director William Burns secretly visited China last month in an effort to restore relations, meeting with his Chinese counterparts to emphasize “the importance of maintaining open lines of communication in intelligence channels,” according to the Financial Times, which first reported the visit. 

Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

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