All articles tagged with #legislative branch
The House Appropriations Committee proposes nearly a 50% cut to the Government Accountability Office's budget for 2026, aiming to limit its investigations, especially into the Trump administration, which critics say undermines independent oversight and could significantly weaken government accountability.
House Republicans are proposing to cut nearly half the funding for the Government Accountability Office and other legislative agencies in the upcoming fiscal year, amidst broader debates over government oversight, security, and policy priorities, as they work to pass a large spending bill and address issues like military action in Iran and internal congressional reforms.
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger expressed no concern over Donald Trump's threats to jail members of the Jan. 6 committee, stating that the executive branch cannot target the legislative branch for embarrassing the president. Kinzinger, who served on the committee, emphasized that many Republicans, including former Attorney General William Barr and Ivanka Trump, testified against Trump. He dismissed Trump's threats as a reaction to being embarrassed by the committee's findings.
After Gov. Glenn Youngkin criticized Democrats in a speech, Senate Democrats have put his proposed $2 billion development for a professional basketball and hockey arena on hold. The Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee will not consider the legislation before the crossover deadline, and the proposal now depends on a separate bill pending before the House of Delegates and negotiations over the state budget. Democrats have linked their support of the legislation to Youngkin agreeing to some of their priorities, while Youngkin's communications director expressed confidence that the General Assembly will come together for the project, which is seen as beneficial for the entire Commonwealth.
Some lawmakers in Maine are hesitant to grant subpoena powers to the commission investigating the mass shootings in Lewiston. Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart and Assistant Senate Minority Leader Lisa Keim expressed concerns about the lack of involvement of the legislative branch in the commission and suggested alternative options for involvement. Governor Janet Mills supports the request for subpoena powers and is working on legislation for lawmakers to consider. It would require a two-thirds bipartisan vote in the Democratic-controlled Legislature for the power to be granted as emergency legislation.