The US House of Representatives dealt a blow to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/after-kim-trump-arrives-in-hanoi-for-summit-talks-199903">President Donald Trump</a> on Tuesday, approving a resolution blocking him from obtaining funding for a Mexican border wall through his declaration of a national emergency.

Dismissing a veto threat by the president, the Democratic-controlled House struck down Trump's emergency declaration by a comfortable margin of 245-182, sending the measure to the Republican-held Senate.

Thirteen Republicans joined Democrats in voting to "terminate" Trump's emergency declaration, which the Republican president issued on February 15 after failing to secure billions of dollars from Congress for the wall.

The emergency declaration would allow Trump to find funding for the Mexican border wall -- his signature campaign promise -- from other sources, notably the Pentagon budget for military construction projects.

The president has threatened to veto the resolution if it passes both the 435-member House and the 100-seat Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 edge and its prospects are uncertain.

Democrats have denounced the emergency declaration as a power grab by the president and a violation of the Constitution because it usurps the power of Congress to decide government spending.

At least two Senate Republicans -- Senator Susan Collins of Maine and Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina -- have said they would back the resolution overturning Trump's emergency declaration.

Four Republicans would need to break ranks for the measure to pass the Senate but neither chamber is likely to be able to muster the two-thirds majority needed to override an expected presidential veto.

Should the measure clear both the House and the Senate and reach his desk, Trump would be faced with a stinging rebuke and cornered into issuing the first veto of his presidency.

Trump's national emergency declaration gives him access to billions of dollars to construct the border wall beyond the nearly $1.4 billion allocated by Congress.

'Power grab'&nbsp; 
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday that Trump's emergency order was an unconstitutional attempt to expand executive authority and strip lawmakers of the power to control how federal funds are spent.

"The president's power grab usurps that responsibility and fundamentally violates the balance of power envisioned by our founders," Pelosi said.

As several Republican senators expressed reservations about Trump's emergency declaration, the president sought to head them off.

"I hope our great Republican Senators don't get led down the path of weak and ineffective Border Security," Trump tweeted on Monday before heading for Vietnam for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.&nbsp;

"Be strong and smart," he said. "Don't fall into the Democrats 'trap' of Open Borders and Crime!"

Republican senators Collins and Tillis have openly broken ranks already and others appeared to be wavering.

While Trump is "rightfully frustrated with Congress's inaction" on border security, the president made a mistake declaring an emergency, said Tillis.

"I have grave concerns when our institution looks the other way at the expense of weakening Congress's power," the Republican senator from North Carolina wrote in The Washington Post.

"The emergency course is not one I favour," Senator Mitt Romney of Utah said.

Veto '100 per cent' certain&nbsp; 
Trump has said he is "100 per cent" certain to issue a veto if the House and Senate override his emergency declaration and the White House reiterated that on Tuesday.

"The current situation at the southern border presents a humanitarian and security crisis that threatens core national security interests and constitutes a national emergency," the White House said in a statement.

"The southern border is a major entry point for criminals, gang members, and illicit narcotics."

Dozens of Republican ex-lawmakers and a bipartisan group of former national security officers, including secretaries of defence and CIA directors, spoke out strongly against the emergency declaration on Monday.

In a joint declaration, the 58 national security officials warned of an abuse of the Constitution. The group includes former secretaries of state Madeleine Albright and John Kerry, along with George W Bush's undersecretary of state Nicholas Burns.

"Under no plausible assessment of the evidence is there a national emergency today that entitles the president to tap into funds appropriated for other purposes to build a wall at the southern border," they said.

The US House of Representatives dealt a blow to President Donald Trump on Tuesday, approving a resolution blocking him from obtaining funding for a Mexican border wall through his declaration of a national emergency.

The US House of Representatives dealt a blow to President Donald Trump on Tuesday, approving a resolution blocking him from obtaining funding for a Mexican border wall through his declaration of a national emergency. Dismissing a veto threat by the president, the Democratic-controlled House struck down Trump's emergency declaration by a comfortable margin of 245-182, sending the measure to the Republican-held Senate. Thirteen Republicans joined Democrats in voting to "terminate" Trump's emergency declaration, which the Republican president issued on February 15 after failing to secure billions of dollars from Congress for the wall. The emergency declaration would allow Trump to find funding for the Mexican border wall -- his signature campaign promise -- from other sources, notably the Pentagon budget for military construction projects. The president has threatened to veto the resolution if it passes both the 435-member House and the 100-seat Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 edge and its prospects are uncertain. Democrats have denounced the emergency declaration as a power grab by the president and a violation of the Constitution because it usurps the power of Congress to decide government spending. At least two Senate Republicans -- Senator Susan Collins of Maine and Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina -- have said they would back the resolution overturning Trump's emergency declaration. Four Republicans would need to break ranks for the measure to pass the Senate but neither chamber is likely to be able to muster the two-thirds majority needed to override an expected presidential veto. Should the measure clear both the House and the Senate and reach his desk, Trump would be faced with a stinging rebuke and cornered into issuing the first veto of his presidency. Trump's national emergency declaration gives him access to billions of dollars to construct the border wall beyond the nearly $1.4 billion allocated by Congress. 'Power grab' Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday that Trump's emergency order was an unconstitutional attempt to expand executive authority and strip lawmakers of the power to control how federal funds are spent. "The president's power grab usurps that responsibility and fundamentally violates the balance of power envisioned by our founders," Pelosi said. As several Republican senators expressed reservations about Trump's emergency declaration, the president sought to head them off. "I hope our great Republican Senators don't get led down the path of weak and ineffective Border Security," Trump tweeted on Monday before heading for Vietnam for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "Be strong and smart," he said. "Don't fall into the Democrats 'trap' of Open Borders and Crime!" Republican senators Collins and Tillis have openly broken ranks already and others appeared to be wavering. While Trump is "rightfully frustrated with Congress's inaction" on border security, the president made a mistake declaring an emergency, said Tillis. "I have grave concerns when our institution looks the other way at the expense of weakening Congress's power," the Republican senator from North Carolina wrote in The Washington Post. "The emergency course is not one I favour," Senator Mitt Romney of Utah said. Veto '100 per cent' certain Trump has said he is "100 per cent" certain to issue a veto if the House and Senate override his emergency declaration and the White House reiterated that on Tuesday. "The current situation at the southern border presents a humanitarian and security crisis that threatens core national security interests and constitutes a national emergency," the White House said in a statement. "The southern border is a major entry point for criminals, gang members, and illicit narcotics." Dozens of Republican ex-lawmakers and a bipartisan group of former national security officers, including secretaries of defence and CIA directors, spoke out strongly against the emergency declaration on Monday. In a joint declaration, the 58 national security officials warned of an abuse of the Constitution. The group includes former secretaries of state Madeleine Albright and John Kerry, along with George W Bush's undersecretary of state Nicholas Burns. "Under no plausible assessment of the evidence is there a national emergency today that entitles the president to tap into funds appropriated for other purposes to build a wall at the southern border," they said.

US House strikes down US President Trump's border emergency

India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad is expected to be out later this month. All the participating teams have to share their provisional squad by early May. Hence, a&nbsp;lot is being said and written about Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue's squad. Amid all this, former Indian captain and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief Sourav Ganguly made a bold claim. The Bengal Tiger feels Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should be the openers for the one-time winners at the mega event, which kicks off in West Indies and USA on June 1.

Speaking to PTI, Ganguly, who is currently serving as the director of cricket for the Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2024,&nbsp;said, "Both Rohit Sharma and Viral Kohli will definitely go to West Indies and USA. Its a call for selectors whom they will open with but if you ask me personally both Rohit and Virat should open for India in the T20 World Cup."

He further added, "Of course, Rohit should captain the team in the T20I World Cup. Virat Kohli also should be there. Virat Kohli is an outstanding player, nothing will happen (to return after 14 months)."

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-a-first-tier-or-even-a-second-tier-new-zealand-team-ramiz-raja-reacts-to-pakistans-3rd-t20i-loss-713897">'Not a first-tier or even a second-tier New Zealand team' - Ramiz Raja reacts to Pakistan's 3rd T20I loss</a>

Both Rohit and Kohli returned to India's T20I setup after 14 months during the national side's home T20Is versus Afghanistan early this year. They had taken a long break from the format following India's 2022 T20 WC semifinal loss to eventual winners England, in Adelaide, Australia.

Kohli remains the highest run-getter in T20Is (4,037) and is also the leading run-scorer in T20 WC history, with 1,141 runs including 14 fifties. Meanwhile, Rohit is the fourth-highest run-getter in the tournament history, with 963 runs. Overall, he is second -- only behind Kohli -- in terms of most T20I runs (3,974). At present, both are busy in IPL 2024. Having been removed as the Mumbai Indians (MI) captain, Rohit is among the top run-getters in the ongoing edition, with 297 runs (fifth-most) including a best of 105*. Kohli, on the other hand, remains an integral part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and is the leading run-getter, with 379 runs along with a best of 113 not out.

If Kohli and Rohit open the innings for India in the T20 WC, one among Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill might not be selected. The provisional squad is expected to be out by May 1 (i.e. the cut-off date for all teams).

India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad is expected to be out later this month. All the participating teams have to share their provisional squad by early May. Hence, a lot is being said and written about Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue's squad.

India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad is expected to be out later this month. All the participating teams have to share their provisional squad by early May. Hence, a lot is being said and written about Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue's squad. Amid all this, former Indian captain and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief Sourav Ganguly made a bold claim. The Bengal Tiger feels Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should be the openers for the one-time winners at the mega event, which kicks off in West Indies and USA on June 1. Speaking to PTI, Ganguly, who is currently serving as the director of cricket for the Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2024, said, "Both Rohit Sharma and Viral Kohli will definitely go to West Indies and USA. Its a call for selectors whom they will open with but if you ask me personally both Rohit and Virat should open for India in the T20 World Cup." He further added, "Of course, Rohit should captain the team in the T20I World Cup. Virat Kohli also should be there. Virat Kohli is an outstanding player, nothing will happen (to return after 14 months)." Also read: 'Not a first-tier or even a second-tier New Zealand team' - Ramiz Raja reacts to Pakistan's 3rd T20I loss Both Rohit and Kohli returned to India's T20I setup after 14 months during the national side's home T20Is versus Afghanistan early this year. They had taken a long break from the format following India's 2022 T20 WC semifinal loss to eventual winners England, in Adelaide, Australia. Kohli remains the highest run-getter in T20Is (4,037) and is also the leading run-scorer in T20 WC history, with 1,141 runs including 14 fifties. Meanwhile, Rohit is the fourth-highest run-getter in the tournament history, with 963 runs. Overall, he is second -- only behind Kohli -- in terms of most T20I runs (3,974). At present, both are busy in IPL 2024. Having been removed as the Mumbai Indians (MI) captain, Rohit is among the top run-getters in the ongoing edition, with 297 runs (fifth-most) including a best of 105*. Kohli, on the other hand, remains an integral part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and is the leading run-getter, with 379 runs along with a best of 113 not out. If Kohli and Rohit open the innings for India in the T20 WC, one among Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill might not be selected. The provisional squad is expected to be out by May 1 (i.e. the cut-off date for all teams).

US Democrats introduce resolution stopping Trump border emergency

Democrats in the US House of Representatives have quietly tweaked a rule on taking secret depositions that is likely to give a boost to their investigations of President Donald Trump, his personal finances and his administration.

The little-noticed change, made since the Democrats took over majority control of the House earlier this month, will let staffers of House investigative committees take testimony from subpoenaed witnesses without a lawmaker being present.

By eliminating complications with lawmakers' schedules, the change will let staffers work faster and range more widely said former staffers and sources inside the committees that are launching several inquiries into Trump and his presidency.

The importance of this was underscored, legal experts said when attorney general nominee William Barr indicated last week that he was unlikely to release the final report from Special Counsel Robert Mueller to lawmakers in its original format.

Mueller has been probing for many months Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, any collusion between Moscow and Trump's campaign, and obstruction of justice. If Barr is confirmed and holds back on Mueller's report, the rule change may help House investigators rapidly replicate Mueller's work.

"Dropping the member requirement will give much more power to staff investigators in different committees, which will lead to increasingly dispersed and now unsupervised authority for investigations," said Kristina Moore, a managing director at FTI Consulting and a former investigator for the House Oversight Committee when it was chaired by Republican Darrell Issa.

"This change to the House rules represents a further expansion of the majority's oversight and investigations targets, for which everyone in the private sector needs to prepare," Moore said.

The government shutdown caused by a standoff between Trump and Democrats over his proposed US-Mexico border wall has been centre-stage in Washington for weeks, but Democrats have been moving ahead on plans to probe Trump and his administration.

On February 7, former Trump personal attorney Michael Cohen is scheduled to testify to the House Oversight Committee, now chaired by Democrat Elijah Cummings. On the next day, acting US Attorney General Matthew Whitaker is slated to testify to the House Judiciary Committee.

Change from Republican rule

When the Republicans controlled the House, up until early January, a lawmaker from the committee that issued the subpoena had to be present for a witness deposition. That sometimes presented challenges, said current and former aides.

For example, when witnesses in New York were being interviewed by the House Intelligence Committee over the past two years, lawmakers had to travel with staff to conduct the questioning, one aide said.

Getting lawmakers to sit through long interviews of low-profile witnesses, even ones with valuable information could also be difficult, the aide said.

The rule change was requested by the House Oversight Committee, said several congressional aides said. But it will also affect the work of other investigative panels, such as the Intelligence and Judiciary committees.

Andy Wright, former associate counsel to President Barack Obama, said the heads of the House investigative committees will be able to subpoena all the witnesses who gave grand jury testimony for Mueller.

"So now a subpoena for deposition can be conducted by staff," he said. "More depositions in a shorter time and fewer steps between request and contempt."

Democrats in the US House of Representatives have quietly tweaked a rule on taking secret depositions that is likely to give a boost to their investigations of President Donald Trump, his personal finances and his administration.

Democrats in the US House of Representatives have quietly tweaked a rule on taking secret depositions that is likely to give a boost to their investigations of President Donald Trump, his personal finances and his administration. The little-noticed change, made since the Democrats took over majority control of the House earlier this month, will let staffers of House investigative committees take testimony from subpoenaed witnesses without a lawmaker being present. By eliminating complications with lawmakers' schedules, the change will let staffers work faster and range more widely said former staffers and sources inside the committees that are launching several inquiries into Trump and his presidency. The importance of this was underscored, legal experts said when attorney general nominee William Barr indicated last week that he was unlikely to release the final report from Special Counsel Robert Mueller to lawmakers in its original format. Mueller has been probing for many months Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, any collusion between Moscow and Trump's campaign, and obstruction of justice. If Barr is confirmed and holds back on Mueller's report, the rule change may help House investigators rapidly replicate Mueller's work. "Dropping the member requirement will give much more power to staff investigators in different committees, which will lead to increasingly dispersed and now unsupervised authority for investigations," said Kristina Moore, a managing director at FTI Consulting and a former investigator for the House Oversight Committee when it was chaired by Republican Darrell Issa. "This change to the House rules represents a further expansion of the majority's oversight and investigations targets, for which everyone in the private sector needs to prepare," Moore said. The government shutdown caused by a standoff between Trump and Democrats over his proposed US-Mexico border wall has been centre-stage in Washington for weeks, but Democrats have been moving ahead on plans to probe Trump and his administration. On February 7, former Trump personal attorney Michael Cohen is scheduled to testify to the House Oversight Committee, now chaired by Democrat Elijah Cummings. On the next day, acting US Attorney General Matthew Whitaker is slated to testify to the House Judiciary Committee. Change from Republican rule When the Republicans controlled the House, up until early January, a lawmaker from the committee that issued the subpoena had to be present for a witness deposition. That sometimes presented challenges, said current and former aides. For example, when witnesses in New York were being interviewed by the House Intelligence Committee over the past two years, lawmakers had to travel with staff to conduct the questioning, one aide said. Getting lawmakers to sit through long interviews of low-profile witnesses, even ones with valuable information could also be difficult, the aide said. The rule change was requested by the House Oversight Committee, said several congressional aides said. But it will also affect the work of other investigative panels, such as the Intelligence and Judiciary committees. Andy Wright, former associate counsel to President Barack Obama, said the heads of the House investigative committees will be able to subpoena all the witnesses who gave grand jury testimony for Mueller. "So now a subpoena for deposition can be conducted by staff," he said. "More depositions in a shorter time and fewer steps between request and contempt."

US House Democrats tweaks rule of taking secret depositions to boost Trump probes

The United States' <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-elects-democrat-nancy-pelosi-to-be-speaker-for-2019-2020-188126">newly-elected Speaker</a> in the House of Representatives on Thursday invited the country's president to deliver his second State of the Union address on January 29.

Democrat Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to President Donald Trump hours after reaching 220 votes to become the new House speaker, a position she also held between 2007 and 2011.

"In the spirit of our Constitution, I invite you to deliver your State of the Union address before a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 in the House Chamber," the letter Pelosi posted on Twitter said.

The Democrat said the Constitution established the legislative, executive and judicial branches of the government to be co-equal checks and balances on each other and asks that the president "from time to time give to the Congress information of the State of the Union.”

Trump delivered his first State of the Union address on January 30, 2018, a tradition in which the president assesses the country's situation each year before Congress and presents his priorities.

This time the president would address a Congress in which the Democrats have regained control of the House, while the Republicans hold the majority in the Senate.

The appearance would take place with a political atmosphere marked by partial government shutdown, ongoing since December 22.

The United States' newly-elected Speaker in the House of Representatives on Thursday invited the country's president to deliver his second State of the Union address on January 29.

The United States' newly-elected Speaker in the House of Representatives on Thursday invited the country's president to deliver his second State of the Union address on January 29. Democrat Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to President Donald Trump hours after reaching 220 votes to become the new House speaker, a position she also held between 2007 and 2011. "In the spirit of our Constitution, I invite you to deliver your State of the Union address before a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 in the House Chamber," the letter Pelosi posted on Twitter said. The Democrat said the Constitution established the legislative, executive and judicial branches of the government to be co-equal checks and balances on each other and asks that the president "from time to time give to the Congress information of the State of the Union.” Trump delivered his first State of the Union address on January 30, 2018, a tradition in which the president assesses the country's situation each year before Congress and presents his priorities. This time the president would address a Congress in which the Democrats have regained control of the House, while the Republicans hold the majority in the Senate. The appearance would take place with a political atmosphere marked by partial government shutdown, ongoing since December 22.

Pelosi invites Trump to deliver State of the Union address

The US House of Representatives, where Democrats now hold a majority, approved legislation on Thursday to end a partial government shutdown that began nearly two weeks ago at several federal agencies and fund the Department of Homeland Security through February 8.

Under the bills, the departments of State, Commerce, Agriculture, Labour, Treasury and other agencies would be funded through September 30, the end of the current fiscal year.

Hours before the vote, the White House said advisers to President Donald Trump would recommend that he veto the measure if Congress passed it without any additional money for Trump's proposed wall along the US-Mexico border.

The US House of Representatives, where Democrats now hold a majority, approved legislation on Thursday to end a partial government shutdown that began nearly two weeks ago at several federal agencies and fund the Department of Homeland Security through February 8.

The US House of Representatives, where Democrats now hold a majority, approved legislation on Thursday to end a partial government shutdown that began nearly two weeks ago at several federal agencies and fund the Department of Homeland Security through February 8. Under the bills, the departments of State, Commerce, Agriculture, Labour, Treasury and other agencies would be funded through September 30, the end of the current fiscal year. Hours before the vote, the White House said advisers to President Donald Trump would recommend that he veto the measure if Congress passed it without any additional money for Trump's proposed wall along the US-Mexico border.

Watch: US House passes bills that would end government shutdown, without wall funds

Democrat Nancy Pelosi was elected on Thursday to be the new speaker of the US House of Representatives as her party took majority control of the chamber following its election victory last Nov. 6.

This marks Pelosi's second stint as speaker. She was the first woman ever to hold the job, serving from 2007 until 2011, when Republicans began an eight-year run in the House majority.

Pelosi received 220 votes for speaker, while Republican Representative Kevin McCarthy got 192 votes. A smattering of others received the remaining votes in the chamber that holds 435 seats.

The election puts Pelosi in position to lead the opposition to President Donald Trump's agenda and to conduct in-depth investigations of his administration following two years during which Republicans have mainly given him a free pass.

Pelosi, 78, was first elected to the House in 1987 and has pledged to push legislation that would spark large federal investments in infrastructure projects that Trump also has expressed an interest in tackling.

But Pelosi's Democrats and Trump's Republicans have taken vastly different approaches to rebuilding the nation's bridges, roadways, airports and other public works projects that also would spark job creation.

During last year's congressional campaigns Pelosi also talked about the need to improve Congress' ethics rules and to pass legislation to lessen the influence of large corporate donations in congressional elections.

Pelosi, a liberal who represents San Francisco, will lead a House with 235 Democrats, 199 Republicans and one seat in North Carolina still being contested.

Besides her legislative agenda, Pelosi has made clear that the House's Democratic-run committees will conduct in-depth oversight of Trump administration officials and likely would attempt to get the president's recent tax returns as part of House investigations into his business dealings.

Some of Pelosi's Democrats already have hinted that these oversight investigations could lead to impeachment proceedings against Trump, depending on the findings of committee hearings and special counsel Robert Mueller's separate findings from his investigation into the 2016 presidential election and Russian interference.

As House speaker, Pelosi will set the legislative agenda for the House, is a leading figure in Democratic Party politics and is second in line for the presidency after Vice President Mike Pence if Trump were to become incapacitated.

Republicans maintain control of the Senate by a margin of 53-47 for the next two years.

Democrat Nancy Pelosi was elected on Thursday to be the new speaker of the US House of Representatives as her party took majority control of the chamber following its election victory last Nov.

Democrat Nancy Pelosi was elected on Thursday to be the new speaker of the US House of Representatives as her party took majority control of the chamber following its election victory last Nov. 6. This marks Pelosi's second stint as speaker. She was the first woman ever to hold the job, serving from 2007 until 2011, when Republicans began an eight-year run in the House majority. Pelosi received 220 votes for speaker, while Republican Representative Kevin McCarthy got 192 votes. A smattering of others received the remaining votes in the chamber that holds 435 seats. The election puts Pelosi in position to lead the opposition to President Donald Trump's agenda and to conduct in-depth investigations of his administration following two years during which Republicans have mainly given him a free pass. Pelosi, 78, was first elected to the House in 1987 and has pledged to push legislation that would spark large federal investments in infrastructure projects that Trump also has expressed an interest in tackling. But Pelosi's Democrats and Trump's Republicans have taken vastly different approaches to rebuilding the nation's bridges, roadways, airports and other public works projects that also would spark job creation. During last year's congressional campaigns Pelosi also talked about the need to improve Congress' ethics rules and to pass legislation to lessen the influence of large corporate donations in congressional elections. Pelosi, a liberal who represents San Francisco, will lead a House with 235 Democrats, 199 Republicans and one seat in North Carolina still being contested. Besides her legislative agenda, Pelosi has made clear that the House's Democratic-run committees will conduct in-depth oversight of Trump administration officials and likely would attempt to get the president's recent tax returns as part of House investigations into his business dealings. Some of Pelosi's Democrats already have hinted that these oversight investigations could lead to impeachment proceedings against Trump, depending on the findings of committee hearings and special counsel Robert Mueller's separate findings from his investigation into the 2016 presidential election and Russian interference. As House speaker, Pelosi will set the legislative agenda for the House, is a leading figure in Democratic Party politics and is second in line for the presidency after Vice President Mike Pence if Trump were to become incapacitated. Republicans maintain control of the Senate by a margin of 53-47 for the next two years.

US House elects Democrat Nancy Pelosi to be speaker for 2019-2020

The US government will begin a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/standoff-over-trump-wall-leaves-us-govt-5-days-away-from-shutdown-184833">Christmastime shutdown </a>at midnight, as Congress adjourned Friday without passing a federal spending bill or addressing President Donald Trump's demand for money to build a border wall.

Operations for several key agencies will cease at 12:01 am Saturday, despite last-ditch talks that continued on Capitol Hill between White House officials and congressional leaders in both parties.

Trump has dug in on his demand for $5 billion for construction of a wall on the US border with Mexico. Democrats are staunchly opposed, and the absence of an elusive deal means federal funds for dozens of agencies will lapse when the clock strikes twelve.

It remained unclear how long the shutdown will last, but Trump expressed hope late Friday night that it "will not last long," after earlier saying he was ready for just that.

The optics are bad, as 800,000 federal employees will be either furloughed or forced to work without pay in the run-up to the Christmas holiday.

But the prospect of a large portion of government workers going without paychecks was not enough to spur lawmakers or the president to action.

The House of Representatives adjourned just before 7:00 pm (2300 GMT) Friday, with no moves taken to avert a shutdown, and the Senate closed up shop an hour later.&nbsp;

Both are due back in session at noon Saturday.

About three-quarters of the government, including the military and the Department of Health and Human Services, is fully funded until the end of September 2019, leaving 25 per cent unfunded as of Saturday.&nbsp;

Most NASA employees will be sent home, as will Commerce Department workers and many at the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Agriculture and State.

National parks will remain open, but most park staff will stay at home.&nbsp;

While most critical security functions will be operational, the effects of the budget wrangling and uncertainty have cast an air of chaos over the capital, which is also reeling from the resignation announcement Thursday by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

Wall Street ended its worst week in a decade with more bruising losses Friday.

And the inability of Washington to accomplish one of its most basic tasks -- keeping the government up and running -- has caused deep embarrassment and anxiety.

'Prepared' for shutdown

"It's up to the Democrats whether or not we have a shutdown tonight," Trump said earlier Friday, blaming political opponents for the crisis.

"I hope we don't," the president added, but "we're totally prepared for a very long shutdown."

Senators told reporters that congressional leaders from both parties were negotiating behind the scenes with White House officials including Vice President Mike Pence, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and incoming chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.

The power trio shuttled from one side of the Capitol to the other, seeking a breakthrough with Republicans and Democrats.&nbsp;

It did not come on Friday.

Should they eventually strike a deal, it could swiftly clear Congress and reach the president's desk, said Senate Republican Bob Corker.&nbsp;

"Now Republicans and Democrats both own the success or failure to fund government."

One focus of discussion was the $1.6 billion in border security funding that was a part of pending Senate legislation, number two Senate Republican John Cornyn told AFP.

But conservatives in the House would likely baulk at that figure.

"There's no agreement," Congressman Mark Meadows, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus of ultra-conservatives, told reporters as he left a closed-door meeting on the Capitol's Senate side.

"There's a whole lot of numbers being thrown around," but a maximum $1.6 billion for border security "is not acceptable."

Cornyn suggested the art of the deal was less about grandstanding and more about a logical compromise to break the impasse.

"The House is at five (billion dollars for border security), the Democrats are at zero," he said. "It doesn't sound like that's rocket science to come up with a figure."

'Hostage'&nbsp;

Trump reversed course Thursday and rejected a measure that had unanimously passed the Senate and was under House consideration.

It would have extended government funding until February 8, but contained no money for a border wall, a pet project Trump has fought for since his presidential campaign.

Democrats painted Trump as the Grinch who stole the year-end deal.

"This #shutdown is brought to you by @POTUS &amp; @HouseGOP," Congresswoman Kathleen Rice tweeted. "Instead of passing the Senate's funding bill, they decided to hold this country hostage."

With lawmakers like Meadows and prominent conservative commentators demanding that the president sticks to his campaign promises, Trump doubled down on his wall.

The House swiftly passed a bill that fulfilled the president's demands. It included $5.7 billion in wall funding and $7.8 billion in disaster relief.

But it stalled at the first hurdle in the Senate.

Trump was scheduled to fly to Florida Friday for his Christmas break, but he postponed the trip to help salvage a deal.

The US government will begin a Christmastime shutdown at midnight, as Congress adjourned Friday without passing a federal spending bill or addressing President Donald Trump's demand for money to build a border wall.

The US government will begin a Christmastime shutdown at midnight, as Congress adjourned Friday without passing a federal spending bill or addressing President Donald Trump's demand for money to build a border wall. Operations for several key agencies will cease at 12:01 am Saturday, despite last-ditch talks that continued on Capitol Hill between White House officials and congressional leaders in both parties. Trump has dug in on his demand for $5 billion for construction of a wall on the US border with Mexico. Democrats are staunchly opposed, and the absence of an elusive deal means federal funds for dozens of agencies will lapse when the clock strikes twelve. It remained unclear how long the shutdown will last, but Trump expressed hope late Friday night that it "will not last long," after earlier saying he was ready for just that. The optics are bad, as 800,000 federal employees will be either furloughed or forced to work without pay in the run-up to the Christmas holiday. But the prospect of a large portion of government workers going without paychecks was not enough to spur lawmakers or the president to action. The House of Representatives adjourned just before 7:00 pm (2300 GMT) Friday, with no moves taken to avert a shutdown, and the Senate closed up shop an hour later. Both are due back in session at noon Saturday. About three-quarters of the government, including the military and the Department of Health and Human Services, is fully funded until the end of September 2019, leaving 25 per cent unfunded as of Saturday. Most NASA employees will be sent home, as will Commerce Department workers and many at the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Agriculture and State. National parks will remain open, but most park staff will stay at home. While most critical security functions will be operational, the effects of the budget wrangling and uncertainty have cast an air of chaos over the capital, which is also reeling from the resignation announcement Thursday by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Wall Street ended its worst week in a decade with more bruising losses Friday. And the inability of Washington to accomplish one of its most basic tasks -- keeping the government up and running -- has caused deep embarrassment and anxiety. 'Prepared' for shutdown "It's up to the Democrats whether or not we have a shutdown tonight," Trump said earlier Friday, blaming political opponents for the crisis. "I hope we don't," the president added, but "we're totally prepared for a very long shutdown." Senators told reporters that congressional leaders from both parties were negotiating behind the scenes with White House officials including Vice President Mike Pence, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and incoming chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. The power trio shuttled from one side of the Capitol to the other, seeking a breakthrough with Republicans and Democrats. It did not come on Friday. Should they eventually strike a deal, it could swiftly clear Congress and reach the president's desk, said Senate Republican Bob Corker. "Now Republicans and Democrats both own the success or failure to fund government." One focus of discussion was the $1.6 billion in border security funding that was a part of pending Senate legislation, number two Senate Republican John Cornyn told AFP. But conservatives in the House would likely baulk at that figure. "There's no agreement," Congressman Mark Meadows, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus of ultra-conservatives, told reporters as he left a closed-door meeting on the Capitol's Senate side. "There's a whole lot of numbers being thrown around," but a maximum $1.6 billion for border security "is not acceptable." Cornyn suggested the art of the deal was less about grandstanding and more about a logical compromise to break the impasse. "The House is at five (billion dollars for border security), the Democrats are at zero," he said. "It doesn't sound like that's rocket science to come up with a figure." 'Hostage' Trump reversed course Thursday and rejected a measure that had unanimously passed the Senate and was under House consideration. It would have extended government funding until February 8, but contained no money for a border wall, a pet project Trump has fought for since his presidential campaign. Democrats painted Trump as the Grinch who stole the year-end deal. "This #shutdown is brought to you by @POTUS & @HouseGOP," Congresswoman Kathleen Rice tweeted. "Instead of passing the Senate's funding bill, they decided to hold this country hostage." With lawmakers like Meadows and prominent conservative commentators demanding that the president sticks to his campaign promises, Trump doubled down on his wall. The House swiftly passed a bill that fulfilled the president's demands. It included $5.7 billion in wall funding and $7.8 billion in disaster relief. But it stalled at the first hurdle in the Senate. Trump was scheduled to fly to Florida Friday for his Christmas break, but he postponed the trip to help salvage a deal.

US government shuts down at midnight as House adjourns with no deal

In an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 394-1, the US House of Representatives on Thursday, in a non-binding resolution, declared the crime against <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-slammed-after-he-tweets-about-everything-in-myanmar-but-rohingya-crisis-182891">Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar</a> as a genocide.

Such a move by the US House of Representatives comes months after the State Department released a report on alleged widespread acts of violence against the Rohingya in the northern Rakhine state of Myanmar, which the lawmakers rued had failed to label these atrocities as genocide.

The atrocities have driven more than 7,00,000 Rohingya from their homes to Bangladesh, bringing the total Rohingya refugee population there to nearly 10 lakh.

"The United States has a moral obligation to call these crimes genocide. Failing to do so gives the perpetrators cover and hinders efforts to bring those accountable to justice. With this resolution, the House fulfils its part of that duty," Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said.

"The measure also accomplishes a number of other important goals: It provides a thorough accounting of the crisis, calls out the complicit Burmese government, urges the Secretary of State to join us in formally declaring genocide and promotes multilateral agreement on that declaration," Royce said.

Following the resolution, Royce urged the US government to put more pressure on the Burmese government.

"We want the pressure to be felt and this message to be heard in Burma that the United States is going on record? (on) the finding of genocide so that these atrocities stop," he said.

"It's not only sanctions but also increasing the pressure internally. One of the things we have to do is use social media, radio, television to tell the people inside the country what is actually happening. Because their government is giving them disinformation," Royce said.

The Burma Task Force welcomed the House resolution.

"The House of Representatives has now officially adopted the position that the ongoing policies of mass violence and displacement against the Rohingya by the Myanmar government constitute genocide, bringing the US closer to the emerging international consensus on the issue," it said.

In an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 394-1, the US House of Representatives on Thursday, in a non-binding resolution, declared the crime against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar as a genocide.

In an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 394-1, the US House of Representatives on Thursday, in a non-binding resolution, declared the crime against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar as a genocide. Such a move by the US House of Representatives comes months after the State Department released a report on alleged widespread acts of violence against the Rohingya in the northern Rakhine state of Myanmar, which the lawmakers rued had failed to label these atrocities as genocide. The atrocities have driven more than 7,00,000 Rohingya from their homes to Bangladesh, bringing the total Rohingya refugee population there to nearly 10 lakh. "The United States has a moral obligation to call these crimes genocide. Failing to do so gives the perpetrators cover and hinders efforts to bring those accountable to justice. With this resolution, the House fulfils its part of that duty," Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said. "The measure also accomplishes a number of other important goals: It provides a thorough accounting of the crisis, calls out the complicit Burmese government, urges the Secretary of State to join us in formally declaring genocide and promotes multilateral agreement on that declaration," Royce said. Following the resolution, Royce urged the US government to put more pressure on the Burmese government. "We want the pressure to be felt and this message to be heard in Burma that the United States is going on record? (on) the finding of genocide so that these atrocities stop," he said. "It's not only sanctions but also increasing the pressure internally. One of the things we have to do is use social media, radio, television to tell the people inside the country what is actually happening. Because their government is giving them disinformation," Royce said. The Burma Task Force welcomed the House resolution. "The House of Representatives has now officially adopted the position that the ongoing policies of mass violence and displacement against the Rohingya by the Myanmar government constitute genocide, bringing the US closer to the emerging international consensus on the issue," it said.

US House of Representatives describes crime against Rohingya in Myanmar as genocide

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-spars-with-chuck-schumer-nancy-pelosi-over-us-mexico-border-wall-183392">Veteran Democrat </a>Nancy Pelosi took a step Wednesday toward regaining her old job as powerful speaker of the US House of Representatives.

She did so by winning over a group of renegades in the chamber with a pledge to serve only until 2022.&nbsp;

The vote will take place on January 3, when the new House takes power under Democrats who ended Republican control of the chamber in November's mid-term elections.&nbsp;

The new assortment of lawmakers features more women and minorities and also a slew of younger representatives.

Pelosi, 78 and considered a master tactician and fund-raiser, held the job of the speaker from 2007 to 2011. She was the first woman to do so.

With a new-look chamber about to get operating, some lawmakers have been complaining for weeks that Pelosi represents the old guard.

By February 15, Democrats in the House will vote on setting term limits for senior leadership positions, Pelosi said Wednesday.

"I am comfortable with the proposal and it is my intention to abide by it whether it passes or not," she said in a statement. For her, it would mean she could serve as speaker until 2022.

A half-dozen lawmakers who had raised questions about Pelosi getting the job again said later that they would support her now.

The speaker is second in line to the presidency, after the vice president.

If she is confirmed as speaker Pelosi would lead a robust new opposition to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-calls-cohen-liar-after-his-sentencing-report-183616">President Donald Trump</a>. Republicans still control the Senate.

The legislature promises to be full of fireworks as seen Tuesday, when what was supposed to be a White House photo opportunity session bringing together Pelosi, Trump and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer escalated into a feisty exchange on Trump's proposed border wall, as television cameras rolled.

Veteran Democrat Nancy Pelosi took a step Wednesday toward regaining her old job as powerful speaker of the US House of Representatives. She did so by winning over a group of renegades in the chamber with a pledge to serve only until 2022.

Veteran Democrat Nancy Pelosi took a step Wednesday toward regaining her old job as powerful speaker of the US House of Representatives. She did so by winning over a group of renegades in the chamber with a pledge to serve only until 2022. The vote will take place on January 3, when the new House takes power under Democrats who ended Republican control of the chamber in November's mid-term elections. The new assortment of lawmakers features more women and minorities and also a slew of younger representatives. Pelosi, 78 and considered a master tactician and fund-raiser, held the job of the speaker from 2007 to 2011. She was the first woman to do so. With a new-look chamber about to get operating, some lawmakers have been complaining for weeks that Pelosi represents the old guard. By February 15, Democrats in the House will vote on setting term limits for senior leadership positions, Pelosi said Wednesday. "I am comfortable with the proposal and it is my intention to abide by it whether it passes or not," she said in a statement. For her, it would mean she could serve as speaker until 2022. A half-dozen lawmakers who had raised questions about Pelosi getting the job again said later that they would support her now. The speaker is second in line to the presidency, after the vice president. If she is confirmed as speaker Pelosi would lead a robust new opposition to President Donald Trump. Republicans still control the Senate. The legislature promises to be full of fireworks as seen Tuesday, when what was supposed to be a White House photo opportunity session bringing together Pelosi, Trump and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer escalated into a feisty exchange on Trump's proposed border wall, as television cameras rolled.

Pelosi agrees to term limit to seal US House speaker job

A three-term Republican congressman conceded defeat on Thursday in a close race in California, giving the Democrats a total of 235 seats in the US House of Representatives.

Republican David Valadao, who was first elected to the House from California's 21st Congressional District in 2012, called Democrat TJ&nbsp;Cox to concede the race.

The result gave the Democrats 235 seats in the 435-member chamber, a net gain of 40 seats over the previous House.

Republicans won 199 seats with one race still to be decided.

Mark Harris, a Republican, defeated his Democratic opponent Dan McCready by 905 votes, in a North Carolina district, according to preliminary results, but the state elections board has declined to certify the result.

The close election in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District has been marred by allegations of ballot fraud on behalf of the Republican candidate Mark Harris.

The state elections board is investigating the electoral fraud allegations and it could potentially call for a new election.

McCready, who had conceded the race, withdrew his concession on Thursday and called on Harris to "end his silence and tell us exactly what he knew, and when."

Nancy Pelosi, the California lawmaker who is expected to become the speaker of the Democratic-controlled House which convenes in January, welcomed Cox's victory.

"It's pretty exciting to have won a minimum of 40 seats -- one more to come maybe," Pelosi told reporters. "And it is wonderful that we had the biggest midterm vote in the history of our country."

While suffering big losses in the House, Republicans managed to pick up two seats in the 100-member Senate, increasing their majority to 53 seats from 51 seats.

A three-term Republican congressman conceded defeat on Thursday in a close race in California, giving the Democrats a total of 235 seats in the US House of Representatives.

A three-term Republican congressman conceded defeat on Thursday in a close race in California, giving the Democrats a total of 235 seats in the US House of Representatives. Republican David Valadao, who was first elected to the House from California's 21st Congressional District in 2012, called Democrat TJ Cox to concede the race. The result gave the Democrats 235 seats in the 435-member chamber, a net gain of 40 seats over the previous House. Republicans won 199 seats with one race still to be decided. Mark Harris, a Republican, defeated his Democratic opponent Dan McCready by 905 votes, in a North Carolina district, according to preliminary results, but the state elections board has declined to certify the result. The close election in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District has been marred by allegations of ballot fraud on behalf of the Republican candidate Mark Harris. The state elections board is investigating the electoral fraud allegations and it could potentially call for a new election. McCready, who had conceded the race, withdrew his concession on Thursday and called on Harris to "end his silence and tell us exactly what he knew, and when." Nancy Pelosi, the California lawmaker who is expected to become the speaker of the Democratic-controlled House which convenes in January, welcomed Cox's victory. "It's pretty exciting to have won a minimum of 40 seats -- one more to come maybe," Pelosi told reporters. "And it is wonderful that we had the biggest midterm vote in the history of our country." While suffering big losses in the House, Republicans managed to pick up two seats in the 100-member Senate, increasing their majority to 53 seats from 51 seats.

Democrats win California seat for net gain of 40 in US House

After capturing the US House of Representatives with a campaign that spoke of holding President Donald Trump accountable, some powerful House Democrats are now urging restraint and a focus on policy, at least at the outset.

An aggressive examination of the president is still needed, senior lawmakers and aides told Reuters. But Democratic leaders are trying to chart a measured path forward from early January when they will take over the House from Trump's Republicans.

That path will seek to avoid igniting political battles, for now, over matters such as Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election, as well as possible collusion between Moscow and the Trump campaign and obstruction of justice.

Many Democrats want to probe these volatile topics, using subpoenas to get at documents and testimony they say Republicans have ignored for two years, lawmakers and aides said.

They also said they want to dig into Trump's property holdings, son-in-law Jared Kushner's businesses and daughter Ivanka Trump's use of private emails for official business.

But the investigative hard-chargers do not appear to be prevailing in shaping the Democrats' early 2019 agenda.

That is because other Democrats - including key committee leaders - want to focus on immigration, rising student loan debt, high-cost prescription drugs and the federal response to hurricane disasters, especially in Puerto Rico.

The Democrats' agenda will solidify in six to eight weeks. When it does, it will greatly shape the relationship for the next two years between Capitol Hill and Trump, who has not yet dealt with a chamber of Congress under opposition control.

Voters handed a House majority to Democrats in the November 6 elections. With that comes more resources for investigations, but some members of key committees said they are concerned that rushing to wield that power could turn off voters.

Representative Jerrold Nadler, likely chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, is discouraging talk of an immediate push to impeach Trump. Other Democrats are doing the same.

At the House Intelligence Committee, members are debating whether to reopen the panel's 2016 Russian election-meddling probe, said sources who requested anonymity.

Representative Adam Schiff, on track to become the panel's chairman, is leading a faction that wants to hold off on reopening the Russian inquiry, said sources.

At the same time, Schiff is talking publicly about investigating Trump's ties to Russia, which has denied interfering in the 2016 election to favour Trump.

Democrat Joaquin Castro, an Intelligence Committee member, favours committees starting the 2019-2020 Congress with hearings on issues such as the separation of immigrant children from their parents. But he told Reuters that Republicans have "turned a blind eye to key leads in the investigation into Russia’s interference in our 2016 election ...

"In the next Congress, we will be sure to revisit all those leads, while at the same time actively examining whether Russians were money laundering through the Trump Organization, gaining any leverage over the president."

Republicans have already begun criticizing Democrats, even before their first investigation is launched, embracing the term "presidential harassment" that Trump likes to use.

At the same time, Republicans reopened 2016's wounds on Friday when the House Judiciary Committee said Republican Bob Goodlatte, with only weeks to go as committee chairman, issued subpoenas for former FBI Director James Comey and former Attorney General Loretta Lynch to give depositions in a probe of their handling of an inquiry into Hillary Clinton’s emails.

A committee statement said Comey would be deposed on December 3 and Lynch on December 4 about the long-festering email issue involving Clinton, the Democrat defeated by Trump in 2016.

Before the current lame-duck Congress ends in mid-December, House Democrats will choose a party leader for 2019-2020, with their current leader Nancy Pelosi the front-runner.

The leader and committee chairs have a "vision" for the investigative agenda, but details are still being discussed, a senior aide said.

The wide-ranging House Oversight Committee is likely to be chaired by Representative Elijah Cummings. He has called an examination of high prescription drug costs a top priority.

Still, Cummings told Reuters the panel has asked for information on the reported use by Ivanka Trump, who serves as a senior aide to her father, of personal email to contact other administration officials, a possible records preservation law violation.

The White House has ignored the request, Cummings said. "We need those documents to ensure that Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and other officials are complying with federal records laws," he said.

Democratic committee member Carolyn Maloney said she was pushing Cummings to probe the administration's decision to add a question about citizenship to the US Census.

Matt Cartwright, another Oversight Democrat, said, "I'm against weaponizing the committee, however, I don't want to defang the committee by the same token ... Our committee should be more than a political loudspeaker."

After capturing the US House of Representatives with a campaign that spoke of holding President Donald Trump accountable, some powerful House Democrats are now urging restraint and a focus on policy, at least at the outset.

After capturing the US House of Representatives with a campaign that spoke of holding President Donald Trump accountable, some powerful House Democrats are now urging restraint and a focus on policy, at least at the outset. An aggressive examination of the president is still needed, senior lawmakers and aides told Reuters. But Democratic leaders are trying to chart a measured path forward from early January when they will take over the House from Trump's Republicans. That path will seek to avoid igniting political battles, for now, over matters such as Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election, as well as possible collusion between Moscow and the Trump campaign and obstruction of justice. Many Democrats want to probe these volatile topics, using subpoenas to get at documents and testimony they say Republicans have ignored for two years, lawmakers and aides said. They also said they want to dig into Trump's property holdings, son-in-law Jared Kushner's businesses and daughter Ivanka Trump's use of private emails for official business. But the investigative hard-chargers do not appear to be prevailing in shaping the Democrats' early 2019 agenda. That is because other Democrats - including key committee leaders - want to focus on immigration, rising student loan debt, high-cost prescription drugs and the federal response to hurricane disasters, especially in Puerto Rico. The Democrats' agenda will solidify in six to eight weeks. When it does, it will greatly shape the relationship for the next two years between Capitol Hill and Trump, who has not yet dealt with a chamber of Congress under opposition control. Voters handed a House majority to Democrats in the November 6 elections. With that comes more resources for investigations, but some members of key committees said they are concerned that rushing to wield that power could turn off voters. Representative Jerrold Nadler, likely chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, is discouraging talk of an immediate push to impeach Trump. Other Democrats are doing the same. At the House Intelligence Committee, members are debating whether to reopen the panel's 2016 Russian election-meddling probe, said sources who requested anonymity. Representative Adam Schiff, on track to become the panel's chairman, is leading a faction that wants to hold off on reopening the Russian inquiry, said sources. At the same time, Schiff is talking publicly about investigating Trump's ties to Russia, which has denied interfering in the 2016 election to favour Trump. Democrat Joaquin Castro, an Intelligence Committee member, favours committees starting the 2019-2020 Congress with hearings on issues such as the separation of immigrant children from their parents. But he told Reuters that Republicans have "turned a blind eye to key leads in the investigation into Russia’s interference in our 2016 election ... "In the next Congress, we will be sure to revisit all those leads, while at the same time actively examining whether Russians were money laundering through the Trump Organization, gaining any leverage over the president." Republicans have already begun criticizing Democrats, even before their first investigation is launched, embracing the term "presidential harassment" that Trump likes to use. At the same time, Republicans reopened 2016's wounds on Friday when the House Judiciary Committee said Republican Bob Goodlatte, with only weeks to go as committee chairman, issued subpoenas for former FBI Director James Comey and former Attorney General Loretta Lynch to give depositions in a probe of their handling of an inquiry into Hillary Clinton’s emails. A committee statement said Comey would be deposed on December 3 and Lynch on December 4 about the long-festering email issue involving Clinton, the Democrat defeated by Trump in 2016. Before the current lame-duck Congress ends in mid-December, House Democrats will choose a party leader for 2019-2020, with their current leader Nancy Pelosi the front-runner. The leader and committee chairs have a "vision" for the investigative agenda, but details are still being discussed, a senior aide said. The wide-ranging House Oversight Committee is likely to be chaired by Representative Elijah Cummings. He has called an examination of high prescription drug costs a top priority. Still, Cummings told Reuters the panel has asked for information on the reported use by Ivanka Trump, who serves as a senior aide to her father, of personal email to contact other administration officials, a possible records preservation law violation. The White House has ignored the request, Cummings said. "We need those documents to ensure that Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and other officials are complying with federal records laws," he said. Democratic committee member Carolyn Maloney said she was pushing Cummings to probe the administration's decision to add a question about citizenship to the US Census. Matt Cartwright, another Oversight Democrat, said, "I'm against weaponizing the committee, however, I don't want to defang the committee by the same token ... Our committee should be more than a political loudspeaker."

Senior US House Democrats tap brakes on investigating Trump

Democrats have a clear message for party leaders who will take control of the US House of Representatives next year, according to a Reuters/Ipsos national opinion poll: Protect their healthcare and impeach President Donald Trump.

The poll released on Thursday found that 43 per cent of people who identified as Democrats want impeachment to be a top priority for Congress. That goal was second in priority only to healthcare, which played a major role in Democratic campaigns' closing arguments before Tuesday's elections.

They may be disappointed: Party leaders on Wednesday vowed to use their newly won majority to impose a new level of scrutiny on the Trump White House but said impeachment would require evidence of action to subvert the Constitution that was so overwhelming that it would trouble even Trump's supporters.

Democratic Party leaders had practical reasons for caution. While they were poised to gain at least 30 House seats, more than the 23 they needed for a majority, Republicans strengthened their control of the US Senate, which has the power to determine guilt or innocence in an impeachment proceeding.

"I want him out of office," said Aprille Evans-Wright, 73, a mobile home park manager in Reno, Nevada, who responded to the poll. "He won't show us his tax returns. He lies consistently. He is leading people astray and he's holding children prisoner at the border."

The American public at large was far less supportive of impeachment proceedings, with just 24 per cent of overall respondents listing it among their top three goals for the new Congress.

About 18 per cent of Democrats wanted Congress to review Trump's tax returns, with 11 per cent of respondents overall citing that as a priority.

Fifty-four per cent of Democrats and 55 per cent of Republicans surveyed said the new Congress should prioritize addressing the US healthcare system. But the poll did not delve into how they would like to see the system changed.

Democrats had focused their messages through the final weeks of the campaign on protecting health insurance coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, which was assured by the 2010 Affordable Care Act, often known as Obamacare, that Republicans have repeatedly tried to repeal.

Democrats' third-most-often-cited priority was the environment, mentioned by 40 per cent of respondents.

After healthcare, Republicans' top priorities were improving border security, which 54 per cent of respondents cited; immigration reform, cited by 40 per cent, and cutting taxes, with 37 per cent support.

One in four Democrats said they would like to see Congress protect the ongoing investigation by former FBI Director Robert Mueller into whether Trump's 2016 presidential campaign colluded with Russia. Both Trump and Moscow have denied that charge.

Trump so far has refused to be interviewed by Mueller.

"I would like the truth to come out about him and Russia," said Wendy McMillan, 53, of Rochester, New York. "I just have a really big feeling that Russia had a hand in him being elected."

The online poll gathered responses from 904 Democrats and 840 Republicans from October 30 to November 5. That was before Tuesday's election, though by that time most opinion polls and nonpartisan forecasters had predicted that Democrats would win control of the House.

The poll asked respondents to list the top three priorities for Congress to address in the 2019-20 session. 
&nbsp;

Democrats have a clear message for party leaders who will take control of the US House of Representatives next year, according to a Reuters/Ipsos national opinion poll: Protect their healthcare and impeach President Donald Trump.

Democrats have a clear message for party leaders who will take control of the US House of Representatives next year, according to a Reuters/Ipsos national opinion poll: Protect their healthcare and impeach President Donald Trump. The poll released on Thursday found that 43 per cent of people who identified as Democrats want impeachment to be a top priority for Congress. That goal was second in priority only to healthcare, which played a major role in Democratic campaigns' closing arguments before Tuesday's elections. They may be disappointed: Party leaders on Wednesday vowed to use their newly won majority to impose a new level of scrutiny on the Trump White House but said impeachment would require evidence of action to subvert the Constitution that was so overwhelming that it would trouble even Trump's supporters. Democratic Party leaders had practical reasons for caution. While they were poised to gain at least 30 House seats, more than the 23 they needed for a majority, Republicans strengthened their control of the US Senate, which has the power to determine guilt or innocence in an impeachment proceeding. "I want him out of office," said Aprille Evans-Wright, 73, a mobile home park manager in Reno, Nevada, who responded to the poll. "He won't show us his tax returns. He lies consistently. He is leading people astray and he's holding children prisoner at the border." The American public at large was far less supportive of impeachment proceedings, with just 24 per cent of overall respondents listing it among their top three goals for the new Congress. About 18 per cent of Democrats wanted Congress to review Trump's tax returns, with 11 per cent of respondents overall citing that as a priority. Fifty-four per cent of Democrats and 55 per cent of Republicans surveyed said the new Congress should prioritize addressing the US healthcare system. But the poll did not delve into how they would like to see the system changed. Democrats had focused their messages through the final weeks of the campaign on protecting health insurance coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, which was assured by the 2010 Affordable Care Act, often known as Obamacare, that Republicans have repeatedly tried to repeal. Democrats' third-most-often-cited priority was the environment, mentioned by 40 per cent of respondents. After healthcare, Republicans' top priorities were improving border security, which 54 per cent of respondents cited; immigration reform, cited by 40 per cent, and cutting taxes, with 37 per cent support. One in four Democrats said they would like to see Congress protect the ongoing investigation by former FBI Director Robert Mueller into whether Trump's 2016 presidential campaign colluded with Russia. Both Trump and Moscow have denied that charge. Trump so far has refused to be interviewed by Mueller. "I would like the truth to come out about him and Russia," said Wendy McMillan, 53, of Rochester, New York. "I just have a really big feeling that Russia had a hand in him being elected." The online poll gathered responses from 904 Democrats and 840 Republicans from October 30 to November 5. That was before Tuesday's election, though by that time most opinion polls and nonpartisan forecasters had predicted that Democrats would win control of the House. The poll asked respondents to list the top three priorities for Congress to address in the 2019-20 session.

Newly emboldened Democrats want healthcare protected and Trump impeached: Poll

The new Democrat majority in the US House of Representatives is likely to back President Donald Trump's trade war with China and could even egg him on, but will offer tougher scrutiny of his negotiations with allies, trade experts and lawmakers say.

Trump has imposed tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese goods to pressure Beijing to stop intellectual property theft and forced technology transfers, improve market access for US firms and cut its high-tech industrial subsidy program - major shifts away from China's state-led economic model.

Democrats, the traditional party of trade unions, largely support such moves, especially for their hoped-for effect on helping American workers.

"I think Trump has a free hand to pursue his aggressive approach. If anything, the Blue Wave (of Democrats) will be as hawkish, if not more hawkish, than Trump on China," Gary Hufbauer, a senior fellow and trade expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said.

Beijing has retaliated by largely cutting off purchases of US soybeans and imposing its own tariffs on farm products, steps that some experts had believed could hurt farm state Republicans in Tuesday's congressional elections. China was the biggest buyer of US soybeans before the trade war.

But the tariffs were at best a minor issue in most races, even in hard-hit states such as North Dakota, Indiana and Missouri, which voted in Republican senators, strengthening Trump's hand in the chamber.

Scott Kennedy, head of China studies at the Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said there is growing bipartisan concern in Washington about increasing state control of China's economy, military activity in the South China Sea and security issues surrounding Chinese technology companies.

"President Trump has paid no political price for taking a tough line on China," he said. "I still see the short term-political and long-term strategic signals on China still pointing in the same direction." &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, who made a pitch to return as speaker on Wednesday, has applauded Trump's initial round of tariffs on China as a "leverage point" to negotiate fairer trade for US products in the country.

"The United States must take strong, smart and strategic action against China's brazenly unfair trade policies," Pelosi said in March.

Those Democrats who may be upset that Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods and steel and aluminum will raise business costs and prices also face a practical problem in that they have little legislative means to stop them, since they are the result of executive orders, which do not need Congressional approval.

Trump has signalled in the past week that he believes a deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping is achievable. The two are due to meet on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit at the end of November.

If things do not go well, he has threatened to impose tariffs on about $267 billion worth of remaining Chinese imports to the United States. Currently, 10 per cent tariffs on $200 billion of products are scheduled to rise to 25 per cent on January 1, 2019.

"House Democrats are the most protectionist group in Congress," said Derek Scissors, a China scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. If Trump makes a deal that fails to achieve significant changes to China's practices, "they'll jump all over him," he said.

Representative Richard Neal, the expected new Democratic chairman of the tax-and-trade focused House Ways and Means Committee, sees China as a "big challenge" that both parties and multiple administrations have tried to tackle, a Democratic aide to the panel told Reuters.

China too appears to have few illusions that the election results will earn it a reprieve from the Trump administration.

"Particularly on trade, both (US) parties agree. So, it will have little impact," said Wu Baiyi, the director of the Institute of American Studies at the state-run Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The Global Times, a nationalist Chinese tabloid, said in an editorial late on Wednesday that the Republicans' loss of the House "will hardly have any direct bearing on Trump's China policy".

"China doesn't need to be deluded by a perceived change in US&nbsp;politics. We should just go about our own business," the paper said.

CANADA, MEXICO A DIFFERENT STORY

The bipartisan unity is less secure when it comes to trade talks with allies, however, and the new Democrat majority could make it more difficult to win congressional approval for a revamp of the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico.

Neal and Representative Bill Pascrell, who is set to chair the Ways and Means trade subcommittee, are promising to haul Trump's top trade lieutenants into hearings not only to explain their strategy on China but also on future trade negotiations with the European Union, Japan and Britain.

In a letter to fellow Democrats on Wednesday, Pascrell said that Republicans had refused to bring administration witnesses into hearings on tariffs or NAFTA negotiations.

"Without hesitation, I would hold regular meetings and public hearings with members of this administration to impose transparency and assert Congress' constitutional role in setting trade policy," Pascrell said.

The recent deal to change the terms of NAFTA is expected to be submitted to Congress for approval in the spring of 2019.

The Ways and Means aide said Neal will insist on ensuring that new labour and environmental standards included in the revamped deal can be adequately enforced. Labor and environmental groups have criticized the provisions as weak.

If Democrats hold out for changes, it may force a reopening of negotiations, analysts and lobbyists said. Democrats forced a similar rethink of the first version of the US-South Korea Free Trade Agreement in 2007 that took nearly three years to complete.

Emily Davis, a spokeswoman for the office of US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, said the agency was "very confident" that Congress will approve the current deal because of the benefits to US workers and businesses.

"From the beginning, Ambassador Lighthizer has worked closely with Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate on the renegotiation of this agreement," Davis said.

The new Democrat majority in the US House of Representatives is likely to back President Donald Trump's trade war with China and could even egg him on, but will offer tougher scrutiny of his negotiations with allies, trade experts and lawmakers say.

The new Democrat majority in the US House of Representatives is likely to back President Donald Trump's trade war with China and could even egg him on, but will offer tougher scrutiny of his negotiations with allies, trade experts and lawmakers say. Trump has imposed tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese goods to pressure Beijing to stop intellectual property theft and forced technology transfers, improve market access for US firms and cut its high-tech industrial subsidy program - major shifts away from China's state-led economic model. Democrats, the traditional party of trade unions, largely support such moves, especially for their hoped-for effect on helping American workers. "I think Trump has a free hand to pursue his aggressive approach. If anything, the Blue Wave (of Democrats) will be as hawkish, if not more hawkish, than Trump on China," Gary Hufbauer, a senior fellow and trade expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said. Beijing has retaliated by largely cutting off purchases of US soybeans and imposing its own tariffs on farm products, steps that some experts had believed could hurt farm state Republicans in Tuesday's congressional elections. China was the biggest buyer of US soybeans before the trade war. But the tariffs were at best a minor issue in most races, even in hard-hit states such as North Dakota, Indiana and Missouri, which voted in Republican senators, strengthening Trump's hand in the chamber. Scott Kennedy, head of China studies at the Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said there is growing bipartisan concern in Washington about increasing state control of China's economy, military activity in the South China Sea and security issues surrounding Chinese technology companies. "President Trump has paid no political price for taking a tough line on China," he said. "I still see the short term-political and long-term strategic signals on China still pointing in the same direction." House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, who made a pitch to return as speaker on Wednesday, has applauded Trump's initial round of tariffs on China as a "leverage point" to negotiate fairer trade for US products in the country. "The United States must take strong, smart and strategic action against China's brazenly unfair trade policies," Pelosi said in March. Those Democrats who may be upset that Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods and steel and aluminum will raise business costs and prices also face a practical problem in that they have little legislative means to stop them, since they are the result of executive orders, which do not need Congressional approval. Trump has signalled in the past week that he believes a deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping is achievable. The two are due to meet on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit at the end of November. If things do not go well, he has threatened to impose tariffs on about $267 billion worth of remaining Chinese imports to the United States. Currently, 10 per cent tariffs on $200 billion of products are scheduled to rise to 25 per cent on January 1, 2019. "House Democrats are the most protectionist group in Congress," said Derek Scissors, a China scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. If Trump makes a deal that fails to achieve significant changes to China's practices, "they'll jump all over him," he said. Representative Richard Neal, the expected new Democratic chairman of the tax-and-trade focused House Ways and Means Committee, sees China as a "big challenge" that both parties and multiple administrations have tried to tackle, a Democratic aide to the panel told Reuters. China too appears to have few illusions that the election results will earn it a reprieve from the Trump administration. "Particularly on trade, both (US) parties agree. So, it will have little impact," said Wu Baiyi, the director of the Institute of American Studies at the state-run Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The Global Times, a nationalist Chinese tabloid, said in an editorial late on Wednesday that the Republicans' loss of the House "will hardly have any direct bearing on Trump's China policy". "China doesn't need to be deluded by a perceived change in US politics. We should just go about our own business," the paper said. CANADA, MEXICO A DIFFERENT STORY The bipartisan unity is less secure when it comes to trade talks with allies, however, and the new Democrat majority could make it more difficult to win congressional approval for a revamp of the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico. Neal and Representative Bill Pascrell, who is set to chair the Ways and Means trade subcommittee, are promising to haul Trump's top trade lieutenants into hearings not only to explain their strategy on China but also on future trade negotiations with the European Union, Japan and Britain. In a letter to fellow Democrats on Wednesday, Pascrell said that Republicans had refused to bring administration witnesses into hearings on tariffs or NAFTA negotiations. "Without hesitation, I would hold regular meetings and public hearings with members of this administration to impose transparency and assert Congress' constitutional role in setting trade policy," Pascrell said. The recent deal to change the terms of NAFTA is expected to be submitted to Congress for approval in the spring of 2019. The Ways and Means aide said Neal will insist on ensuring that new labour and environmental standards included in the revamped deal can be adequately enforced. Labor and environmental groups have criticized the provisions as weak. If Democrats hold out for changes, it may force a reopening of negotiations, analysts and lobbyists said. Democrats forced a similar rethink of the first version of the US-South Korea Free Trade Agreement in 2007 that took nearly three years to complete. Emily Davis, a spokeswoman for the office of US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, said the agency was "very confident" that Congress will approve the current deal because of the benefits to US workers and businesses. "From the beginning, Ambassador Lighthizer has worked closely with Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate on the renegotiation of this agreement," Davis said.

Democrat-led House seen backing Trump’s China trade war, scrutinizing talks with allies

Republicans' loss of control of the US&nbsp;House of Representatives will leave the party with a more conservative congressional caucus that is even more bound to President Donald Trump and more united around his provocative rhetoric and hardline agenda.

Although moderate Republicans who remain in the House may view the result as an indictment of Trump's strategy of focusing relentlessly on illegal immigration in the final stretch of the campaign, they will be a small minority.

Major US&nbsp;TV networks projected Democrats would take control of the House while Republicans would retain the majority in the Senate.

Many Republicans who lost their seats were moderating from suburban-heavy districts who tried to keep some distance from Trump and his rhetoric, but lost anyway. That leaves a shrunken core dominated by conservatives from rural areas whose constituents overwhelmingly support Trump.

In short, Trump will stay Trump. Although some Republicans may blame him for Tuesday's losses, they are unlikely to be emboldened to rebel, especially given that the party kept control of the Senate.

Over the past two years, the president has shown little inclination to change his slash-and-burn style or turn conciliatory. He knows that he remains without question the most popular figure in his party.

Now, Trump begins his run for re-election in earnest, where he will make every effort to galvanize his base of passionate supporters.

That means that even in the face of stronger Democratic opposition, Trump is likely to advocate for his "America First" agenda that prioritizes hot-button issues, such as illegal immigration and trade protectionism. This, in turn, will accelerate his dramatic reshaping of a party that for decades was defined by fiscal, social and national security conservatism.

Knowing that House Democrats will not approve funding for a wall along the US&nbsp;border, for example, will not keep Trump from continuing to make it an issue. In fact, he may find it more politically effective to have House Democrats as a foil.

The surviving Republican members in the House, too, will have little interest in cooperating with the new Democratic majority, leaving Republican congressional power focused in the Senate and the government largely gridlocked.

“A Democratic House means that if the president wants to get things done, he’s going to have to work across the aisle," said Jason McGrath, a Democratic pollster in Chicago. "He hasn’t shown any inclination to do that, but it will be interesting to see if this is a moment he will want to govern rather than just make points.”

Suburban shift

The shift has long-term implications for Republicans in districts that flipped Democratic on Tuesday and gives Democrats an opportunity to build on gains in once-reliably Republican suburbs where education levels and incomes are above the national average - and where skepticism of Trump runs deep.

The party already faced challenges in trying to grow beyond its base of middle-class Trump supporters, white men, and evangelicals. It has lost ground among women, suburban voters, voters with college degrees, while showing little ability to win over young and minority voters.

That will almost certainly continue if a shrinking congressional caucus paves the way for greater fealty to Trump.

In the Senate, centrist Democrats from states that Trump won in 2016 such as Joe Donnelly in Indiana and Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota were replaced by conservative Republicans who may credit their victories to the president.

Moreover, Trump’s fiercest Republican critics in the Senate, Bob Corker and Jeff Flake, are retiring. So is Paul Ryan, the Republican speaker of the House who at times differed with the president’s tone, if not his policies.

All of it leaves Trump a more dominant force in the party than he was even two years ago. And Trump, who campaigned heavily in rural states, can point to those Senate wins as evidence he can still drive his voters to the polls.

Low expectations

All year, Republicans have been clear-eyed about their potential losses in the House, and so likely will not view Tuesday's result as a warning sign the party needs to change its ways.

Historically, the party in power loses several seats during the first midterm election of a new president, particularly if his national job approval ratings are low.

Democrats lost 63 seats in 2010 with Barack Obama in the White House, handing control to the Republicans, who brought Obama’s agenda largely to a halt.

In the closing weeks of the election, Trump stoked fears over a caravan of migrants approaching the United States from Central America and warned of the threat from liberal “mobs” if Democrats won power, trying to stoke his base to the polls.

Several Republican candidates and advocacy groups such as the Congressional Leadership Fund joined in, concluding that the party’s economic message was not resonating. In two years, should economic growth slow, the party may not even have that argument.

With Congress expected to produce little in the way of meaningful legislation in coming months, Republican candidates in the next election cycle are likely to have few accomplishments to point to. A 2017 tax-cut law will be a distant memory.

Those Republican candidates who run for office with Trump at the top of the ticket will have a difficult time establishing their own political identities – and they may not want to, as US&nbsp;presidents by and large win their second terms.

Republicans' loss of control of the US House of Representatives will leave the party with a more conservative congressional caucus that is even more bound to President Donald Trump and more united around his provocative rhetoric and hardline agenda.

Republicans' loss of control of the US House of Representatives will leave the party with a more conservative congressional caucus that is even more bound to President Donald Trump and more united around his provocative rhetoric and hardline agenda. Although moderate Republicans who remain in the House may view the result as an indictment of Trump's strategy of focusing relentlessly on illegal immigration in the final stretch of the campaign, they will be a small minority. Major US TV networks projected Democrats would take control of the House while Republicans would retain the majority in the Senate. Many Republicans who lost their seats were moderating from suburban-heavy districts who tried to keep some distance from Trump and his rhetoric, but lost anyway. That leaves a shrunken core dominated by conservatives from rural areas whose constituents overwhelmingly support Trump. In short, Trump will stay Trump. Although some Republicans may blame him for Tuesday's losses, they are unlikely to be emboldened to rebel, especially given that the party kept control of the Senate. Over the past two years, the president has shown little inclination to change his slash-and-burn style or turn conciliatory. He knows that he remains without question the most popular figure in his party. Now, Trump begins his run for re-election in earnest, where he will make every effort to galvanize his base of passionate supporters. That means that even in the face of stronger Democratic opposition, Trump is likely to advocate for his "America First" agenda that prioritizes hot-button issues, such as illegal immigration and trade protectionism. This, in turn, will accelerate his dramatic reshaping of a party that for decades was defined by fiscal, social and national security conservatism. Knowing that House Democrats will not approve funding for a wall along the US border, for example, will not keep Trump from continuing to make it an issue. In fact, he may find it more politically effective to have House Democrats as a foil. The surviving Republican members in the House, too, will have little interest in cooperating with the new Democratic majority, leaving Republican congressional power focused in the Senate and the government largely gridlocked. “A Democratic House means that if the president wants to get things done, he’s going to have to work across the aisle," said Jason McGrath, a Democratic pollster in Chicago. "He hasn’t shown any inclination to do that, but it will be interesting to see if this is a moment he will want to govern rather than just make points.” Suburban shift The shift has long-term implications for Republicans in districts that flipped Democratic on Tuesday and gives Democrats an opportunity to build on gains in once-reliably Republican suburbs where education levels and incomes are above the national average - and where skepticism of Trump runs deep. The party already faced challenges in trying to grow beyond its base of middle-class Trump supporters, white men, and evangelicals. It has lost ground among women, suburban voters, voters with college degrees, while showing little ability to win over young and minority voters. That will almost certainly continue if a shrinking congressional caucus paves the way for greater fealty to Trump. In the Senate, centrist Democrats from states that Trump won in 2016 such as Joe Donnelly in Indiana and Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota were replaced by conservative Republicans who may credit their victories to the president. Moreover, Trump’s fiercest Republican critics in the Senate, Bob Corker and Jeff Flake, are retiring. So is Paul Ryan, the Republican speaker of the House who at times differed with the president’s tone, if not his policies. All of it leaves Trump a more dominant force in the party than he was even two years ago. And Trump, who campaigned heavily in rural states, can point to those Senate wins as evidence he can still drive his voters to the polls. Low expectations All year, Republicans have been clear-eyed about their potential losses in the House, and so likely will not view Tuesday's result as a warning sign the party needs to change its ways. Historically, the party in power loses several seats during the first midterm election of a new president, particularly if his national job approval ratings are low. Democrats lost 63 seats in 2010 with Barack Obama in the White House, handing control to the Republicans, who brought Obama’s agenda largely to a halt. In the closing weeks of the election, Trump stoked fears over a caravan of migrants approaching the United States from Central America and warned of the threat from liberal “mobs” if Democrats won power, trying to stoke his base to the polls. Several Republican candidates and advocacy groups such as the Congressional Leadership Fund joined in, concluding that the party’s economic message was not resonating. In two years, should economic growth slow, the party may not even have that argument. With Congress expected to produce little in the way of meaningful legislation in coming months, Republican candidates in the next election cycle are likely to have few accomplishments to point to. A 2017 tax-cut law will be a distant memory. Those Republican candidates who run for office with Trump at the top of the ticket will have a difficult time establishing their own political identities – and they may not want to, as US presidents by and large win their second terms.

Loss of US House leaves Republicans more tied to Trump than ever: Report

A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the US&nbsp;House of Representatives on Friday sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray questioning the law enforcement agency's decision to take Apple Inc to court to force the company to help unlock a mass shooter's iPhone.

Last month, a report from the Justice Department's internal watchdog found that the FBI didn't exhaust all its options to unlock San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook's iPhone before attempting to force Apple to help do so. The FBI didn't consult its own internal experts or outside vendors before going to court, and the poor coordination resulted in the FBI withdrawing its legal efforts when an outside vendor eventually accessed the device.

A group of 10 representatives evenly split between Republicans and Democrats said the report raised concerns that the FBI officials didn't exhaust the agency's technical options "precisely because they wanted the suit against Apple to go forward."

The report "undermines the statements that the FBI made during the San Bernardino litigation and consistently since then, that only the device manufacturer could provide a solution," the lawmakers wrote.

The lawmakers also said that recent media reports that cyber security vendors such as Cellebrite and GrayShift are routinely able to unlock iPhones "raises even more concerns that the FBI has not been forthcoming about the extent of the 'Going Dark' problem."

"Going Dark" refers to law enforcement officials' inability to read data on encrypted devices and services such as Apple's iPhones or messaging services like Signal. The FBI says it has some 7,800 devices inaccessible due to encryption, and Wray has called unbreakable encryption an "urgent public safety issue."

Technology companies and many digital security experts have said that the FBI’s attempts to require that devices allow investigators a way to access a criminal suspect’s cellphone would harm internet security and empower malicious hackers. US&nbsp;lawmakers, meanwhile, have expressed little interest in pursuing legislation to require companies to create products whose contents are accessible to authorities who obtain a warrant.

In their letter to Wray, lawmakers asked whether the FBI has consulted third-party vendors to crack iPhones and, if not, explain why those methods won't work for the agency. The lawmakers also want to know how many of the FBI's locked phones might also have data that could be obtained from a cloud-based Internet service, which is typically straightforward for law enforcement officials to obtain with a valid legal order.

Last month, a report from the Justice Department's internal watchdog found that the FBI didn't exhaust all its options to unlock San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook's iPhone before attempting to force Apple to help do so.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the US House of Representatives on Friday sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray questioning the law enforcement agency's decision to take Apple Inc to court to force the company to help unlock a mass shooter's iPhone. Last month, a report from the Justice Department's internal watchdog found that the FBI didn't exhaust all its options to unlock San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook's iPhone before attempting to force Apple to help do so. The FBI didn't consult its own internal experts or outside vendors before going to court, and the poor coordination resulted in the FBI withdrawing its legal efforts when an outside vendor eventually accessed the device. A group of 10 representatives evenly split between Republicans and Democrats said the report raised concerns that the FBI officials didn't exhaust the agency's technical options "precisely because they wanted the suit against Apple to go forward." The report "undermines the statements that the FBI made during the San Bernardino litigation and consistently since then, that only the device manufacturer could provide a solution," the lawmakers wrote. The lawmakers also said that recent media reports that cyber security vendors such as Cellebrite and GrayShift are routinely able to unlock iPhones "raises even more concerns that the FBI has not been forthcoming about the extent of the 'Going Dark' problem." "Going Dark" refers to law enforcement officials' inability to read data on encrypted devices and services such as Apple's iPhones or messaging services like Signal. The FBI says it has some 7,800 devices inaccessible due to encryption, and Wray has called unbreakable encryption an "urgent public safety issue." Technology companies and many digital security experts have said that the FBI’s attempts to require that devices allow investigators a way to access a criminal suspect’s cellphone would harm internet security and empower malicious hackers. US lawmakers, meanwhile, have expressed little interest in pursuing legislation to require companies to create products whose contents are accessible to authorities who obtain a warrant. In their letter to Wray, lawmakers asked whether the FBI has consulted third-party vendors to crack iPhones and, if not, explain why those methods won't work for the agency. The lawmakers also want to know how many of the FBI's locked phones might also have data that could be obtained from a cloud-based Internet service, which is typically straightforward for law enforcement officials to obtain with a valid legal order.

US Lawmakers question FBI over San Bernardino suit against Apple

Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg started the second day of testimony on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, facing more questions from lawmakers about data privacy at the world`s largest social media network.

The 33-year-old internet magnate, once again wearing a dark suit instead of his usual grey T-shirt, appeared before the US&nbspHouse of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee, a day after he took questions for nearly five hours in a US&nbspSenate hearing.&nbsp

He navigated through the first hearing on Tuesday without making any further promises to support new legislation or change how the social network does business, foiling attempts by senators to pin him down.&nbsp

Investors were impressed with his initial performance. Shares in Facebook posted their biggest daily gain in nearly two years on Tuesday, closing up 4.5 percent. They were down slightly in early trading on Wednesday.&nbsp

Facebook has been consumed by turmoil for nearly a month, since it came to light that millions of users` personal information was wrongly harvested from the website by Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy that has counted US&nbspPresident

Donald Trump`s election campaign among its clients. The latest estimate of affected users is up to 87 million.&nbsp

Patience with the social network had already worn thin among users, advertisers and investors after the company said last year that Russia used Facebook for years to try to sway U.S. politics, an allegation Moscow denies.&nbsp

Lawmakers have sought assurances that Facebook can effectively police itself, and few came away from Tuesday`s hearing expressing confidence in the social network.&nbsp

"I don`t want to vote to have to regulate Facebook, but by God, I will," Republican Senator John Kennedy told Zuckerberg on Tuesday. "A lot of that depends on you."&nbsp

Zuckerberg deflected requests to support specific legislation. Pressed repeatedly by Democratic Senator Ed Markey to endorse a proposed law that would require companies to get people`s permission before sharing personal information, Zuckerberg agreed to further talks.&nbsp

"In principle, I think that that makes sense, and the details matter and I look forward to having our team work with you on fleshing that out," Zuckerberg said.&nbsp

The 33-year-old internet magnate, once again wearing a dark suit instead of his usual grey T-shirt, appeared before the U.S

Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg started the second day of testimony on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, facing more questions from lawmakers about data privacy at the world`s largest social media network. The 33-year-old internet magnate, once again wearing a dark suit instead of his usual grey T-shirt, appeared before the US&nbspHouse of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee, a day after he took questions for nearly five hours in a US&nbspSenate hearing. He navigated through the first hearing on Tuesday without making any further promises to support new legislation or change how the social network does business, foiling attempts by senators to pin him down. Investors were impressed with his initial performance. Shares in Facebook posted their biggest daily gain in nearly two years on Tuesday, closing up 4.5 percent. They were down slightly in early trading on Wednesday. Facebook has been consumed by turmoil for nearly a month, since it came to light that millions of users` personal information was wrongly harvested from the website by Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy that has counted US&nbspPresident Donald Trump`s election campaign among its clients. The latest estimate of affected users is up to 87 million. Patience with the social network had already worn thin among users, advertisers and investors after the company said last year that Russia used Facebook for years to try to sway U.S. politics, an allegation Moscow denies. Lawmakers have sought assurances that Facebook can effectively police itself, and few came away from Tuesday`s hearing expressing confidence in the social network. "I don`t want to vote to have to regulate Facebook, but by God, I will," Republican Senator John Kennedy told Zuckerberg on Tuesday. "A lot of that depends on you." Zuckerberg deflected requests to support specific legislation. Pressed repeatedly by Democratic Senator Ed Markey to endorse a proposed law that would require companies to get people`s permission before sharing personal information, Zuckerberg agreed to further talks. "In principle, I think that that makes sense, and the details matter and I look forward to having our team work with you on fleshing that out," Zuckerberg said.

Facebook CEO starts second day of US congressional hearings

Moscow and the European Union hit out at the United States on Wednesday after an overwhelming vote by the House of Representatives to impose new sanctions on Russia left President Donald Trump facing a tough call.&nbsp;

The package, which targets Russia, Iran and North Korea, &quot;tightens the screws on our most dangerous adversaries in order to keep Americans safe,&quot; House Speaker Paul Ryan said after it passed on Tuesday by 419 votes to three.

It now heads to the Senate before Trump faces the tricky choice of whether to veto the bill, which has been opposed by the White House and considerably constrains his ability to lift the penalties.

While Moscow and Tehran raised the prospect of retaliation over any fresh punitive measures, the EU also warned it was &quot;ready to act to protect European interests&quot; if the legislation hit dealings with the Russian energy sector. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The US bill was the result of a congressional compromise aimed at punishing the Kremlin for allegedly interfering in the 2016 US presidential election and intervening in Ukraine.

Key among the provisions is one that handcuffs Trump by complicating any unilateral efforts to ease santions against Moscow in future -- effectively placing him under Congress&#39;s watch.

&quot;Left unchecked, Russia is sure to continue its aggression,&quot; House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Ed Royce said, applauding the bill&#39;s backing.

Sanctions &#39;will not go unanswered&#39;&nbsp;

Despite initially opposing the bill, Trump appears to have few options in the face of near-total consensus in Congress, with a decision likely due by mid-August.

Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the White House was still &quot;reviewing the House legislation and awaits a final legislative package for the president&#39;s desk&quot;.

But even if Trump were to veto the legislation, Congress would likely be able to overcome such a blockage with a two-thirds majority in each chamber.

Moscow responded angrily to the vote, with deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov insisting Washington had been warned &quot;dozens of times&quot; that any new sanctions would &quot;not go unanswered&quot;.

&quot;The authors and sponsors of this bill are taking a very serious step towards destroying the possibilities for normalising relations with Russia,&quot; he told state-run TASS news agency.&nbsp;

Ties between Moscow and Washington have been at their lowest point since the Cold War since the US began slapping sanctions on Russia after its annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Trump repeatedly pledged to improve relations during his campaign, raising the prospect that he could roll back the Obama-era punishments.

Since then, accusations from US intelligence that the Kremlin meddled in the vote to get Trump elected have made any softening of the stance on Russia politically toxic.

The bill also includes fresh sanctions against Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which stands accused of supporting terrorism, and North Korea, for its missile tests, are also included.&nbsp;

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tehran would respond in kind to any breach by the US of the 2015 nuclear deal after the vote.

The Iranian parliament&#39;s national security and foreign affairs committee said it would hold an extraordinary session on Saturday to discuss its response.

European &#39;concerns

In a rare feat, the US vote has also managed to upset European Union nations worried that it could damage their energy interests.

European commissioners, the EU executive&#39;s top officials, &quot;expressed their concerns notably because of the draft bill&#39;s possible impact on EU energy independence,&quot; the bloc said in a statement following talks in Brussels on Wednesday.

In an apparent concession, the House modified a provision so the bill only targets pipelines originating in Russia, sparing those that merely pass through, such as the Caspian pipeline that carries oil from Kazakhstan to Europe.

But Brussels worries that the fresh wave of measures could end up penalising European firms that contribute to the development of Russia&#39;s energy sector.

&quot;Depending on its implementation, this could affect infrastructure transporting energy resources to Europe,&quot; including those transiting through Ukraine, the EU said in a statement.&nbsp;

Brussels also decried the sanctions bill as a unilateral action by Washington that disrupted previous close cooperation on measures against Russia, which took a toll on its economy.&nbsp;

The EU and US imposed the punishment after Russia&#39;s annexation of Crimea, before Moscow was later accused of backing a separatist insurgency to halt Ukraine&#39;s pivot to the West.&nbsp;

The two sides later imposed broader economic sanctions after the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in July 2014, which international investigators say was downed by a Russian missile fired from rebel-held territory.&nbsp;

The US vote has managed to upset European Union nations worried that it could damage their energy interests

Moscow and the European Union hit out at the United States on Wednesday after an overwhelming vote by the House of Representatives to impose new sanctions on Russia left President Donald Trump facing a tough call. The package, which targets Russia, Iran and North Korea, "tightens the screws on our most dangerous adversaries in order to keep Americans safe," House Speaker Paul Ryan said after it passed on Tuesday by 419 votes to three. It now heads to the Senate before Trump faces the tricky choice of whether to veto the bill, which has been opposed by the White House and considerably constrains his ability to lift the penalties. While Moscow and Tehran raised the prospect of retaliation over any fresh punitive measures, the EU also warned it was "ready to act to protect European interests" if the legislation hit dealings with the Russian energy sector. The US bill was the result of a congressional compromise aimed at punishing the Kremlin for allegedly interfering in the 2016 US presidential election and intervening in Ukraine. Key among the provisions is one that handcuffs Trump by complicating any unilateral efforts to ease santions against Moscow in future -- effectively placing him under Congress's watch. "Left unchecked, Russia is sure to continue its aggression," House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Ed Royce said, applauding the bill's backing. Sanctions 'will not go unanswered' Despite initially opposing the bill, Trump appears to have few options in the face of near-total consensus in Congress, with a decision likely due by mid-August. Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the White House was still "reviewing the House legislation and awaits a final legislative package for the president's desk". But even if Trump were to veto the legislation, Congress would likely be able to overcome such a blockage with a two-thirds majority in each chamber. Moscow responded angrily to the vote, with deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov insisting Washington had been warned "dozens of times" that any new sanctions would "not go unanswered". "The authors and sponsors of this bill are taking a very serious step towards destroying the possibilities for normalising relations with Russia," he told state-run TASS news agency. Ties between Moscow and Washington have been at their lowest point since the Cold War since the US began slapping sanctions on Russia after its annexation of Crimea in 2014. Trump repeatedly pledged to improve relations during his campaign, raising the prospect that he could roll back the Obama-era punishments. Since then, accusations from US intelligence that the Kremlin meddled in the vote to get Trump elected have made any softening of the stance on Russia politically toxic. The bill also includes fresh sanctions against Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which stands accused of supporting terrorism, and North Korea, for its missile tests, are also included. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tehran would respond in kind to any breach by the US of the 2015 nuclear deal after the vote. The Iranian parliament's national security and foreign affairs committee said it would hold an extraordinary session on Saturday to discuss its response. European 'concerns In a rare feat, the US vote has also managed to upset European Union nations worried that it could damage their energy interests. European commissioners, the EU executive's top officials, "expressed their concerns notably because of the draft bill's possible impact on EU energy independence," the bloc said in a statement following talks in Brussels on Wednesday. In an apparent concession, the House modified a provision so the bill only targets pipelines originating in Russia, sparing those that merely pass through, such as the Caspian pipeline that carries oil from Kazakhstan to Europe. But Brussels worries that the fresh wave of measures could end up penalising European firms that contribute to the development of Russia's energy sector. "Depending on its implementation, this could affect infrastructure transporting energy resources to Europe," including those transiting through Ukraine, the EU said in a statement. Brussels also decried the sanctions bill as a unilateral action by Washington that disrupted previous close cooperation on measures against Russia, which took a toll on its economy. The EU and US imposed the punishment after Russia's annexation of Crimea, before Moscow was later accused of backing a separatist insurgency to halt Ukraine's pivot to the West. The two sides later imposed broader economic sanctions after the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in July 2014, which international investigators say was downed by a Russian missile fired from rebel-held territory.

European Union, Moscow warn US after House votes for new Russia sanctions

In a move that imposes strict conditions on reimbursements by US for defence spending by Pakistan, the US House of Representatives voted for three amendments to its National Defence Authorisation Act, 2018, that make it conditional to Islamabad&#39;s satisfactory progress in the fight against terrorism. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The conditions are related to Pakistan&#39;s support to terrorists and terror outfits, about which several top US officials and lawmakers have repeatedly expressed concern about in the past.

The National Defence Authorisation Act, 2018, authorises defence spending for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2017 and was adopted by the House 344-81.

The bill, as passed by the House, requires the Secretary of Defence to certify, prior to making any reimbursement to Pakistan, that Islamabad is maintaining security along the Ground Lines of Communication through Pakistan, taking demonstrable steps to support counterterrorism operations, disrupting cross border attacks, and countering the threat of improvised explosive devices.

It also specifies that of the total amount of reimbursement and support authorised for Pakistan during the period beginning on October 1, 2017, and ending on December 31, 2018-- USD 400 million-- would not be eligible for a national security waiver unless the Secretary of Defence certifies that Pakistan continues to conduct military operations against the Haqqani Network in North Waziristan.

The Defence Secretary also needs to certify that Pakistan is demonstrating commitment to preventing the Haqqani network from using North Waziristan as a safe haven, and is actively coordinating with the Government of Afghanistan to restrict the movement of militants, including the Haqqani Network, along the Pak-Afghan border.

Two of these amendments were moved by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher and one by Ted Poe.

&quot;Today, Congress took a step forward to end Pakistan&#39;s betrayal of the US with the addition of an additional certification requirement,&quot; said Poe, a Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Chairman of Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation &amp; Trade.

One of Poe&#39;s amendment, as passed by the House proposes to withhold reimbursement funding for Pakistan unless the Secretary of Defence can certify that Pakistan is not providing military, financial, or logistical support to any individuals designated by the US as a terrorist operating in Pakistan or Afghanistan.

NDAA, as passed by the House, now requires that the Pentagon assess Pakistan&#39;s support for known terrorists before handing over US dollars to Islamabad, Poe said.

&quot;Making excess military equipment available to federal, state, and law enforcement agencies along our southern border will provide much-needed support and reinforcements to the men and women who are our first line of defence,&quot; he said.

&quot;It is well known that Pakistan is a Benedict Arnold ally who supports multiple terrorist organisations, including groups that target Americans working to stabilise Afghanistan.

&quot;But current limitations on military reimbursement funding to Pakistan only apply to one terrorist group: the Haqqani Network,&quot; Poe said in a statement.

The legislative amendment moved by Rohrabacher adds a stipulation requiring that, prior to the disbursement of certain funds, the Secretary of Defence certify to Congress that Pakistan is not using its military or any funds or equipment provided by the US to persecute minority groups seeking political or religious freedom.

Another Rohrabacher amendment expresses a sense of Congress that Shakil Afridi is an international hero and that the Government of Pakistan should release him immediately from prison.

&quot;Dr Shakil Afridi, a Pakistani physician, is a hero to whom the people of the United States, Pakistan and the world owe a debt of gratitude for his help in finally locating Osama bin Laden before 10 more innocent American, Pakistani and other lives were lost to this terrorist leader,&quot; the amendment said.

Pakistan&#39;s imprisonment of Afridi presents a serious and growing impediment to the United States&#39; bilateral relations with Pakistan, said the amendment as passed by the House of Representatives.

The conditions are related to Pakistan's support to terrorists and terror outfits, about which several top US officials and lawmakers have repeatedly expressed concern about

In a move that imposes strict conditions on reimbursements by US for defence spending by Pakistan, the US House of Representatives voted for three amendments to its National Defence Authorisation Act, 2018, that make it conditional to Islamabad's satisfactory progress in the fight against terrorism. The conditions are related to Pakistan's support to terrorists and terror outfits, about which several top US officials and lawmakers have repeatedly expressed concern about in the past. The National Defence Authorisation Act, 2018, authorises defence spending for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2017 and was adopted by the House 344-81. The bill, as passed by the House, requires the Secretary of Defence to certify, prior to making any reimbursement to Pakistan, that Islamabad is maintaining security along the Ground Lines of Communication through Pakistan, taking demonstrable steps to support counterterrorism operations, disrupting cross border attacks, and countering the threat of improvised explosive devices. It also specifies that of the total amount of reimbursement and support authorised for Pakistan during the period beginning on October 1, 2017, and ending on December 31, 2018-- USD 400 million-- would not be eligible for a national security waiver unless the Secretary of Defence certifies that Pakistan continues to conduct military operations against the Haqqani Network in North Waziristan. The Defence Secretary also needs to certify that Pakistan is demonstrating commitment to preventing the Haqqani network from using North Waziristan as a safe haven, and is actively coordinating with the Government of Afghanistan to restrict the movement of militants, including the Haqqani Network, along the Pak-Afghan border. Two of these amendments were moved by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher and one by Ted Poe. "Today, Congress took a step forward to end Pakistan's betrayal of the US with the addition of an additional certification requirement," said Poe, a Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Chairman of Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation & Trade. One of Poe's amendment, as passed by the House proposes to withhold reimbursement funding for Pakistan unless the Secretary of Defence can certify that Pakistan is not providing military, financial, or logistical support to any individuals designated by the US as a terrorist operating in Pakistan or Afghanistan. NDAA, as passed by the House, now requires that the Pentagon assess Pakistan's support for known terrorists before handing over US dollars to Islamabad, Poe said. "Making excess military equipment available to federal, state, and law enforcement agencies along our southern border will provide much-needed support and reinforcements to the men and women who are our first line of defence," he said. "It is well known that Pakistan is a Benedict Arnold ally who supports multiple terrorist organisations, including groups that target Americans working to stabilise Afghanistan. "But current limitations on military reimbursement funding to Pakistan only apply to one terrorist group: the Haqqani Network," Poe said in a statement. The legislative amendment moved by Rohrabacher adds a stipulation requiring that, prior to the disbursement of certain funds, the Secretary of Defence certify to Congress that Pakistan is not using its military or any funds or equipment provided by the US to persecute minority groups seeking political or religious freedom. Another Rohrabacher amendment expresses a sense of Congress that Shakil Afridi is an international hero and that the Government of Pakistan should release him immediately from prison. "Dr Shakil Afridi, a Pakistani physician, is a hero to whom the people of the United States, Pakistan and the world owe a debt of gratitude for his help in finally locating Osama bin Laden before 10 more innocent American, Pakistani and other lives were lost to this terrorist leader," the amendment said. Pakistan's imprisonment of Afridi presents a serious and growing impediment to the United States' bilateral relations with Pakistan, said the amendment as passed by the House of Representatives.

US imposes strict conditions on defence funding to Pakistan

US President Donald Trump held his first-face-to-face meeting with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Thursday, and declared that they &quot;get along great,&quot; following an acrimonious phone call in January that strained ties between the two allies.

&quot;They said we had a rough phone call. We didn&#39;t really have a rough phone call,&quot; Trump said in dinner remarks. &quot;It got a little bit testy. But that&#39;s okay.&quot;

Dressed in tuxedos as they prepared to attend a dinner, the two leaders met on board the USS Intrepid, a World War Two aircraft carrier that is now a museum moored on Manhattan&#39;s West Side. Joined by their wives, the two leaders later attended a gala to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea.

Turnbull was one of the first foreign leaders Trump spoke to after taking office on January 20. The Republican president became irritated that he was expected to honor an agreement made by his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, to accept as many as 1,250 refugees held in Australian processing centers on remote Pacific islands.

Trump had broken off what was supposed to be an hour-long call after 25 minutes and later tweeted that the refugee agreement was a &quot;dumb deal&quot; and vowed to study it. The call aroused criticism and raised questions about his diplomatic skills.

Vice President Mike Pence visited Australia in April and made clear that while Trump was not happy about the refugee agreement, the United States would honor it out of respect for Australia. Under the agreement, Australia is to resettle refugees from three Central American countries.

Thursday&#39;s get-together with Turnbull was delayed because of Trump&#39;s hastily arranged White House celebration with Republicans from the US House of Representatives after they narrowly passed a healthcare bill that would repeal and replace the 2010 Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. The measure has yet to come before the Senate.

Trump and Turnbull were all smiles as they answered questions about the January phone call and the refugee deal during a picture-taking session.

&quot;We get along great. We have a fantastic relationship, I love Australia, I always have,&quot; Trump said.

Turnbull added: &quot;We can put the refugee deal behind you and move on.&quot;

Trump said the refugee deal had been &quot;worked out for a long time&quot; and that reporters had exaggerated the phone call.

&quot;We had a great call,&quot; he said, adding, &quot;I mean, we&#39;re not babies.&quot;

&quot;Young at heart,&quot; added Turnbull.

Trump vowed to visit Australia as president, calling it &quot;one of the great, great places&quot; and noted he had many friends there. One such friend, pro golfer Greg Norman, was among the attendees at the Intrepid dinner.

In dinner remarks after their meeting, Turnbull celebrated the unity of spirit that brought the two countries together against Japan in World War Two, and said Australia and the United States are united against North Korea&#39;s nuclear and missile programs and are fighting together in Afghanistan.

&quot;Today and together, we condemn and we resist North Korea&rsquo;s provocation,&quot; he said.

It was Trump&#39;s first trip back to New York, his home and where he made his name and fortune, since the former real estate executive moved into the White House in January.

His motorcade passed hundreds of protesters as it arrived at the Intrepid in the early evening. Trump did not plan to visit Trump Tower, his home in midtown Manhattan where his wife, first lady Melania Trump, and their young son Barron still live, but instead was to spend the weekend at his golf resort in Bedminster, New Jersey.

(Reuters)

Dressed in tuxedos as they prepared to attend a dinner, the two leaders met on board the USS Intrepid, a World War Two aircraft carrier that is now a museum

US President Donald Trump held his first-face-to-face meeting with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Thursday, and declared that they "get along great," following an acrimonious phone call in January that strained ties between the two allies. "They said we had a rough phone call. We didn't really have a rough phone call," Trump said in dinner remarks. "It got a little bit testy. But that's okay." Dressed in tuxedos as they prepared to attend a dinner, the two leaders met on board the USS Intrepid, a World War Two aircraft carrier that is now a museum moored on Manhattan's West Side. Joined by their wives, the two leaders later attended a gala to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea. Turnbull was one of the first foreign leaders Trump spoke to after taking office on January 20. The Republican president became irritated that he was expected to honor an agreement made by his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, to accept as many as 1,250 refugees held in Australian processing centers on remote Pacific islands. Trump had broken off what was supposed to be an hour-long call after 25 minutes and later tweeted that the refugee agreement was a "dumb deal" and vowed to study it. The call aroused criticism and raised questions about his diplomatic skills. Vice President Mike Pence visited Australia in April and made clear that while Trump was not happy about the refugee agreement, the United States would honor it out of respect for Australia. Under the agreement, Australia is to resettle refugees from three Central American countries. Thursday's get-together with Turnbull was delayed because of Trump's hastily arranged White House celebration with Republicans from the US House of Representatives after they narrowly passed a healthcare bill that would repeal and replace the 2010 Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. The measure has yet to come before the Senate. Trump and Turnbull were all smiles as they answered questions about the January phone call and the refugee deal during a picture-taking session. "We get along great. We have a fantastic relationship, I love Australia, I always have," Trump said. Turnbull added: "We can put the refugee deal behind you and move on." Trump said the refugee deal had been "worked out for a long time" and that reporters had exaggerated the phone call. "We had a great call," he said, adding, "I mean, we're not babies." "Young at heart," added Turnbull. Trump vowed to visit Australia as president, calling it "one of the great, great places" and noted he had many friends there. One such friend, pro golfer Greg Norman, was among the attendees at the Intrepid dinner. In dinner remarks after their meeting, Turnbull celebrated the unity of spirit that brought the two countries together against Japan in World War Two, and said Australia and the United States are united against North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and are fighting together in Afghanistan. "Today and together, we condemn and we resist North Korea’s provocation," he said. It was Trump's first trip back to New York, his home and where he made his name and fortune, since the former real estate executive moved into the White House in January. His motorcade passed hundreds of protesters as it arrived at the Intrepid in the early evening. Trump did not plan to visit Trump Tower, his home in midtown Manhattan where his wife, first lady Melania Trump, and their young son Barron still live, but instead was to spend the weekend at his golf resort in Bedminster, New Jersey. (Reuters)

Trump and Australia's Turnbull meet after acrimonious phone call

In a possible breakthrough for US Republicans&#39; effort to roll back Obamacare, the House of Representatives plans to hold a vote Thursday on compromise legislation, potentially ending a logjam that has delayed advancing President Donald Trump&#39;s campaign promise to repeal the law.

The decision to hold a vote comes after key moderate lawmakers met with Trump on Wednesday and said a revised bill might win approval as conservatives voiced no objections.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Republican leadership is confident there is enough support for the bill to pass.

Keen to score his first major legislative win since taking office in January, Trump has been personally engaged in building support among fellow Republicans in the House for an effort that has already twice collapsed.

Aides said Trump has been furiously working the phones, trying to make good on a key promise to voters: overhauling former President Barack Obama&#39;s signature domestic legislation. The effort is showing Trump how hard it is to manage factions among the Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress.

The House bill has been changed several times as Republicans have tried to balance demands by conservatives for a maximum Obamacare rollback with moderates&#39; worries about angering voters who like parts of the law, formally known as the Affordable Care Act and enacted in 2010.

One popular feature of the law lets young people stay on their parents&#39; plans until age 26; another protects people with pre-existing health conditions, a provision defended by late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, who tearfully revealed on Monday his newborn son had a congenital heart condition.

Kimmel&#39;s monologue has been viewed nearly 19 million times on his show&#39;s Facebook page and on Wednesday morning was the No&nbsp;1 trending story on YouTube.

Trump met at the White House with two key House Republican moderates, Michigan&#39;s Fred Upton and Missouri&#39;s Billy Long. Speaking to reporters afterwards, they said Trump has endorsed their plan to add $8 billion over five years to help cover the cost for people with pre-existing illnesses who could otherwise be priced out of insurance markets.

Upton said it seemed likely the bill would pass the House, although Long said Republicans still seemed short of votes.

Long said he had opposed the legislation until the pre-existing conditions coverage was added. He said he had resisted Trump&#39;s arm-twisting, but that he now supported the bill. &quot;The president said, &#39;Billy we really need you, man,&#39;&quot; Long said.

Conservatives who have stymied rollback efforts before said they support the moderates&#39; latest plan, including the pre-existing conditions provision.

&quot;We see that as being a net plus in terms of the vote count,&quot; said Representative Mark Meadows, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, a conservative faction.

Even if the bill passes the House, it faces an uphill battle in the Senate, where Republican leader Mitch McConnell has repeatedly said that if the House passes a healthcare bill, the Senate would work on one, but that it would be difficult.

Uncertainty for stocks

Health insurers, such as Anthem Inc, UnitedHealth Group Inc, Aetna Inc and Cigna Corp, have faced months of uncertainty over healthcare&#39;s future. So have hospital companies, such as HCA Holdings Inc and Tenet Healthcare Corp.

An initial rollback attempt failed in the House and was withdrawn by Republican leaders in March when conservatives opposed it, a defeat that clouded Trump&#39;s first 100 days.

Republicans renewed negotiations last month, but failed to round up enough support for a vote before a two-week recess in April. Republicans are now hoping to get something passed before they leave for another recess on Thursday evening.

Millions more Americans got healthcare coverage under Obamacare, but Republicans have long attacked it, seeing it as government overreach and complaining it drives up costs.

On Wednesday, Aetna said it will exit the Obamacare individual insurance market in Virginia next year, citing &quot;growing uncertainty&quot; and expected losses this year.

House Democrats rejected the latest change to the Republican legislation on Wednesday, saying it appears to protect patients with pre-existing conditions but some could still be pushed off their insurance in certain states and face higher costs.

&quot;This is deadly,&quot; House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi told a news conference. &quot;No Band-Aid will fix it.&quot;

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated an earlier version of the Republican bill would leave 24 million more people without insurance in 2026. It was unclear if a new estimate would be made before a vote on the House floor.

Called the American Health Care Act, the Republican bill repeals most Obamacare taxes, including a penalty for not buying health insurance. It slashes funding for Medicaid, the program that provides insurance for the poor, and rolls back much of Medicaid&#39;s expansion, while swapping Obamacare&rsquo;s income-based tax credits for flat age-based credits. It also allows insurers to raise premiums by 30 percent for those who have a lapse in insurance coverage of about two months or more.

An amendment recently added to win over the Freedom Caucus lets states opt out of Obamacare&rsquo;s mandate that insurers charge sick and healthy people the same rates. But Wednesday&#39;s amendment from Upton aimed to assuage moderates&#39; concerns about that by providing a way for people with pre-existing conditions to get financial help to afford insurance. Others said the $8 billion over five years was not enough.

(Reuters)

The decision to hold a vote comes after key moderate lawmakers met Trump and said a revised bill may win approval as conservatives voiced no objections

In a possible breakthrough for US Republicans' effort to roll back Obamacare, the House of Representatives plans to hold a vote Thursday on compromise legislation, potentially ending a logjam that has delayed advancing President Donald Trump's campaign promise to repeal the law. The decision to hold a vote comes after key moderate lawmakers met with Trump on Wednesday and said a revised bill might win approval as conservatives voiced no objections. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Republican leadership is confident there is enough support for the bill to pass. Keen to score his first major legislative win since taking office in January, Trump has been personally engaged in building support among fellow Republicans in the House for an effort that has already twice collapsed. Aides said Trump has been furiously working the phones, trying to make good on a key promise to voters: overhauling former President Barack Obama's signature domestic legislation. The effort is showing Trump how hard it is to manage factions among the Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress. The House bill has been changed several times as Republicans have tried to balance demands by conservatives for a maximum Obamacare rollback with moderates' worries about angering voters who like parts of the law, formally known as the Affordable Care Act and enacted in 2010. One popular feature of the law lets young people stay on their parents' plans until age 26; another protects people with pre-existing health conditions, a provision defended by late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, who tearfully revealed on Monday his newborn son had a congenital heart condition. Kimmel's monologue has been viewed nearly 19 million times on his show's Facebook page and on Wednesday morning was the No 1 trending story on YouTube. Trump met at the White House with two key House Republican moderates, Michigan's Fred Upton and Missouri's Billy Long. Speaking to reporters afterwards, they said Trump has endorsed their plan to add $8 billion over five years to help cover the cost for people with pre-existing illnesses who could otherwise be priced out of insurance markets. Upton said it seemed likely the bill would pass the House, although Long said Republicans still seemed short of votes. Long said he had opposed the legislation until the pre-existing conditions coverage was added. He said he had resisted Trump's arm-twisting, but that he now supported the bill. "The president said, 'Billy we really need you, man,'" Long said. Conservatives who have stymied rollback efforts before said they support the moderates' latest plan, including the pre-existing conditions provision. "We see that as being a net plus in terms of the vote count," said Representative Mark Meadows, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, a conservative faction. Even if the bill passes the House, it faces an uphill battle in the Senate, where Republican leader Mitch McConnell has repeatedly said that if the House passes a healthcare bill, the Senate would work on one, but that it would be difficult. Uncertainty for stocks Health insurers, such as Anthem Inc, UnitedHealth Group Inc, Aetna Inc and Cigna Corp, have faced months of uncertainty over healthcare's future. So have hospital companies, such as HCA Holdings Inc and Tenet Healthcare Corp. An initial rollback attempt failed in the House and was withdrawn by Republican leaders in March when conservatives opposed it, a defeat that clouded Trump's first 100 days. Republicans renewed negotiations last month, but failed to round up enough support for a vote before a two-week recess in April. Republicans are now hoping to get something passed before they leave for another recess on Thursday evening. Millions more Americans got healthcare coverage under Obamacare, but Republicans have long attacked it, seeing it as government overreach and complaining it drives up costs. On Wednesday, Aetna said it will exit the Obamacare individual insurance market in Virginia next year, citing "growing uncertainty" and expected losses this year. House Democrats rejected the latest change to the Republican legislation on Wednesday, saying it appears to protect patients with pre-existing conditions but some could still be pushed off their insurance in certain states and face higher costs. "This is deadly," House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi told a news conference. "No Band-Aid will fix it." The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated an earlier version of the Republican bill would leave 24 million more people without insurance in 2026. It was unclear if a new estimate would be made before a vote on the House floor. Called the American Health Care Act, the Republican bill repeals most Obamacare taxes, including a penalty for not buying health insurance. It slashes funding for Medicaid, the program that provides insurance for the poor, and rolls back much of Medicaid's expansion, while swapping Obamacare’s income-based tax credits for flat age-based credits. It also allows insurers to raise premiums by 30 percent for those who have a lapse in insurance coverage of about two months or more. An amendment recently added to win over the Freedom Caucus lets states opt out of Obamacare’s mandate that insurers charge sick and healthy people the same rates. But Wednesday's amendment from Upton aimed to assuage moderates' concerns about that by providing a way for people with pre-existing conditions to get financial help to afford insurance. Others said the $8 billion over five years was not enough. (Reuters)

US House of Representatives vote today to repeal and replace Obamacare

US President Donald Trump on Thursday failed to close the deal with Republican lawmakers on how to dismantle Obamacare, forcing the House of Representatives to delay a vote on a healthcare bill that was supposed to be his first legislative win.

The day had been designed as a big symbolic win for conservatives. Trump and House Republican leaders planned the vote on the seventh anniversary of former Democratic President Barack Obama signing his namesake healthcare law, formally known as the Affordable Care Act, which became a prime target for Republicans.

Some Republican conservatives felt the new Trump-backed healthcare plan, formally called the American Health Care Act, did not go far enough, while some moderates worried the legislation would hurt their constituents, so the bill was postponed indefinitely as negotiations continued into the evening.

The White House has insisted there is no &quot;Plan B&quot; if the bill fails.

&quot;I am desperately trying to get to &lsquo;yes&rsquo; and I think the president knows that. I told him that personally,&quot; said North Carolina Congressman Mark Meadows, the chairman of a group of conservatives known as the Freedom Caucus, which has been critical of the bill.

&quot;We`re going to get to the finish line,&quot; Meadows told reporters.

Trump, who has been working the phones all week and bringing lawmakers into the Oval Office to talk, met with the Freedom Caucus on Thursday morning, and was set to later meet with moderate Republicans, known as the &#39;Tuesday Group&#39;.

As the healthcare drama unfolded on Capitol Hill, Trump took a break from the negotiations to talk about the issue and hang out with some truckers, climbing into the cab of one long-haul transport truck parked on the back driveway of the White House, and blowing the horn a few times.

He told reporters the vote would be close but remained optimistic. &quot;I think we&rsquo;re doing well. We&rsquo;ll find out in about three hours,&quot; he said, just as reports began to surface that the vote had been postponed.

Even if the bill does eventually get approval from the House, the legislation faces a potentially tough fight in the Republican-controlled Senate.

The House and Senate had hoped to deliver a new healthcare bill to Trump by April 8, when Congress is scheduled to begin a two-week spring break.

Market Turned Red

The vote was seen by financial markets as a crucial test of Trump&#39;s ability to work with Congress to deliver on his agenda.

Uncertainty over the bill rattled financial markets this week. US stock markets rose steadily in recent months on optimism over a pro-business Trump agenda but fell back sharply on Tuesday as investors worried that failure to push through the healthcare bill could postpone other Trump priorities like tax cuts and infrastructure spending.

&quot;The continued divisions within the Republicans will, at the margin, raise concerns about the prospects for the pro-growth legislation that the White House plans to subsequently submit to Congress, including tax reform,&quot; said Mohamed El-Erian, chief economic adviser at financial group Allianz.

In the last 30 minutes of trading on Thursday, the benchmark S&amp;P 500 stock index dipped as the first headlines moved about the vote delay. It closed down very slightly.&nbsp;

&quot;Delay on healthcare equates to delay on tax cuts. That is why the market turned red when the news flow suggested they didn`t have a deal,&quot; said David Kotok, chairman and chief investment officer at Cumberland Advisors, a money management firm. 
But others said it was too soon to panic.

&quot;If this thing gets materially delayed or if we get a no vote, we&#39;re going to see a horrific market reaction. But if they vote in the morning and it passes, we&#39;ll have a hell of a rally,&quot; said Jake Dollarhide, chief executive officer of Longbow Asset Management in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The delay in the house vote is likely to extend the ups and downs in the stocks of some hospital groups and health insurers.

Republican Promise

Trump and Republicans had campaigned on a promise to repeal and replace Obamacare, passed in 2010.

Republican control of the White House, the Senate and the House has given the party a chance to achieve what it has long aspired to do - overturn a law they cast as too invasive and too expensive.

Obamacare aimed to boost the number of Americans with health insurance through mandates on individuals and employers, and income-based subsidies. Some 20 million Americans gained insurance coverage through the law.

The House replacement plan would rescind the taxes created by Obamacare, repeal a penalty against people who do not buy coverage, slash funding for the Medicaid programme for the poor and disabled, and modify tax subsidies that help individuals buy plans.

The Republican plan got more unwelcome news late on Thursday from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, which said that the latest version of the bill would reduce the U.S. budget deficit by less than the original version. The smaller deficit reduction was expected due to tweaks made this week to try to build support for the bill.

But the CBO said the revised plan would still have the same impact as the original bill on the level of uninsured Americans, with 24 million fewer people having medical coverage by 2026.&nbsp;

The Republicans have a majority in the House but because of united Democratic opposition, can afford to lose only 21 Republican votes. As of Thursday morning, NBC News said that 30 Republicans had planned to vote &quot;no&quot; or were leaning that way.

With this delay, House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan and his Republican leadership team will continue to search for ways to alter the legislation and bring it to a vote.

(Reuters)&nbsp;

The White House has insisted there is no 'Plan B' if the bill fails

US President Donald Trump on Thursday failed to close the deal with Republican lawmakers on how to dismantle Obamacare, forcing the House of Representatives to delay a vote on a healthcare bill that was supposed to be his first legislative win. The day had been designed as a big symbolic win for conservatives. Trump and House Republican leaders planned the vote on the seventh anniversary of former Democratic President Barack Obama signing his namesake healthcare law, formally known as the Affordable Care Act, which became a prime target for Republicans. Some Republican conservatives felt the new Trump-backed healthcare plan, formally called the American Health Care Act, did not go far enough, while some moderates worried the legislation would hurt their constituents, so the bill was postponed indefinitely as negotiations continued into the evening. The White House has insisted there is no "Plan B" if the bill fails. "I am desperately trying to get to ‘yes’ and I think the president knows that. I told him that personally," said North Carolina Congressman Mark Meadows, the chairman of a group of conservatives known as the Freedom Caucus, which has been critical of the bill. "We`re going to get to the finish line," Meadows told reporters. Trump, who has been working the phones all week and bringing lawmakers into the Oval Office to talk, met with the Freedom Caucus on Thursday morning, and was set to later meet with moderate Republicans, known as the 'Tuesday Group'. As the healthcare drama unfolded on Capitol Hill, Trump took a break from the negotiations to talk about the issue and hang out with some truckers, climbing into the cab of one long-haul transport truck parked on the back driveway of the White House, and blowing the horn a few times. He told reporters the vote would be close but remained optimistic. "I think we’re doing well. We’ll find out in about three hours," he said, just as reports began to surface that the vote had been postponed. Even if the bill does eventually get approval from the House, the legislation faces a potentially tough fight in the Republican-controlled Senate. The House and Senate had hoped to deliver a new healthcare bill to Trump by April 8, when Congress is scheduled to begin a two-week spring break. Market Turned Red The vote was seen by financial markets as a crucial test of Trump's ability to work with Congress to deliver on his agenda. Uncertainty over the bill rattled financial markets this week. US stock markets rose steadily in recent months on optimism over a pro-business Trump agenda but fell back sharply on Tuesday as investors worried that failure to push through the healthcare bill could postpone other Trump priorities like tax cuts and infrastructure spending. "The continued divisions within the Republicans will, at the margin, raise concerns about the prospects for the pro-growth legislation that the White House plans to subsequently submit to Congress, including tax reform," said Mohamed El-Erian, chief economic adviser at financial group Allianz. In the last 30 minutes of trading on Thursday, the benchmark S&P 500 stock index dipped as the first headlines moved about the vote delay. It closed down very slightly. "Delay on healthcare equates to delay on tax cuts. That is why the market turned red when the news flow suggested they didn`t have a deal," said David Kotok, chairman and chief investment officer at Cumberland Advisors, a money management firm. But others said it was too soon to panic. "If this thing gets materially delayed or if we get a no vote, we're going to see a horrific market reaction. But if they vote in the morning and it passes, we'll have a hell of a rally," said Jake Dollarhide, chief executive officer of Longbow Asset Management in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The delay in the house vote is likely to extend the ups and downs in the stocks of some hospital groups and health insurers. Republican Promise Trump and Republicans had campaigned on a promise to repeal and replace Obamacare, passed in 2010. Republican control of the White House, the Senate and the House has given the party a chance to achieve what it has long aspired to do - overturn a law they cast as too invasive and too expensive. Obamacare aimed to boost the number of Americans with health insurance through mandates on individuals and employers, and income-based subsidies. Some 20 million Americans gained insurance coverage through the law. The House replacement plan would rescind the taxes created by Obamacare, repeal a penalty against people who do not buy coverage, slash funding for the Medicaid programme for the poor and disabled, and modify tax subsidies that help individuals buy plans. The Republican plan got more unwelcome news late on Thursday from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, which said that the latest version of the bill would reduce the U.S. budget deficit by less than the original version. The smaller deficit reduction was expected due to tweaks made this week to try to build support for the bill. But the CBO said the revised plan would still have the same impact as the original bill on the level of uninsured Americans, with 24 million fewer people having medical coverage by 2026. The Republicans have a majority in the House but because of united Democratic opposition, can afford to lose only 21 Republican votes. As of Thursday morning, NBC News said that 30 Republicans had planned to vote "no" or were leaning that way. With this delay, House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan and his Republican leadership team will continue to search for ways to alter the legislation and bring it to a vote. (Reuters)

US President Trump suffers setback as House delays vote on healthcare bill

The US&nbsp;House of Representatives&nbsp;took the first step to dismantling Obamacare on Friday, with the House voting 227-198 to repeal it.&nbsp;

The move to repeal President Barack Obama&#39;s landmark health insurance law came without any replacement policy ready. &nbsp;

The motion was not supported by Democrats and committees have been directed to draft legislation by January 27 to repeal the 2010 Affordable Health Care Act or Obamacare.&nbsp;

The law provided health insurance&nbsp;to some 20 million Americans who are not covered by work but was hampered by a&nbsp;rise in insurance premiums and deductables as well as national&nbsp;insurers quitting the system.&nbsp;

House Speaker, Republican&nbsp;Paul Ryan,&nbsp;&quot;The deductibles are so high it doesn&rsquo;t feel like you&rsquo;ve got insurance in the first place.

&quot;We have to step in before things get worse. This is nothing short of a rescue mission,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Trump on Friday morning tweeted&nbsp;&quot;The &#39;Unaffordable&#39; Care Act will soon be history!&quot; He also pressured lawmakers to repeal and replace it &quot;essentially simultaneously&quot;.

While campaigning for presidential election Trump had vowed to repeal Obamacare if he became president.&nbsp;

The resolution will need the president&#39;s signature and the approval of the House and Senate once the repeal legislation is drafted.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

&nbsp;

The House voted 227-198 to repeal the 2010 Affordable Health Care Act which provided health insurance to some 20 million Americans

The US House of Representatives took the first step to dismantling Obamacare on Friday, with the House voting 227-198 to repeal it. The move to repeal President Barack Obama's landmark health insurance law came without any replacement policy ready. The motion was not supported by Democrats and committees have been directed to draft legislation by January 27 to repeal the 2010 Affordable Health Care Act or Obamacare. The law provided health insurance to some 20 million Americans who are not covered by work but was hampered by a rise in insurance premiums and deductables as well as national insurers quitting the system. House Speaker, Republican Paul Ryan, "The deductibles are so high it doesn’t feel like you’ve got insurance in the first place. "We have to step in before things get worse. This is nothing short of a rescue mission," he said. Trump on Friday morning tweeted "The 'Unaffordable' Care Act will soon be history!" He also pressured lawmakers to repeal and replace it "essentially simultaneously". While campaigning for presidential election Trump had vowed to repeal Obamacare if he became president. The resolution will need the president's signature and the approval of the House and Senate once the repeal legislation is drafted. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

US House of Representatives votes to repeal Obamacare

Republican members of the US house of representatives on Tuesday unanimously chose Paul Ryan to keep his job as Speaker, following the party&#39;s victory at the polls last week, the House GOP conference announced.

&quot;It is a tremendous honor to be nominated by my colleagues to serve as Speaker of the House. Now it&#39;s time to go big,&quot; Ryan, a 46-year-old lawmaker from Wisconsin, tweeted after the closed-doors vote at the Capitol.

Democrats and Republicans will formally vote to elect the chamber&#39;s speaker after newly-elected lawmakers take up their seats on January 3.

Given that the Republicans maintain their majority in the House, Ryan&#39;s re-election as speaker is essentially a foregone conclusion -- unless another Republican decides to mount a surprise challenge between now and then.

On the Democratic side, internal divisions have delayed the election of a party leader in the House until November 30.

The role is currently held by Nancy Pelosi, 76, but she may face a challenge from the party&#39;s young guard, in the person of 43-year-old Ohio lawmaker Tim Ryan.

The Republican majority in both the House and Senate is expected to clear the way for President-elect Donald Trump to roll out much of his conservative agenda unfettered.

In a sign that the party leadership&#39;s resistance to the maverick billionaire has all but disappeared, House Republicans assembling for the internal vote were each given one of Trump&#39;s trademark red &quot;Make America Great Again&quot; baseball caps.

Ryan himself -- who kept his distance and on several occasions criticised Trump during the White House campaign -- has swung firmly behind the 45th US president, who will take office on January 20.

&quot;Seventy perc ent of the people in this nation think America is going down the wrong path,&quot; Ryan told a news conference on Tuesday morning.&nbsp;

&quot;They now just said, get on a better way, a better path. That&#39;s our job. Not to look backwards but to look forward.&quot;

Trump and the Republicans appear to be in broad agreement on a roadmap that includes replacing President Barack Obama&#39;s trademark health care law, building a wall -- or fence -- on the Mexican border, and slashing taxes.

&quot;We&#39;re on the same page with our president-elect,&quot; Ryan said. &quot;I talked with Donald Trump virtually every single day.&quot;

Definitive results from last Tuesday&#39;s election have yet to come in, but Republicans are assured of holding at least 239 seats in the House of Representatives, against 193 for Democrats, and at least 51 of 100 seats in the Senate.&nbsp;

(AFP)

Despite the unanimous decision, a formal vote will be cast to elect Speaker by the new-elected lawmakers on January 3

Republican members of the US house of representatives on Tuesday unanimously chose Paul Ryan to keep his job as Speaker, following the party's victory at the polls last week, the House GOP conference announced. "It is a tremendous honor to be nominated by my colleagues to serve as Speaker of the House. Now it's time to go big," Ryan, a 46-year-old lawmaker from Wisconsin, tweeted after the closed-doors vote at the Capitol. Democrats and Republicans will formally vote to elect the chamber's speaker after newly-elected lawmakers take up their seats on January 3. Given that the Republicans maintain their majority in the House, Ryan's re-election as speaker is essentially a foregone conclusion -- unless another Republican decides to mount a surprise challenge between now and then. On the Democratic side, internal divisions have delayed the election of a party leader in the House until November 30. The role is currently held by Nancy Pelosi, 76, but she may face a challenge from the party's young guard, in the person of 43-year-old Ohio lawmaker Tim Ryan. The Republican majority in both the House and Senate is expected to clear the way for President-elect Donald Trump to roll out much of his conservative agenda unfettered. In a sign that the party leadership's resistance to the maverick billionaire has all but disappeared, House Republicans assembling for the internal vote were each given one of Trump's trademark red "Make America Great Again" baseball caps. Ryan himself -- who kept his distance and on several occasions criticised Trump during the White House campaign -- has swung firmly behind the 45th US president, who will take office on January 20. "Seventy perc ent of the people in this nation think America is going down the wrong path," Ryan told a news conference on Tuesday morning. "They now just said, get on a better way, a better path. That's our job. Not to look backwards but to look forward." Trump and the Republicans appear to be in broad agreement on a roadmap that includes replacing President Barack Obama's trademark health care law, building a wall -- or fence -- on the Mexican border, and slashing taxes. "We're on the same page with our president-elect," Ryan said. "I talked with Donald Trump virtually every single day." Definitive results from last Tuesday's election have yet to come in, but Republicans are assured of holding at least 239 seats in the House of Representatives, against 193 for Democrats, and at least 51 of 100 seats in the Senate. (AFP)

Republicans re-elect Paul Ryan as House speaker

The US House of Representatives has introduced the &#39;Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act&#39;, a bill which labels Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism, the Press Trust of India reported.&nbsp; 
 
The bill was introduced by Republicans Ted Poe and Dana Rohrabacher. 
 
Poe, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism said, &quot;It is time we stopped paying Pakistan for its betrayal and designate it for what it is: a state sponsor of terrorism. 
 
&quot;Not only is Pakistan an untrustworthy ally, Islamabad has also aided and abetted enemies of the US for years,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;From harbouring Osama bin Laden to its cozy relationship with the Haqqani network, there is more than enough evidence to determine whose side Pakistan is on in the War on Terror. And it&#39;s not America&#39;s,&quot; he added.&nbsp; 
 
PTI reported Poe as saying US President Barack Obama will have to issue a report stating whether Pakistan has backed international terrorism or not within 90 days. &nbsp; 
 
&quot;Thirty days after that, the secretary of state must issue a follow-up report containing either a determination that Pakistan is a state sponsor of terrorism or a detailed justification as to why Pakistan does not meet the legal criteria for designation,&quot; Poe said. 
 
Congressman Pete Olson condemned the Uri attack and said, &quot;I strongly condemn this terrorist attack on an Indian army base in Kashmir that resulted in the death of 18 Indian soldiers. India is a strong partner and ally in peace.&quot; 
 
&quot;I support every effort to find out who committed this heinous act, so that the perpetrators are brought to justice. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from PTI) 
&nbsp;

The bill was introduced by Republicans Ted Poe and Dana Rohrabacher

The US House of Representatives has introduced the 'Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act', a bill which labels Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism, the Press Trust of India reported. The bill was introduced by Republicans Ted Poe and Dana Rohrabacher. Poe, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism said, "It is time we stopped paying Pakistan for its betrayal and designate it for what it is: a state sponsor of terrorism. "Not only is Pakistan an untrustworthy ally, Islamabad has also aided and abetted enemies of the US for years," he said. "From harbouring Osama bin Laden to its cozy relationship with the Haqqani network, there is more than enough evidence to determine whose side Pakistan is on in the War on Terror. And it's not America's," he added. PTI reported Poe as saying US President Barack Obama will have to issue a report stating whether Pakistan has backed international terrorism or not within 90 days. "Thirty days after that, the secretary of state must issue a follow-up report containing either a determination that Pakistan is a state sponsor of terrorism or a detailed justification as to why Pakistan does not meet the legal criteria for designation," Poe said. Congressman Pete Olson condemned the Uri attack and said, "I strongly condemn this terrorist attack on an Indian army base in Kashmir that resulted in the death of 18 Indian soldiers. India is a strong partner and ally in peace." "I support every effort to find out who committed this heinous act, so that the perpetrators are brought to justice. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims," he said. (WION with inputs from PTI)

US lawmakers introduce bill labelling Pakistan 'state sponsor of terrorism'

The Republican-controlled US House of Representatives, under mounting pressure to advance gun-control legislation, will vote next week on a measure to keep guns out of the hands of people on government terrorism watch lists. 
 
Republican and gun lobby sources said the legislation, due to be introduced as part of a terrorism package, was likely to be a National Rifle Association (NRA)-backed bill brought by Representative Lee Zeldin of New York as the companion to a Senate Republican measure from senator John Cornyn of Texas. 
 
House Democrats, who last week staged a 25-hour sit-in on the House floor to push for gun control after the June 12 mass shooting in Orlando, condemned the Cornyn-Zeldin measure as the handiwork of the NRA. Senate Democrats blocked the same legislation last week. 
 
&quot;House Democrats will keep up our efforts to push for the majority to allow a vote on gun violence legislation, but bringing up a bill authored by the NRA just isn&#39;t going to cut it,&quot; said Drew Hammill, an aide to House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. The NRA denied writing the legislation. 
 
House speaker Paul Ryan announced the plan in a conference call with lawmakers. Republican leadership aides declined to provide details. One said the package was still being negotiated. 
 
After the Orlando, Florida, shooting that killed 49 people and wounded 53 more at a gay nightclub, gun-control proponents ratcheted up pressure for meaningful legislation. 
 
&quot;We are going to get something done this year, I predict,&quot; Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid told reporters. &quot;I think we&rsquo;re going to take a bite out of the NRA.&quot; 
 
Reid said he was hopeful for a bill introduced by Republican senator Susan Collins of Maine, and a bipartisan House companion bill backed by Republicans including representative Carlos Curbelo of Florida, to prevent gun sales to anyone on the government&#39;s &quot;No Fly List&quot; for terrorism suspects or the &quot;Selectee List&quot; for extra airport screening. 
 
Before Thursday&#39;s announcement, representative Bob Dold of Illinois, a Republican backer of the Collins-Curbelo bill, urged Ryan and House majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to opt for the bipartisan measure, according to a Dold aide. 
 
But hopes for a vote on that measure could be dashed if House Republicans move first on the Cornyn-Zeldin bill, which would allow party leaders to say they had acted on gun control. 
 
&quot;It would really be a sharp blow,&quot; said Representative Scott Rigell, a Virginia Republican and NRA member who supports the Collins-Curbelo measure. 
 
The NRA-backed measure would give officials three days to decide whether a gun sale should be blocked. Democrats argue the timetable is insufficient and say the government would have to persuade a court that a would-be buyer &quot;has committed or will commit an act of terrorism&quot; before it could block a gun sale. 
 
Under the Collins-Curbelo bills, a court would have 14 days to decide on appeals. 
 
(Reuters)

The legislation will be a part of terrorism package and will prevent gun sales to anyone on the government's 'No Fly List'

The Republican-controlled US House of Representatives, under mounting pressure to advance gun-control legislation, will vote next week on a measure to keep guns out of the hands of people on government terrorism watch lists. Republican and gun lobby sources said the legislation, due to be introduced as part of a terrorism package, was likely to be a National Rifle Association (NRA)-backed bill brought by Representative Lee Zeldin of New York as the companion to a Senate Republican measure from senator John Cornyn of Texas. House Democrats, who last week staged a 25-hour sit-in on the House floor to push for gun control after the June 12 mass shooting in Orlando, condemned the Cornyn-Zeldin measure as the handiwork of the NRA. Senate Democrats blocked the same legislation last week. "House Democrats will keep up our efforts to push for the majority to allow a vote on gun violence legislation, but bringing up a bill authored by the NRA just isn't going to cut it," said Drew Hammill, an aide to House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. The NRA denied writing the legislation. House speaker Paul Ryan announced the plan in a conference call with lawmakers. Republican leadership aides declined to provide details. One said the package was still being negotiated. After the Orlando, Florida, shooting that killed 49 people and wounded 53 more at a gay nightclub, gun-control proponents ratcheted up pressure for meaningful legislation. "We are going to get something done this year, I predict," Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid told reporters. "I think we’re going to take a bite out of the NRA." Reid said he was hopeful for a bill introduced by Republican senator Susan Collins of Maine, and a bipartisan House companion bill backed by Republicans including representative Carlos Curbelo of Florida, to prevent gun sales to anyone on the government's "No Fly List" for terrorism suspects or the "Selectee List" for extra airport screening. Before Thursday's announcement, representative Bob Dold of Illinois, a Republican backer of the Collins-Curbelo bill, urged Ryan and House majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to opt for the bipartisan measure, according to a Dold aide. But hopes for a vote on that measure could be dashed if House Republicans move first on the Cornyn-Zeldin bill, which would allow party leaders to say they had acted on gun control. "It would really be a sharp blow," said Representative Scott Rigell, a Virginia Republican and NRA member who supports the Collins-Curbelo measure. The NRA-backed measure would give officials three days to decide whether a gun sale should be blocked. Democrats argue the timetable is insufficient and say the government would have to persuade a court that a would-be buyer "has committed or will commit an act of terrorism" before it could block a gun sale. Under the Collins-Curbelo bills, a court would have 14 days to decide on appeals. (Reuters)

US reignites gun-control debate with planned vote

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