Photo: Science Photo Library RF
1 Some Members Of Congress Proposing Legislation To Punish Legislators If The Government Shuts Down
Some members of Congress are trying to put laws into place to punish their fellow legislators if the federal government has to shut down due to budget negotiations in the future. Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger and Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick introduced the “No Pay for Congress During Default or Shutdown Act,” which would do exactly what the name of the bill says. Yesterday, Democratic Rep. Angie Craig formally announced her own version of the bill, and other House members are scheduled to announce similar bills to keep Congress from getting paid during shutdowns. Another bill introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine and Rep. Don Beyer is the “End Shutdowns Act,” which would prevent Congress from dealing with any other business or recessing while a shutdown is happening. The flurry of legislation comes as it looks more and more likely that the federal government could shut down at the end of the month. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was unable to get a vote started on the defense budget this week after five Republicans voted no, saying they wanted a full budget deal that was “more conservative” than what’s been proposed. The deadline for funding the government is September 30th, with October 1st the deadline for a shutdown.
2 Senate Confirms Chairman Of Joint Chiefs Of Staff
The Senate confirmed Gen. C.Q. Brown as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff yesterday with an 83-11 vote, putting him in place to take over from Gen. Mark Milley when he retires at the end of the month. It’s been months since President Joe Biden nominated Brown to take over the position, but his confirmation has been delayed due to holds placed on hundreds of military leadership nominations by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is objecting to the Pentagon’s abortion policy. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer forced the votes on Brown, Gen. Randy George for the Army Chief of Staff, and Gen. Eric Smith as commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps. George and Smith are expected to be confirmed today or tomorrow. Tuberville seems set to continue his holds on the 316 other general and flag officers awaiting confirmation, saying yesterday, “Let’s do one at a time or change the policy back,” referring to the Pentagon’s policy of paying for travel when a service member has to go out of state to get an abortion or other reproductive care. The policy is still in place, but Tuberville claimed a victory after Schumer forced the votes, saying “We called them out, and they blinked.”
3 Missing F-35 Jet Was Flying Upside Down Before It Crashed
More details are coming out about the crash of the missing F-35 fighter jet on Sunday. The stealth fighter seemingly vanished after its pilot bailed out Sunday afternoon, and remained missing until a debris field was found in Williamsburg County, South Carolina, far north of the base it flew from. While the military hasn’t revealed why the pilot ejected from the plane or any other details about the mishap, eyewitness reports of the final moments of the flight are starting to crop up. A South Carolina couple celebrating their son’s seventh birthday Sunday afternoon saw the jet pass by, “probably 100 feet above the treetops, and almost going inverted,” adding “We could see the canopy.” The debris field was found just a few miles from their home. Local resident Randolph White spoke with WCBD-TV and said that while he didn’t see the plane, he heard it pass overhead with what he described as “between a screech and a whistle” while he was “in the bathroom taking a shave.”