Wednesday, November 20, 2024
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Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Milwaukee Press Club 'Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism' 2020 & 2021 Award Winners

Trump Blasts Harris for FEMA Help to Migrants as Hurricane Budget Runs Low

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The Biden-Harris administration took a tidal wave of criticism this week after U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters that the Federal Emergency Management Administration did not have enough funds to cover the rest of this hurricane season.

Those comments drew criticism from Republican lawmakers, billionaire Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump because FEMA has spent at least hundreds of millions of dollars on resettling migrants in the U.S. since President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took office.

“The Biden-Harris Administration’s self-inflicted border crisis has wasted American taxpayer dollars on services for illegal immigrants and is now struggling to help Americans suffering in the wake of natural disasters like Hurricane Helene,” House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., told The Center Square after it reported on the FEMA’s migrant spending.

FEMA is subject to DHS’ authority and under the Biden-Harris administration has been focused on helping the recent influx of more than 14 million migrants settle in the U.S.

As The Center Square previously reported, FEMA announced $640 million in new funding for helping migrants in April of this year, $300 million for “direct funding” to help immigrants, and $340 million for cities via grants to help migrants, part of a larger FEMA focus on resettling migrants in the U.S. under the Biden-Harris administration. These amounts don’t include FEMA tax dollars spent on migrant relocations earlier in Biden’s term.

“We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have,” Mayorkas told reporters earlier this week, adding that “FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season” and that they expect another hurricane to hit.

The FEMA cash crunch for hurricane victims while FEMA has more than enough for migrants became a stark example of controversial prioritization in the Biden-Harris administration, which continues to take fire for its handling of the border crisis.

The FEMA example proved to have political utility amid the ongoing battle over illegal immigration in an election year.

“There’s nobody that’s handled a hurricane or storm worse than what they’re doing right now,” Trump said at a rally Thursday.

“Kamala spent all her FEMA money, billions of dollars, on housing for illegal migrants, many of whom should not be in our country,” Trump continued, exaggerating the figure.

The White house has strongly pushed back on Trump’s comments, calling them “false” and arguing that the funding sources for migrants and disaster relief come from separate sources.

Critics have argued it is a problem of mission drift at FEMA and prioritizing funding for migrants when disaster relief funding is running low, though Congress appropriates the funding in the first place.

A White House spokesperson told The Center Square that Hurricane Helene victims will be well taken care of and that there is no danger of running out of funds to help with this hurricane recovery.

“FEMA has what it needs for immediate response and recovery efforts,” said Director of Public Affairs and FEMA spokesperson Jaclyn Rothenberg. “As FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell has said, she has the full authority to spend against the President’s budget, but we’re not out of hurricane season yet so we need to keep a close eye on it. We may need to go back into immediate needs funding and we will be watching it closely.”

Critics online took issue with the $750 in emergency assistance for individual Helene victims touted by Harris, arguing it is not enough when so much money is going elsewhere.

A White House spokesperson told The Center Square that the $750 is just immediate assistance for victims and does not mean they will not receive more money to help with damage to their homes and other standard emergency assistance.

Critics argued FEMA has become distracted focusing on noncitizens because of the fallout of an unaddressed border crisis instead of American citizen storm victims.

“President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris must put Americans first and take action now to reverse their open borders policies that are bleeding Americans dry,” Comer told The Center Square.

Casey Harper
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Reposted with permission

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Alvin Bragg Suggests Suspending Trump’s Hush Money Sentencing, Perhaps For 4 years

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Tuesday that his office will oppose President-elect Donald Trump's motion to dismiss his felony conviction in New York.

Bragg said that despite plans to oppose Trump's motion, his office would agree to hit pause on the proceedings pending the judge's decision on Trump's motion to dismiss. Bragg also suggested the case could wait until Trump's finishes his term in the White House.

"No current law establishes that a president's temporary immunity from prosecution requires dismissal of a post-trial criminal proceeding that was initiated at a time when the defendant was not immune from criminal prosecution and that is based on unofficial conduct for which the defendant is also not immune," Bragg wrote in a letter to Judge Juan Merchan. "Rather, existing law suggests that the Court must balance competing constitutional interests and proceed 'in a manner that preserves both the independence of the Executive and the integrity of the criminal justice system.' "

In late May, a Manhattan jury convicted Trump on all counts in his hush money case. Trump was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records for disguising hush money payments to an adult film actress as legal costs ahead of the 2016 election. Under New York state law, falsifying business records in the first degree is a Class E felony with a maximum sentence of four years in prison.

Trump and his attorneys want the judge to dismiss the case based on the U.S. Supreme Court's immunity decision. In July, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that presidents and former presidents have absolute immunity for actions related to core constitutional powers and presumptive immunity for official actions. The ruling said the president has no immunity for unofficial conduct.

Bragg said Tuesday that the case could remain on pause through the end of Trump's second term. Trump beat Vice President Kamala Harris in the two-way race for the White House. He will be inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2025.

"Given the need to balance competing constitutional interests, consideration must be given to various non-dismissal options that may address any concerns raised by the pendency of a post-trial criminal proceeding during the presidency, such as deferral of all remaining criminal proceedings until after the end of Defendant's upcoming presidential term," Bragg wrote.

FEMA Head Grilled About Staffer Who Told Others to Avoid Homes With Trump Signs

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Deanne Criswell, told lawmakers that she personally approved the firing of an employee who directed FEMA workers to not knock on the doors of those affected by Hurricane Helene if they had Trump signs in their yards.

Helene hit Florida as a Category 4 hurricane and wreaked havoc from Florida up the Eastern United States, killing more than 100 people in North Carolina alone and causing billions of dollars of damage across several states.

In less than two weeks, Hurricane Milton did its own damage in many of the same areas, leaving thousands of Americans needing help.

FEMA, however, has taken fire for its handling of the storms as well as its ongoing funding to help illegal immigrants.

In particular, The Daily Wire first broke news showing screenshots of text messages from a FEMA employee telling about a dozen workers under her supervision to avoid visiting houses with Trump signs.

The text message instructed workers that its “best practices” include avoiding “Trump homes.”

Criswell began her remarks at the hearing saying she does not believe this employee is representative of a broader problem in the agency but acknowledged it is investigating more.

She pledged to make sure nothing like this happens again and said a team went back to the homes skipped over.

However, the employee in question told the media that she was only following orders from higher up the chain.

“Since being fired, this supervisor has made multiple media appearances claiming she was following direction from above and that the practice is widespread,” House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky. said.

“So, the question is this: from FEMA’s perspective, was her main offense not only saying the quiet part out loud, but that she put it in writing?” he added, apparently referring to the text messages.

U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, R-Penn., referenced the fired employee’s claims, adding that “independently we’ve heard reports of similar practices in places like North Carolina” and that the employee said she was following orders and the FEMA culture.

House Judiciary Chair Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, pressed Criswell on the issue, pointing out that another anonymous FEMA source backed up the fired employee’s claims about getting orders from higher up.

“She said it’s common practice, you said it’s reprehensible and isolated,” Jordan said. “Both statements can’t be true…”

Perry demanded answers about the internal investigation into FEMA, and compelled Criswell to eventually promise to request an investigation from the inspector general.

“What has your investigation gleaned regarding [the fired employee’s] direct supervisors,” Perry asked Criswell. “Have you questioned them and what have your answers been.

Criswell said they have been questioned but said they denied the employee’s claims.

Comer pointed to Trump’s promise to bring the federal government into check. Trump’s cabinet nominees, billionaires Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk, have promised to significantly cut back federal agencies and even eliminate some outright.

“The current system does not have strong enough mechanisms to ensure accountability. The disciplinary system is run by and for civil servants to protect civil servants,” Comer said.

“President Trump has pledged to take action to bring accountability to the federal workforce and ensure there are measures in place to appropriately deal with poor performers and those who actively resist implementing the policies of a duly elected president,” he noted.

McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty

WILL: Race Prioritization by USDA Needs To Be Stopped

(The Center Square) – Citing discrimination against nonminorities in farming assistance programs, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty has filed an amicus brief in support of plaintiff Robert Holman's litigation against the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

He's a corn and soybean farmer.

The institute is calling on the incoming Trump administration to address the issue among other federal agencies as well.

In an amicus brief supporting Holman, the conservative-leaning institute says prioritizing members of races deemed “socially disadvantaged” in taxpayer-funded assistance programs is unconstitutional.

“During the Biden administration, race discrimination infected every nook and cranny of the federal government,” Deputy Counsel Dan Lennington of the Institute for Law and Liberty said. “These programs impact Americans and small businesses every day. The new Congress and administration should immediately dismantle each one of these discriminatory programs. Otherwise, we’ll see them in court.”

WILL also said it had identified more than 60 federal programs across 11 federal agencies that allocate support based on racial preferences.

Examples included those agencies prioritizing racial minorities when distributing financial assistance, awarding contracts, granting business subsidies and home improvement rebates, and waiving required fees for those seeking disaster assistance.

In addition to the USDA, the law firm said such programs are being run in the Small Business Administration, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Treasury, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Federal Communications Commission, Department of Transportation, and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy.

“These programs are designed to serve ‘socially disadvantaged individuals,’ a racially charged term created to favor some races over others," the firm said in a statement. "Like many other federal agencies, USDA relies on unlawful stereotypes in distributing benefits to farmers, assuming that some races are all ‘disadvantaged’ while others are not.”

The law firm added that the incoming administration should use the USDA lawsuit and Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty's findings as a “road map” in rooting out diversity, equity and inclusion policies in the federal government.

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Trump Taps Sean Duffy to Lead Department of Transportation

President-elect Donald Trump is nominating former Congressman and current Fox Business host Sean Duffy to serve as his Department of Transportation secretary.

“During his time in Congress, Sean was a respected voice and communicator in the Republican Conference, advocating for Fiscal Responsibility, Economic Growth, and Rural Development,” Trump said in a statement. “Admired across the aisle, Sean worked with Democrats to clear extensive Legislative hurdles to build the largest road and bridge project in Minnesota History.”

Duffy is an attorney who represented the seventh district of Wisconsin from 2011-2019 as a Republican.

“He will prioritize Excellence, Competence, Competitiveness and Beauty when rebuilding America's highways, tunnels, bridges and airports,” Trump said. “The husband of a wonderful woman, Rachel Campos-Duffy, a STAR on FoxNews, and the father of nine incredible children, Sean knows how important it is for families to be able to travel safely, and with peace of mind.

“Sean will use his experience and the relationships he has built over many years in Congress to maintain and rebuild our Nation's Infrastructure, and fulfill our Mission of ushering in The Golden Age of Travel, focusing on Safety, Efficiency, and Innovation,” he added.

Notably, Trump said Duffy will “make our skies safe again by eliminating DEl for pilots and air traffic controllers.”

Taking on DEI in the federal government is a growing theme for some of Trump’s nominees, including Federal Communications Commission nominee Brendan Carr and Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, both of whom promised to root out DEI policies in their respective roles.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which represents truck drivers and has more than 150,000 members, immediately backed Trump’s pick.

“OOIDA and the 150,000 small business truckers we represent congratulate Representative Sean Duffy on his nomination as Secretary of Transportation,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said in a statement. “We look forward to working with him in advancing the priorities of small business truckers across America, including expanding truck parking, fighting freight fraud, and rolling back unnecessary regulations. We encourage a swift confirmation in the Senate and look forward to working with the new administration.”

Duffy accepted the nomination on X.

“I’m eager to help you usher in a new golden age of transportation,” Duffy said.

Trump's picks for his administration so far include:

Sean Duffy to lead the Department of Transportation.Chris Wright for Department of Energy Secretary.Brendan Carr to lead the Federal Communications Commission.North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as Secretary of the Interior.William Owen Scharf as Assistant to the President and White House Staff Secretary.Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as head of U.S. Health and Human ServicesFormer Congresswoman and veteran Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence.Former Congressman Doug Collins as Secretary of Veterans AffairsJay Clayton as Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.Former congressman Matt Gaetz for Attorney General.Veteran and Fox News host Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense.Veteran and former New York congressman Lee Zeldin as head of the Environmental Protection Agency.U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., as Secretary of State.Former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan as “border czar.”Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.Former Congresswoman and current governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the “Department of Government Efficiency.William Joseph McGinley as White House Counsel.Steven C. Witkoff as Special Envoy to the Middle East.Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla. as national security advisor.Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel.Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. as ambassador to the U.N.Dean John Sauer as Solicitor General.Todd Blanche as Deputy Attorney General.Emil Bove as Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General.Dan Scavino of the Trump campaign as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff.Susie Wiles, co-chair of the Trump campaign, as White House Chief of Staff.Stephen Miller as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor.James Blair of the Trump campaign as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative, Political and Public Affairs.Taylor Budowich of the Trump campaign as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Personnel.

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Assembly Republicans Want Surplus Returned; Senate Democrats Eye Medicaid Expansion

(The Center Square) – It doesn’t look like the leadership in the Wisconsin legislature will be changing next year.

Republicans in the Assembly re-elected Speaker Robin Vos, while Democrats in the Wisconsin Senate re-elected Dianne Hesselbein as Minority Leader.

Senate Republicans last week re-elected Sen. Devin LeMahieu as Majority Leader.

Democrats in the Assembly are the only ones who have not yet voted for their leader. That vote is set for Tuesday.

The leadership re-elections signal that next year likely won’t be that much different from the past two years at the Capitol in Madison.

In fact, both Vos and Hasselbein said their priorities for the new session are no different than their priorities from the one that’s about to end.

“We have an opportunity to make sure that the wishes of the public in Wisconsin become the reality that we work on over the next 14 to 15 months,” Vols told reporters.

The new legislature will be tasked with writing a new state budget.

Hesselbein said Democrats want to add to that state budget and spend more on Gov. Tony Evers’ top priorities.

“We know that there's no reason we should be fighting on these. Whether it's Medicaid expansion, supporting K-12 [education], higher education, technical colleges, paid family medical leave, and helping support those people that with Child Care Counts. These are issues that we all care deeply about, and those are the things that we're going to be fighting for on day one,” Hesselbein said.

Vos said Assembly Republicans are not looking to spend any more money in the new state budget.

“Voters are saying they want us to focus on what's important to them. I think our campaigns really did that. They were focused almost entirely on ‘How do we deal with the inflation that's ravaging through every income strata and every part of Wisconsin?’ If you talk to most folks they know the price of groceries. They know that rent is higher. They know that the cost of just about everything is higher,” Vos said. “We have a record-surplus and…at least for Assembly Republicans, we are not in a rush to spend that. We are in a rush to return it back to the people of Wisconsin. The best way that we can help folks deal with inflation is by putting the money that they overpaid back in their wallets, so that they can choose to spend it on things that are important to their family. So that's going to be something that we work on right away next spring.”

The new legislature will take its oath and begin its new session in January.

Trump Picks Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to Lead HHS

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to serve as U.S. Health and Human Services secretary.

“I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS),” Trump said in a statement. “For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health.”

The lifelong Democrat became an Independent during his presidential campaign and then endorsed Trump, helping propel Trump to victory.

Kennedy has been outspoken about the need to take on corporate food companies as well as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to address the chronic health crisis in America.

“The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country,” Trump said. “Mr. Kennedy will restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!”

Kennedy is also known for his skepticism of some vaccines.

Kennedy has pushed his “Make America Healthy Again” movement in recent months, raising concerns about the chemicals in American food and how federal health agencies have either allowed harmful food and drugs or been coopted by corporations.

The MAHA website emphasizes regenerative agriculture, habitat preservation, combatting corporate corruption and removing toxins from the environment.

“Robert F Kennedy Jr will be The Secretary of Health and Human Services!” Donald Trump Jr. posted on X. “Promises Made Promises Kept.”

Republicans Secure Control of House of Representatives

Republicans will again control the U.S. House of Representatives, multiple media outlets are projecting.

The call means President-elect Donald Trump is at the helm as Republicans have secured all three branches of the federal government.

Decision Desk HQ called the House for Republicans days ago, but other media outlets like CNN and NBC News held out until Wednesday afternoon to put Republicans at at least 218 seats after flipping one overall in their favor with a few more races to call.

The Associated Press and Fox News still have not called the House, leaving Republicans at 217 seats.

Meanwhile, Senate Republicans on Wednesday elected U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., to serve as majority leader as Trump rolled out several picks to fill out his administration.

Republican control of the House will likely prevent Trump from facing more impeachment attempts and House investigations as well as give an edge in funding battles.

“Thank you, President @realDonaldTrump for joining House Republicans this morning,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Fla., who was reelected to his role Wednesday, wrote on X. “Our strong @HouseGOP majority is looking forward to advancing your agenda that puts the American people FIRST! As you said, we will unify and get it done!”

Musk, Ramaswamy to Lead Trump Efforts to Cut Waste, Fraud in Federal Government

President-elect Donald Trump picked Tesla CEO Elon Musk and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a newly created Department of Government Efficiency.

The department's acronym, DOGE, is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said the new group will pave the way for his administration to "dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulation, cut wasteful expenditures and restructure federal agencies."

Trump laid out lofty goals for the group in his announcement this week.

"It will become, potentially, 'The Manhatten Project,' of our time," Trump's announcement said. "Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of 'DOGE' for a very long time."

It won't be an official government agency, which will likely allow Musk and Ramaswamy to avoid public financial disclosures.

Trump said the change he's looking for won't come from within the existing federal government.

"To drive this kind of change, the Department of Government Efficiency will provide advice and guidance from outside the government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform and create and entrepreneurial approach to government never seen before," the announcement noted.

Trump said he looks forward to what Musk and Ramaswamy can accomplish.

"Importantly, we will drive out the massive waste and fraud which exists throughout our annual $6.5 trillion of government spending," he said.

Trump also gave them a deadline: July 4, 2026.

"A smaller government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy will be the perfect gift to America" on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, according to the announcement.

Ramaswamy, who dropped out the race for the GOP nomination to endorse Trump in January, has previously proposed significant cuts. During his campaign, Ramaswamy proposed cutting 75% of the federal workforce.

Musk recently suggested that he could cut $2 trillion from the federal budget, or about one-third of total U.S. spending. He's been tossing out ideas on X, previously Twitter before Musk bought the company and changed the name.

"The world is suffering slow strangulation by overregulation. Every year, the noose tightens a little more," Musk wrote in a post on X on Wednesday. "We finally have a mandate to delete the mountain of choking regulations that do not serve the greater good."

Musk also said he isn't a threat to democracy, but a threat to bureaucracy.

DOGE already has an X account. It's first post: "Working overtime to ensure your tax dollars will be spent wisely!"

Some budget experts have called Musk's pledge to cut $2 trillion a pipe dream, noting that many of the problems DOGE wants to address have proven intractable.

Brian Riedl, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute think tank, called Musk's proposal "a random number unattached to reality."

Marc Goldwein, the senior vice president and senior policy director for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said it could be done with 10 aggressive policies, mostly focused on Medicare and Medicaid.

"The government can legitimately save trillions over a decade by reducing waste and improving efficiency – and I hope we do," Goldwein wrote on X. "Achieving these savings requires major changes to how and how much we pay for health care."

Medicare (annual cost of about $1 trillion) is a federal health insurance program for people 65 or older, and some people younger than 65 with certain disabilities or conditions. Medicaid (annual cost of about $558 billion) is a joint federal and state program that helps cover medical costs for some people with limited income and resources.

The Government Accountability Office, which serves as the research arm of Congress, estimated annual fraud losses cost taxpayers between $233 billion and $521 billion annually, in a report in April. The fraud estimate's range represents 3% to 7% of average federal obligations. The Office of Management and Budget publicly questioned that estimate, calling it "not plausible."

"OMB has significant concerns that this report will not further efforts to prevent and reduce fraud, but rather will create confusion and promote misleading generalizations that have no factual connection to specific federal programs," Jason Miller, the deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget, wrote of OMB concerns in a three-page letter to officials with the Government Accountability Office.

On the campaign trail, Ramaswamy detailed his plan to reduce the federal workforce by 75% during an event at the America First Policy Institute in Washington in 2023.

Ramaswamy said he would shutter the FBI (about 35,000 employees); the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (5,099 employees); the U.S. Department of Education (about 4,200 employees); the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (about 3,000 employees); and the Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Services (about 1,500 employees).

Under Ramaswamy's campaign plan, some 15,000 FBI employees would be moved to other agencies such as the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Secret Service, Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, Drug Enforcement Administration, Defense Intelligence Agency, and Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security.

Some groups called the Department of Government Efficiency goals a stretch. Others had more pointed things to say.

Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, a progressive consumer advocacy organization founded by Ralph Nader, said the government agencies and regulations Ramaswamy proposed cutting are in place to protect people.

"The purpose of government regulations is to protect the American people," she said in a statement. "We all depend on these regulations to protect our air, water, workers, children's safety, and so much more. 'Cutting red tape' is shorthand for getting rid of the safeguards that protect us in order to benefit corporate interests."

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Harris Concedes Election to Trump, Pledges to Help Him With Transition

Vice President Kamala Harris addressed her supporters and the nation at her alma mater Howard University in Washington, D.C. Wednesday afternoon, where she publicly conceded the race to former President Donald Trump.

Harris – the 60-year-old former California Attorney General and U.S. senator currently serving as vice president – called for loyalty to the U.S. Constitution and the peaceful transition of power in her speech.

She clearly conceded the race and pledged to help former President Donald Trump with the transition.

“My heart is full today, full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full of love for our country and full of resolve,” Harris said to begin her remarks. “The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for, but hear me when i say the light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.”

Harris thanked her family, supporters, her team, President Joe Biden, her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and poll workers.

“Over the 107 days of this campaign we have been intentional about building community and building coalitions, bringing people together from every walk of life and background, united by love and country with enthusiasm and joy in our fight for America’s future,” Harris said. “And we did it with the knowledge that we all have so much more in common than what separates us.”

Harris’ comments come as voting results continued to pour in showing former President Donald Trump either winning or leading in all seven swing states, putting him over 300 electoral votes and a roughly 5 million vote lead in the popular vote.

Now, Harris is expected to certify the election in early January ahead of Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration.

“We must accept the results of this election,” Harris said in her remarks. “I also told [Trump] that we will help him and his team with their transition and that we will engage in a peaceful transition of power.

“While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign, the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness and the dignity of all people,” Harris continued.

Harris reportedly called Trump to concede the race earlier Wednesday afternoon. Harris held off on addressing her supporters or calling Trump into the early morning Wednesday as results poured in and made her path to the White House impossible.

Trump gave his own remarks early Wednesday, promising a new “golden age” in America.

“Frankly, I believe this was the greatest political movement of all time, and maybe beyond,” Trump said, promising to “help our country heal.”

President Joe Biden also reportedly called to congratulate Trump, who outperformed expectations on Tuesday after indictments, assassination attempts and constant media criticism in a historic political comeback.

No president has had two nonconsecutive terms since Grover Cleveland, who was elected president for the second time in 1892.

In her speech, Harris laid out some of the policy or ideological issues that motivated her campaign, pledging to continue to fight for those ideas.

She also spoke an encouraging message to the young people in attendance at her speech.

“To everyone who is watching … this is not a time to throw up our hands,” Harris said. “This is a time to roll up our sleeves. This is a time to organize, to mobilize and to stay engaged for the sake of freedom and justice and the future that we all know we can build together.”

tammy baldwin eric hovde

Baldwin Declared Winner Over Hovde in Tight Wisconsin U.S. Senate Race

(The Center Square) – Incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin defeated Republican challenger Eric Hovde in a race declared Wednesday afternoon.

Baldwin held a lead of 28,958 votes with 49.38% of the vote to Hovde’s 48.52%.

“The voters have spoken and our campaign has won,” Baldwin wrote on social media. “Wisconsinites chose someone who always puts them first, shows up, listens, and works with everyone to get the job done. I'm proud to head back to the Senate to keep fighting for our workers, farmers, and families that make our state great.”

Wisconsinites chose someone who always puts them first, shows up, listens, and works with everyone to get the job done. I'm proud to head back to the Senate to keep fighting for our workers, farmers, and families that make our state great.

If the difference remains less than 1%, Hovde will automatically qualify for a re-count.

After the unofficial tallies are done, a canvas must be complete and filed by Nov. 19. Then Hovde would have three days from the time the final canvas is received to ask for a recount.

Republican leaders, including Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Brian Schimming, pointed toward third-party candidate Thomas Leager, who received 28,717 votes in the U.S. Senate race. Leager was found to have been funded by Democratic firms and donors despite saying that he was recruited to run by the Patriots Run Project.

Schimming called Leager and the America First party a “fake candidate under a fake party name.”

“Democrats have to come in and pose as something they are not,” Schimming said.

Schimming said that he would work with Hovde’s campaign to determine if they will ask for a recount, saying it is a “very very close race.” That decision has not been made yet, Schimming said.

rebecca cooke

U.S. Rep. Van Orden Defeats Rebecca Cooke in District 3

(The Center Square) – Third District Congressman Rep. Derrick Van Orden defeated Rebecca Cooke in a race that was called late Wednesday morning by multiple outlets.

Van Orden, the Republican incumbent, had 51.35% of the vote with 211,696 to Cooke’s 48.65% with 200,556 votes in the district that includes Eau Claire and areas south of the city and extending east toward Oshkosh.

Incumbents won seven of the eight U.S. House seats in Wisconsin as the Republicans hold a 6-2 advantage in the state.

Republican Tony Wied topped Democrat Kristin Lyerly in the 8th District to fill an empty seat held by Republican Mike Gallagher until his April 24 resignation. Wied received 57.3% of the vote to Lyerly’s 42.7%.

Republican incumbent Reps. Bryan Steil (1st District), Scott Fitzgerald (5th District), Glenn Grothman (6th District) and Tom Tiffany (7th District) won races along with Democratic incumbents Mark Pocan (2nd District) and Gwen Moore (4th District).

Pocan represents a district including Madison and Moore represents Milwaukee.

Van Orden went back and forth during the race but ultimately did not schedule a debate.

Van Orden recently testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee about the effects of illegal immigration on Wisconsin on a statewide scale.

Van Orden fought back after Cooke incorrectly accused him of skipping a health care policy forum during the campaign.

The group organizing the forum, the Western Wisconsin Medical Society, called Cooke’s comments inaccurate and disappointing.

https://www.thecentersquare.com/wisconsin/article_3543096c-87f8-11ef-87e1-1bfc5f5a2ccc.html