List: These 32 Senators Voted to Shut Down the Government Before Christmas

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The Senate approved a short-term spending plan to keep the government open Thursday but not without nearly a third of the chamber dissenting for various reasons.

The funding bill, called a continuing resolution, keeps the government open through mid-January.

The legislation needed at least 60 votes and passed by 66 votes, with 32 nays and two senators not voting. That’s double the 14 Democrats who dissented against the temporary spending bill two weeks ago.

Most of the nay votes were from Democrats who are desperate to deal with immigration issues.

During a caucus meeting Thursday, Democratic Rep. Luis Gutiérrez of Illinois criticized Schumer for not caring about the future of Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals, and for “throwing them under the bus,” The Washington Post reports.

Schumer, who voted no on the spending bill, issued an ultimatum to the GOP that his party would not vote for anything more than a short term bill until Congress addresses immigration and wider domestic spending issues.

He also mentioned that the $81 billion emergency spending bill the House passed Thursday would not go forward until the Senate addressed other issues.

“We’re not going to allow things like disaster relief to go forward without discussing some of these other issues we care about,” Schumer said. “We have to solve these issues together.”

Two Republican senators — Mike Lee of Utah and Rand Paul of Kentucky — joined the dissenting votes for the spending bill.

The spending bill again waived rules that would have mandated steep cuts to Medicare and other entitlement programs, which Paul didn’t want to see happen.

“Do federal deficits matter?” Paul asked.

Here are all the “nay” votes:

Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Nay

Michael Bennet (D-CO), Nay

Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Nay

Cory Booker (D-NJ), Nay

Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Nay

Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Nay

Ben Cardin (D-MD), Nay

Bob Casey (D-PA), Nay

Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Nay

Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Nay

Dick Durbin (D-IL), Nay

Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Nay

Al Franken (D-MN), Nay

Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY), Nay

Kamala Harris (D-CA), Nay

Maise Hirono (D-HI), Nay

Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Nay

Mike Lee (R-UT), Nay

Ed Markey (D-MA), Nay

Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Nay

Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Nay

Chris Murphy (D-CT), Nay

Patty Murray (D-WA), Nay

Rand Paul (R-KY), Nay

Jack Reed (D-RI), Nay

Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Nay

Brian Schatz (D-HI), Nay

Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Nay

Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Nay

Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Nay

Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Nay

Ron Wyden (D-OR), Nay

(For more from the author of “List: These 32 Senators Voted to Shut Down the Government Before Christmas” please click HERE)

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Top Marine General Announces Prediction to Troops: ‘There’s a War Coming’

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Concerns about rising global tensions were not eased when recent remarks by the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps became public this week.

As The Hill reported, Gen. Robert Neller was in Norway addressing Marines stationed there when he delivered a grim forecast of the international climate.

“I hope I’m wrong, but there’s a war coming,” he said.

Neller was stressing the geopolitical importance of a presence in Norway during his visit, according to Military.com.

He indirectly pointed to Russia, among other global actors, as possible threats in the near future. That would possibly put any battalion stationed in Norway, a recently introduced rotation for the Marines, in position to respond to the “big-a– fight” Neller believes is coming.

While he also mentioned the Pacific theater as a likely global hot spot, much of his rhetoric seemed to reference Russia.

That narrative was continued by Marine Corps Sergeant Major Ronald Green, who said the situation on the ground for those stationed in Norway could change without notice.

“Just remember why you’re here,” he said. “They’re watching. Just like you watch them, they watch you.”

The small Marine footprint in the nation could easily increase should circumstances warrant it, Green said.

“We could go from 300 to 3,000 overnight,” he said. “We could raise the bar.”

Video footage shows the training exercises Marines in the battalion are using to remain ready.

The notable avoidance of directly referencing Russia continues a trend Military.com first identified in previous conversations with the Marines in the Norway rotation. They reported being instructed not to mention Russia by name in any public statements.

In addition to permitting the Marine Corps unit to be stationed in the country, the Norwegian government also has deep economic ties to neighboring Russia. Some officials in Norway have expressed concern about the scope of the American mission in their country, though the arrangement has generally been met with approval.

As for Russian officials, there has been overwhelming rejection of U.S. presence on the Norwegian side of the border.

“They don’t like the fact that we oppose them, and we like the fact that they don’t like the fact that we oppose them,” Green said, again avoiding use of the word “Russia.”

He went on to say that, despite the size of the force on the ground in Norway, he likes their odds.

“Three hundred of us, surrounded by them, we’ve got them right where we wanted, right?” he said. “We’ve done this before.” (For more from the author of “Top Marine General Announces Prediction to Troops: ‘There’s a War Coming'” please click HERE)

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Senate Admits to Paying $1.5 Million for Harassment

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The Senate quietly released a bare-bones report late Thursday on what a statement called “harassment settlement” data, showing that nearly $1.5 million in taxpayers’ money has been spent over the past two decades to cover claims against lawmakers and other Senate offices.

The two-page release contained no names of senators or victims. It said $599,000 was for 13 settlements involving “member-led” Senate offices, while the remaining $853,000 was for 10 settlements involving “other” Senate offices.

The Senate’s Rules and Appropriations committees released the information on the evening of Congress’ final work day this year. It came during a period that has seen several lawmakers resign or announce their retirements following sexual harassment accusations, and growing condemnation for the secrecy with which Congress has guarded information about such cases.

While the release called the information “harassment settlement data,” none of the terse descriptions of each case used those words. Four of the cases involved sex discrimination, including two that also involved “reprisal,” while most of the rest were for race, age or disability discrimination. (Read more from “Senate Admits to Paying $1.5 Million for Harassment” HERE)

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Another State Bans Abortions on Down Syndrome Babies

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An Ohio bill to protect unborn babies with Down syndrome from abortion became law today as Gov. John Kasich signed the legislation. The measure bans abortions on babies with Down syndrome and it follows bans in North Dakota and Indiana.

The Down Syndrome Non-Discrimination Act (Senate Bill 164) would help prevent discrimination by prohibiting abortions on unborn babies who have or may have Down syndrome. Abortionists who violate the measure could be charged with a fourth-degree felony or lose their medical license. The legislation was sponsored by Reps. Sarah LaTourette and Derek Merrin and Sen. Frank LaRose.

“Now that the Down Syndrome Non-Discrimination Act is law, unborn babies prenatally diagnosed with Down syndrome are given a shot at life” said Mike Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life. “Ohio is and will continue to be a state that sees the lives of people with Down syndrome as lives worth living, thanks to this legislation.”

In an August report, CBS News had a segment about Down syndrome in Iceland, claiming the country had “eradicated Down syndrome.” The report stated that nearly 100% of mothers who receive a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome for their pregnancy abort their child.

“Ohio Right to Life is immensely grateful to pro-life Governor John Kasich and his administration for how they have protected the unborn,” said Mike Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life. “Gov. Kasich has signed 20 pro-life initiatives into law in the last six years. He is a pro-life champion, and we are thankful for how he has made it clear that we will not permit this kind of discrimination against people with Down syndrome.” (Read more from “Another State Bans Abortions on Down Syndrome Babies” HERE)

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US Life Expectancy Falls AGAIN, Worst Record in Over 50 Years

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Life expectancy in the United States has dropped again following last year’s decline, which marked the first downturn in more than two decades.

On average, Americans can now expect to live 78.6 years, a statistically significant drop of 0.1 year, according to a report on 2016 data published Thursday by the National Center for Health Statistics. Women can now expect to live a full five years longer than men: 81.1 years vs. 76.1 years . . .

“I still don’t think you can call it a trend, because you really need more than two data points to call something a trend,” said Bob Anderson, chief of the mortality statistics branch at the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “But it’s certainly concerning to see this two years in a row.” . . .

“We have data for almost half of 2017 at this point. It’s still quite provisional, but it suggests that we’re in for another increase” in drug-related deaths, he said. “If we’re not careful, we could end up with declining life expectancy for three years in a row, which we haven’t seen since the Spanish flu, 100 years ago.” (Read more from “US Life Expectancy Falls AGAIN, Worst Record in Over 50 Years” HERE)

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Manhunt in California for Suspect in Random Shootings

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Police in California’s central valley on Friday were searching for at least one suspect after 10 random shootings on vehicles that resulted in one woman injured.

A woman was shot when she was driving earlier this month in Fresno County, near the rural town of Kerman, Reuters reported. Her injuries were not life-threatening. The nine other shootings occurred between Nov. 27 and Dec. 17, authorities said. Cars were struck by gunfire, but no one was wounded, the report said.

The shooting attacks could turn deadly, Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims said at a news conference, Reuters reported.

“If this keeps going, it’s going to be a matter of time before we have a murder investigation,” Mims said. “That’s what we’re trying to avoid.”

Witnesses described the suspect’s vehicle as a dark colored pick-up truck with oversized tires, she said. (Read more from “Manhunt in California for Suspect in Random Shootings” HERE)

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Prosecutors Ask FBI Agents for Info on Uranium One Deal

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On the orders of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Justice Department prosecutors have begun asking FBI agents to explain the evidence they found in a now dormant criminal investigation into a controversial uranium deal that critics have linked to Bill and Hillary Clinton, multiple law enforcement officials told NBC News.

The interviews with FBI agents are part of the Justice Department’s effort to fulfill a promise an assistant attorney general made to Congress last month to examine whether a special counsel was warranted to look into what has become known as the Uranium One deal, a senior Justice Department official said.

At issue is a 2010 transaction in which the Obama Administration allowed the sale of U.S. uranium mining facilities to Russia’s state atomic energy company. Hillary Clinton was secretary of state at the time, and the State Department was one of nine agencies that agreed to approve the deal after finding no threat to U.S. national security.

A senior law enforcement official who was briefed on the initial FBI investigation told NBC News there were allegations of corruption surrounding the process under which the U.S. government approved the sale. But no charges were filed.

As the New York Times reported in April 2015, some of the people associated with the deal contributed millions of dollars to the Clinton Foundation. And Bill Clinton was paid $500,000 for a Moscow speech by a Russian investment bank with links to the transaction. (Read more from “Prosecutors Ask FBI Agents for Info on Uranium One Deal” HERE)

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Clinton-Appointed Judge Throws out yet Another Anti-Trump Lawsuit

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A federal court in New York City has dismissed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump that alleged his failure to divest from the Trump business empire violated anti-corruption provisions of the Constitution.

U.S. District Judge George Daniels, a Clinton administration appointee, ruled Thursday that the case could not proceed because the plaintiffs could not prove that Trump’s actions tangibly harmed their businesses.

The lawsuit was brought by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, an anti-Trump watchdog group formerly led by Clinton ally David Brock.

A number of accomplished lawyers and legal scholars participated in the effort, including Professor Laurence Tribe of Harvard Law School, Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the law school at the University of California, Berkeley, and Richard Painter, an ethics lawyer in the George W. Bush White House.

The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the federal trial court in Manhattan.

The plaintiffs claim that their economic livelihood has been adversely affected by their inability to compete with Trump’s businesses following his election to the presidency.

The plaintiffs — event planners, hoteliers and restaurant owners — claim they have lost business in recent months, as prospective costumers flock to Trump properties to curry favor with the administration or secure greater exposure.

Daniels was not convinced, however, finding that the plaintiffs could not show that Trump’s actions hurt their business.

Daniels explained that interest in Trump properties would naturally attend his election to the presidency. Such an organic development in the market, he said, is not grounds for a lawsuit.

“(T)he connection between the hospitality plaintiffs alleged injuries and defendant’s actions is too tenuous to satisfy Article III’s causation requirement,” he wrote.

He also noted that nothing in the Constitution suggests its anti-corruption provisions are meant to protect people from fair economic competition.

“Nothing in the text or the history of the emoluments clauses suggests that the framers intended these provisions to protect anyone from competition,” he wrote.

On a separate note, Daniels wrote the Constitution explicitly cedes enforcement of the emoluments clause to Congress.

Therefore, it would only be appropriate for a court to hear an emoluments challenge if Congress first attempted to enforce the provision, and the president refused to comply.

“Congress is not a potted plant,” he wrote in a footnote. “It is a co-equal branch of the federal government with the power to act as a body in response to defendant’s alleged foreign emoluments clause violations, if it chooses to do so.”

Speaking after the ruling, CREW executive director Noah Bookbinder said the organization would review its options before proceeding with a potential appeal.

“While today’s ruling is a setback, we will not walk away from this serious and ongoing constitutional violation,” he said. “The Constitution is explicit on these issues, and the president is clearly in violation.” (For more from the author of “Clinton-Appointed Judge Throws out yet Another Anti-Trump Lawsuit” please click HERE)

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Nikki Haley Sets the Record Straight After Senior Muslim Diplomat Called US a ‘Blatant Bully’

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The United States remains defiant this week in the face of mounting criticism from the United Nations regarding President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

As The Western Journal previously reported, the U.S. vetoed a measure that would have reversed Trump’s pronouncement. U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley went on to criticize the member states who support that security council resolution and a similarly worded non-binding measure that was approved Thursday by the General Assembly.

One Reuters reporter tweeted Wednesday that a “senior diplomat from a Muslim country” shot back at Haley after reading a letter she reportedly sent explaining that Trump intended to keep a close eye on which nations voted against his Jerusalem decision.

“States resort to such blatant bullying only when they know they do not have a moral or legal argument to convince others,” the unnamed official told Michelle Nichols.

Haley once again defended the position by claiming American sovereignty on the issue.

She tweeted that such action actually comes “when a country is tired of being taken for granted.”

The former South Carolina governor used similar language when she defended the prior veto, which marked the first such security council vote by the U.S. in six years.

Haley claimed the action was “in defense of American sovereignty and in defense of America’s role in the Middle East peace process.”

She went on to warn nations supporting the resolution against the U.S. that they could face similar retaliation in the future.

“The United States has a sovereign right to determine where and whether we establish an embassy,” she said. “I suspect very few member states would welcome security council pronouncements about their sovereign decisions.”

Ahead of the general assembly vote on the matter, both Haley and Trump have made it clear the U.S. plans to hold nations individually accountable.

In a letter sent to most of the 193 member states participating in the vote, Haley wrote that the administration will be keeping track of the nations voting in favor of the measure condemning the U.S.

She also tweeted that the U.S. would be “taking names.”

Trump later made the same case more emphatically.

“Let them vote against us,” he said. “We’ll save a lot. We don’t care. But this isn’t like it used to be where they could vote against you and then you pay them hundreds of millions of dollars. We’re not going to be taken advantage of any longer.” (For more from the author of “Nikki Haley Sets the Record Straight After Senior Muslim Diplomat Called US a ‘Blatant Bully'” please click HERE)

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Trump Issues Threat to United Nations

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U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley is taking a bold stand for President Trump’s recent recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel – warning that she will be “taking names” of nations that reject the president’s decision in a General Assembly vote scheduled for Thursday . . .

President Trump is threatening to cut off aid to the countries in Haley’s list of names that call for him to withdraw his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

“They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars, and then they vote against us. Well, we’re watching those votes. Let them vote against us. We’ll save a lot. We don’t care,” President Trump said at the White House Wednesday. “This isn’t like it used to be where they could vote against you and then you pay them hundreds of millions of dollars and nobody knows what they’re doing.

“People are tired of the United States – people that live here that are great citizens that love this country – they’re tired of this country being taken advantage of. And we’re not going to be taken advantage of any longer.”

On behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation, Turkey and Yemen had requested an emergency meeting of the 193 nations. The request came in response to the U.S. veto of a draft resolution rejecting President Trump’s Dec. 6 Jerusalem declaration. Egypt introduced the draft, which was supported Monday by all 14 other Security Council members. It expressed “deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem.” (Read more from “Trump Issues Threat to United Nations” HERE)

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