Today's politics recap
- Second gentleman Doug Emhoff was evacuated from a Washington high school because of a bomb threat. The husband of Kamala Harris was at Dunbar High School in northwest DC for an event commemorating Black History Month when Secret Service agents told him to evacuate. “Mr Emhoff is safe and the school has been evacuated. We are grateful to Secret Service and DC police for their work,” Emhoff’s spokesperson said.
- Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell criticized the Republican National Committee’s censure of Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger over their work for the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection. Describing the Capitol attack as a “violent insurrection”, McConnell said it was inappropriate for the RNC to censure two members for disagreeing with their colleagues. “That’s not the job of the RNC,” McConnell said.
- Joe Biden celebrated the news that Tritium is opening a new production facility in Tennessee to build its electric vehicle charging stations. The Tritium site will bring more than 500 jobs to Tennessee, and it is expected to start production this fall. “This is great news for workers across the country, for our economy and frankly for the planet,” Biden said. “We’re seeing the beginnings of an American manufacturing comeback.”
- Two House subcommittees held a hearing on security threats at synagogues, amid an alarming rise in antisemitic attacks across the US. The rabbi who was held hostage by an armed gunman last month at the Congregation Beth Israel in Texas testified at the hearing. Emphasizing the importance of security trainings for Jewish community leaders, Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker called for increased funding for those programs to help protect houses of worship. “Every congregation needs to be prepared,” Cytron-Walker said.
– Joan E Greve
Bernie Sanders: We must do everything possible to avoid an enormously destructive war in Ukraine
The Vermont senator writes for the Guardian’s op-ed section:
Wars have unintended consequences. They rarely turn out the way the experts tell us they will. Just ask the officials who provided rosy scenarios for the wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq, only to be proven horribly wrong. Just ask the mothers of the soldiers who were killed or wounded in action during those wars. Just ask the millions of civilians who became “collateral damage”.
That is why we must do everything possible to try and find a diplomatic solution to what could be an enormously destructive war in Ukraine.
No one knows exactly what the human costs of such a war would be. But there are estimates that there could be over 50,000 civilian casualties in Ukraine, and millions of refugees flooding neighboring countries as they flee what could be the worst European conflict since the second world war. In addition, of course, there would be many thousands of deaths within the Ukrainian and Russian militaries. There is also the possibility that this “regional” war could escalate to other parts of Europe. What might happen then is even more horrifying.
But that’s not all. The sanctions against Russia and Russia’s threatened response to those sanctions, could result in massive economic upheaval – with impacts on energy, banking, food and the day-to-day needs of ordinary people throughout the entire world. It is likely that Russians will not be the only people suffering from sanctions. And, by the way, any hope of international cooperation to address the existential threat of global climate crisis and future pandemics would suffer a major setback.
Read more:
Per CNN’s Manu Raju, Hal Rogers said he apologized:
News: Rep. Hal Rogers told me that he just apologized to CBC chair Joyce Beatty after she accused him of poking her in the back and saying to him, “kiss my ass” after she asked him to wear a mask.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 8, 2022
“My words were not acceptable,” he said
Updated
Joyce Beatty, a Democratic representative of Ohio, says her colleague Hal Rogers – a Republican of Kentucky – lobbed insults and refused to oblige after she asked him to put on a mask.
Beatty, who is also chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, asked Rogers to put on a mask before boarding the Capitol’s subway system. “He then poked my back, demanding I get on the train,” she said. “When I asked him not to touch me, he responded, ‘kiss my ass’,” she wrote on Twitter.
🧵 Today, while heading to the House floor for votes, I respectfully asked my colleague @RepHalRogers to put on a mask while boarding the train. He then poked my back, demanding I get on the train. When I asked him not to touch me, he responded, “kiss my ass.” (1/3)
— Joyce Beatty (@RepBeatty) February 8, 2022
Rogers is not the only Republican lawmaker to flout public health rules. Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Andrew Clyde have racked up tens of thousands of dollars in fines for refusing to comply with mask mandates in the House.
Updated
Today so far
That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over the blog for the next few hours.
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- Second gentleman Doug Emhoff was evacuated from a Washington high school because of a bomb threat. The husband of Kamala Harris was at Dunbar High School in northwest DC for an event commemorating Black History Month when Secret Service agents told him to evacuate. “Mr Emhoff is safe and the school has been evacuated. We are grateful to Secret Service and DC police for their work,” Emhoff’s spokesperson said.
- Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell criticized the Republican National Committee’s censure of Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger over their work for the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection. Describing the Capitol attack as a “violent insurrection”, McConnell said it was inappropriate for the RNC to censure two members for disagreeing with their colleagues. “That’s not the job of the RNC,” McConnell said.
- Joe Biden celebrated the news that Tritium is opening a new production facility in Tennessee to build its electric vehicle charging stations. The Tritium site will bring more than 500 jobs to Tennessee, and it is expected to start production this fall. “This is great news for workers across the country, for our economy and frankly for the planet,” Biden said. “We’re seeing the beginnings of an American manufacturing comeback.”
- Two House subcommittees held a hearing on security threats at synagogues, amid an alarming rise in antisemitic attacks across the US. The rabbi who was held hostage by an armed gunman last month at the Congregation Beth Israel in Texas testified at the hearing. Emphasizing the importance of security trainings for Jewish community leaders, Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker called for increased funding for those programs to help protect houses of worship. “Every congregation needs to be prepared,” Cytron-Walker said.
Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Updated
McConnell criticizes censure of Cheney and Kinzinger: 'That's not the job of the RNC'
Meanwhile, over on Capitol Hill, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell criticized the Republican National Committee for censuring Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger over their work for the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection.
At a press conference today, McConnell was asked about the censure and the RNC’s description of the Capitol insurrection as “legitimate political discourse”.
“Let me give you my view of what happened January 6,” McConnell said. “It was a violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after a legitimately certified election, from one administration to the next.”
.@LeaderMcConnell on RNC censure of Reps. Cheney and Kinzinger: "The issue is whether or not the RNC should be sort of singling out members of our party who may have different views from the majority. That's not the job of the RNC." pic.twitter.com/BMCmRYrjV5
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 8, 2022
McConnell noted that the RNC has traditionally taken the stance of supporting all members of the Republican party, even if certain lawmakers have differing views on specific issues.
The reporter then asked McConnell whether he has confidence in the leadership of RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, who supported the censure resolution.
“I do, but the issue is whether or not the RNC should be sort of singling out members of our party who may have different views from the majority,” McConnell said. “That’s not the job of the RNC.”
Mike Jordan reported for the Guardian over the weekend on the recent wave of bomb threats targeting historically Black colleges and universities:
For many students and alumni of historically Black colleges and universities, the wave of bomb threats on the campuses feel like history repeating itself.
“I was caught off-guard because we’re in 2022 and still facing the same problems as our grandparents and their grandparents,” said Marian Turner, an international studies major at Spelman College in Atlanta, referring to a time before the gains of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. “It just really brings to light everything that’s happening, because we’re actually experiencing it.”
Turner remembers checking her email two hours before a 9 am class on Tuesday, the day Spelman and a dozen other historically black colleges, or HBCUs, received bomb threats, the second such wave targeting the schools in a month. It would have been her first day of in-person classes since the Omicron variant delayed a return to campus.
She was glad campus was empty at the time of the threat, but still felt outrage, fear and even defiance. So she decided to go on campus, but ended up leaving to avoid putting herself in danger. Instead, she attended class virtually.
Read the Guardian’s full report:
Doug Emhoff was at Dunbar High School for an event commemorating Black History Month when he had to be evacuated from the building because of a bomb threat.
It’s unclear whether the threat was specifically related to the Black History Month event, but the incident comes a week after a number of historically Black colleges and universities received similar threats.
The Guardian’s Adam Gabbatt reported last week:
The FBI has said a series of hoax bomb threats targeting US historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, are being investigated as racially motivated hate crimes
More than a dozen HBCUs reported bomb threats on Tuesday, the first day of Black history month.
On Monday, six HBCUs received similar threats, forcing them to cancel classes for thousands of students.
A number of HBCUs faced simultaneous threats from anonymous callers earlier in January.
Katie Peters, the communications director for Doug Emhoff, confirmed that the second gentleman is safe after being evacuated from Dunbar High School in Washington.
“U.S. Secret Service was made aware of a security threat at a school where the @SecondGentleman was meeting with students and faculty,” Peters said on Twitter.
“Mr. Emhoff is safe and the school has been evacuated. We are grateful to Secret Service and D.C. Police for their work.”
U.S. Secret Service was made aware of a security threat at a school where the @SecondGentleman was meeting with students and faculty. Mr. Emhoff is safe and the school has been evacuated. We are grateful to Secret Service and D.C. Police for their work.
— Katie Peters (@KatiePeters46) February 8, 2022
Updated
A spokesperson for DC Public Schools, Enrique Gutierrez, told the press pool accompanying Doug Emhoff at Dunbar High School that students have been sent home because of the bomb threat.
New: We just spoke with DCPS spox Enrique Gutierrez, who confirmed again that @SecondGentleman was ushered out due to a bomb threat at Dunbar HS. Kids have been sent home.
— Austin Landis (@_AustinLandis) February 8, 2022
“I think everyone is safe. The building is clear. But I don’t have any specific details at this moment.”
“I think everyone is safe. The building is clear. But I don’t have any specific details at this moment,” Gutierrez said, per pooler Austin Landis of Spectrum News.
Asked about the incident during her daily briefing, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said moments ago, “I don’t have any updates on this. We will venture to see if we can get you anything, even if it’s during the briefing.”
Emhoff evacuated from DC school due to bomb threat
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff was evacuated from Dunbar High School in northwest Washington moments ago, and the DC Public Schools system has said the school received a bomb threat.
Emhoff was at Dunbar for an event commemorating Black History Month, and he was speaking to school leaders when a Secret Service agent appeared to tell him, “We have to go.”
Moments before the @SecondGentleman was ushered out of the room by Secret Service due to a bomb threat here at Dunbar High School. A spokesperson for D.C. public schools just confirmed to us it was a bomb threat, and the school has now been evacuated. pic.twitter.com/KLr3wgnymO
— Austin Landis (@_AustinLandis) February 8, 2022
According to a pool report, minutes after Emhoff was escorted out, an announcement was made that teachers should evacuate the building, and reporters present for the event soon followed suit.
DCPS confirmed the reason for the evacuation was a bomb threat. Asked about the incident moments ago, White House press secretary Jen Psaki would not provide any additional details.
Joe Biden argued that Tritium’s newly announced production facility in Tennessee would help the US compete in the global electric vehicle market.
“It’s going to help ensure that America leads the world on electric vehicles,” Biden said. “China has been leading that race up to now, but that’s about to change.”
The president also gave a rare shoutout to Tesla, which he described as “our nation’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer”. Despite the White House’s focus on electric vehicles to lower US emissions, Biden has been generally hesitant to mention Tesla.
Once he wrapped up his prepared remarks, Biden walked away from the podium without taking any of reporters’ shouted questions.
Biden celebrates 'American manufacturing comeback' as Tritium announces US facility
Joe Biden celebrated the news of Tritium opening a manufacturing facility in Tennessee to produce the company’s electric vehicle charging stations.
The president noted the facility would create more than 500 good-paying jobs in Tennessee, and he predicted that the plant would have a “ripple effect” for many other working Americans, as the site would rely on US iron and steel.
“This is great news for workers across the country, for our economy and frankly for the planet,” Biden said. “The benefits are going to ripple to thousands of miles in every direction.”
The president noted the bipartisan infrastructure law includes $5bn for electric vehicle charging stations, and his administration will announce state-by-state funding for those stations later this week.
“We’re seeing the beginnings of an American manufacturing comeback,” Biden said. “This is not hyperbole. This is real. This is genuine.”
Tritium announces new electric car charging production facility in Tennessee
Jane Hunter, chief executive of Tritium, announced her company is opening a new production facility in Tennessee to build its electric vehicle charging stations.
According to Hunter, the facility is expected to begin production this fall, and she credited the Biden administration and Tennessee lawmakers for making the site possible.
“With the help of the residents of Tennessee, we’ll be building our largest factory globally, right here in the United States,” Hunter said. “We can’t wait to get started.”
Joe Biden’s event on bolstering America’s manufacturing sector and lowering the country’s greenhouse gas emissions has now started at the White House.
Gina McCarthy, Biden’s national climate adviser, began the event by underscoring the importance of expanding the usage of electric cars, which she described as an “absolutely essential tool” in lowering emissions.
McCarthy added that electric vehicles provide crucial savings for American families by reducing their use of gas, ensuring that those who do make the change to an electric car do not go back.
“I just have to say, we are all charged up,” McCarthy joked.
Joe Biden will soon deliver remarks on bolstering America’s manufacturing sector, as Democrats look to advance the president’s Build Back Better economic agenda.
Biden’s speech will focus on his administration’s efforts to “rebuild our manufacturing to make more in America, create good-paying union jobs, and lower energy costs for Americans,” according to the White House.
The secretary of transportation, Pete Buttigieg, and the secretary of energy, Jennifer Granholm, are also expected to attend the event. Stay tuned.
An influential rightwing lobby group, the American Legislative Exchange Council or Alec, is driving a surge in new state laws to block boycotts of the oil industry. The group’s strategy, which aims to protect large oil firms and other conservative-friendly industries, is modelled on legislation to punish divestment from Israel.
Since the beginning of the year, state legislatures in West Virginia, Oklahoma and Indiana have introduced a version of a law drafted by Alec, the Energy Discrimination Elimination Act, to shield big oil from share selloffs and other measures intended to protest the fossil fuel industry’s role in the climate crisis. A dozen other states have publicly supported the intent of the legislation.
Texas has begun compiling a list of companies to target for refusing to do business with the oil industry after the state passed a version of the law last year. Top of the list is the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock.
The push to blacklist firms that boycott the oil industry follows a meeting in December between politicians and Alec, a corporate-funded organisation that writes legislation for Republican-controlled states to adopt and drive conservative causes.
At that meeting in San Diego, members of Alec’s energy taskforce voted to promote the model legislation requiring banks and financial companies to sign a pledge to not boycott petroleum companies in order to obtain state contracts. The wording closely resembles that of laws drafted by Alec and adopted in more than 30 states to block support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel’s oppression of the Palestinians.
Similar laws are also being promoted to protect the gun industry from boycotts.
Full story:
The new mayor of New York City caused a mix of amusement and serious consternation by comparing cheese to heroin.
“Food is like a drug,” Eric Adams said on Monday. “And in fact, the studies show the same level of brain that encourages you to use drugs also addicts you to food.
“Food is addictive. You take someone on heroin, put them in one room, and someone hooked on cheese, put ’em in another room, and you take it away, I challenge you to tell me the person who’s hooked on heroin and who’s hooked on cheese.”
The mayor identifies as a vegan, though on Monday he admitted sometimes eating fish. The Daily News, meanwhile, cited “a source close to the mayor” when it said Adams “has been spotted chowing down on beef and chicken in addition to fish”.
“Representatives for Adams did not return requests for comment on the beef and chicken details,” it said.
Adams was speaking as part of an effort to convince New Yorkers to switch to a more plant-based diet. He did not say to which studies he was referring. In 2015, researchers at the University of Michigan found that cheese was among foods people found hard to give up.
But the study did not merit some of the headlines it generated, among them “This Explains a Lot: Study Finds That Cheese Is Just as Addictive as Drugs” and “Headed to Roquefort Rehab: Cheese Is as Addictive as Crack Cocaine”.
Predictably, the internet did not take kindly to Adams’s words.
Dr Kim Sue, medical director for the National Harm Reduction Coalition and an addiction physician-anthropologist at Yale, said: “Weighing in from addiction medicine to ask [Adams] to please not make these claims about either heroin or cheese.
“The stigma and moralising is rife and not useful.”
Stefanik equates January 6 rioters with protesters for racial justice
Asked if she agreed with the Republican National Committee that the January 6 attack on the US Capitol was “legitimate political discourse”, a senior member of House Republican leadership repeatedly compared the deadly riot to protests, which sometimes involved violence, for racial justice in US cities in 2020.
Elise Stefanik, a New York congresswoman, was talking to reporters on Capitol Hill.
“As Republicans have been very clear,” she said, “we condemn the violence on January 6. We also condemn the violence on [sic] 2020, as violent criminals attacked federal buildings, including parts of Washington DC. So we have been clear in that condemnation.
“House Democrats did not condemn the violence that happened all of 2020 and we believe the January 6 commission is political theater. It’s about punishing partisan opponents and not getting to the real facts, which should be how can we ensure that the Capitol complex is safe not only for those of us who work here, but for the American people to come continue to advocate for policies they believe in.”
The RNC called the Capitol attack – and Donald Trump’s lies about election fraud which fueled it – legitimate political discourse last week, in a censure of two Republicans on the House committee investigating January 6, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger.
Stefanik was asked if such extreme rhetoric might endanger her party’s chances of retaking the House and perhaps the Senate, as it is favoured to do in November, perhaps by alienating independent voters otherwise turning against Democrats and Joe Biden.
“Again,” she said, “our position has been very clear.”
She then repeated the equation between January 6 and protests for racial justice.
Ronna McDaniel, the chair of the RNC, has complained about coverage of the censure of Kinzinger and Cheney, saying the “legitimate political discourse” language used “had nothing to do with violence at the Capitol”.
Such language was not in the formal censure.
More:
Today so far
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- Two House subcommittees held a hearing on security threats at synagogues, following a series of anti-Semitic attacks across the US. The Anti-Defamation League has documented an increase in anti-Semitic incidents in recent years, with 2021 representing the highest level of such attacks since ADL’s tracking began in 1979.
- The rabbi who was held hostage by an armed gunman last month at the Congregation Beth Israel in Texas testified at the hearing. Emphasizing the importance of security trainings for Jewish community leaders, Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker called for increased funding for those programs to help protect houses of worship. “Every congregation needs to be prepared,” Cytron-Walker said.
- Cytron-Walker detailed the anti-Semitic views of the gunman who held him and three others hostage for 11 hours. Cytron-Walker said the attacker made comments about Jewish people controlling the government and the media, and the man believed he could wield influence by targeting the synagogue. “That was reality for him,” Cytron-Walker said.
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker emphasized the importance of Jewish leaders being prepared for potential attacks to ensure the safety of their community members.
The rabbi noted that he has attended a number of security trainings with the FBI and local law enforcement partners, and he said Jewish leaders need to be prepared for the worst-case scenario.
“What happened to us is the most recent horrible thing,” Cytron-Walker said of the hostage crisis at his synagogue last month. “But things have been happening for years. And it’s a matter of, when does that wake-up call happen?”
Rabbi details anti-Semitic views of gunman who attacked Texas synagogue
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat of Texas, asked Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker about the ideology of the armed man who attacked his synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, last month.
The attacker held Cytron-Walker and three others worshipping at the Congregation Beth Israel hostage for about 11 hours before the rabbi threw a chair at the gunman, allowing the four hostages to escape.
Cytron-Walker said the attacker expressed anti-Semitic views about Jewish people controlling the government and the media, and the man believed he could wield influence by targeting the synagogue.
“That was his singular understanding - that idea that Jews control the world, that Jews control the media, that Jews control government, that Jews control everything,” Cytron-Walker said. “That was reality for him.”
Members of the two House subcommittees hosting the hearing are now asking questions about the rising number of security threats at synagogues.
Congressman Donald Payne, a Democrat of New Jersey, asked how social media has contributed to the increased number of anti-Semitic attacks in recent years.
Eric Fingerhut, the president of the Jewish Federations of North America and a former congressman, acknowledged that social media has enabled extremists from across the country to communicate with each other and further enflame fringe movements.
“There is no place that is immune to this danger precisely because of the threats online,” Fingerhut said. “That is the reason why we need to be protecting every single institution.”
Michael Masters, the national director and CEO of the Secure Community Network, emphasized the importance of giving Jewish leaders the tools to protect themselves and members of their communities.
Speaking at the House subcommittee hearing on security threats at synagogues, Masters explained how his organization serves as a liaison with federal law enforcement partners to help protect houses of worship.
The Secure Community Network works with Jewish community leaders to help develop best-practice safety policies and share intelligence about potential threats.
Masters’ organization hosted a training in the Fort Worth area last August, and Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker attended the session. That guidance proved crucial last month, when an armed gunman took Cytron-Walker and three of his congregants hostage.
“Let me just say how honored I am, how moved I am to be participating in this hearing with Rabbi Charlie,” Masters said. “We teach people in our trainings to commit to action. This is what the rabbi and other hostages did on that horrendous day.”
Testifying at the House subcommittee hearing, Yosef Konikov, a rabbi at Chabad of South Orlando in Florida, said his congregants often express concern about their physical safety at the synagogue.
When the hostage crisis unfolded last month at the Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, Konikov heard from congregants who said, “Rabbi, that could have been us.”
Konikov warned that anti-Semitic attacks like the Colleyville hostage crisis make his congregants more hesitant to come to the synagogue or bring their children for services.
“The United States must help its citizens be protected so they can practice their religion freely,” Konikov said. “Indeed, this is a cornerstone of the founding of this great nation.”
Rabbi who was held hostage testifies at House subcommittee hearing
Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker is now delivering his opening statement at the House subcommittee hearing on the rising number of security threats at synagogues.
The hearing comes one month after Cytron-Walker and three of his congregants were held hostage by an armed attacker at his synagogue, the Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas.
Cytron-Walker expressed gratitude that he had access to security trainings before the attack occurred, and those trainings enabled him to respond quickly and effectively during the crisis. The rabbi threw a chair at the attacker, allowing his congregants to escape.
Cytron-Walker said more synagogue leaders need to receive similar security trainings, and he criticized the gap in funding that makes it harder for communities to access those crucial resources.
“Every congregation needs to be prepared,” Cytron-Walker said.
Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, the Democratic chair of the House subcommittee on intelligence and counterterrorism, lamented the recent rise in anti-Semitic attacks across the US.
Specifically addressing last month’s hostage crisis at the Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, Slotkin said, “This was not an isolated incident.”
The Anti-Defamation League has documented an alarming rise in anti-Semitic attacks in recent years, with 2021 representing the highest level of such incidents since ADL’s tracking began in 1979.
But Slotkin added that the US is “far from powerless” to prevent these attacks, and she emphasized the importance of government investments to help protect houses of worship across the country.
House hearing on security threats at synagogues begins
The House subcommittee hearing on security threats at synagogues has now started, and the Democratic leaders of the two hosting subcommittees are delivering opening statements.
Congresswoman Val Demings, the chair of the House subcommittee on emergency preparedness, response and recovery, warned that the US is seeing fringe extremist groups embrace anti-Semitism, resulting in dangerous attacks like the hostage crisis at the Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas.
Demings applauded Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, who will testify at today’s hearing, for his “quick actions” during the hostage crisis. The rabbi grabbed a chair and threw it at the gunman, allowing his congregants to escape.
Cytron-Walker is expected to soon testify, so stay tuned.
Mitt Romney and his niece, Ronna McDaniel, exchanged texts after the Republican National Committee she chairs called Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn his election defeat and the Capitol riot “legitimate political discourse”.
Romney, the Utah senator, 2012 presidential nominee and only Republican to twice vote to convict Trump at his impeachment trials, told reporters on Monday he “expressed his point of view”.
The RNC used the controversial language in censuring Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, the only Republicans on the House committee investigating January 6.
Romney was one of few Republicans to scorn the move, saying: “Shame falls on a party that would censure persons of conscience, who seek truth in the face of vitriol. Honor attaches to Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for seeking truth even when doing so comes at great personal cost.”
But he did not mention his personal connection to McDaniel, who stopped using “Romney” in her name after Trump took over her party – according to the Washington Post, at Trump’s request.
Romney also said the censure “could not have been a more inappropriate message … so far from accurate as to shock and to make people wonder what we’re thinking”.
On Monday, he told reporters he and his niece had since “exchanged some texts”.
“I expressed my point of view,” he said. “I think she’s a wonderful person and doing her very best.”
He also said McDaniel was “terrific”.
Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker was among the four people who were taken hostage by an armed man last month at the Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas.
The Guardian’s Edward Helmore reports:
Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker told CBS he initially welcomed the stranger, who had been staying in a Dallas homeless shelter, and made him a cup of tea. He said the man was not threatening or suspicious at first.
‘Some of his story didn’t quite add up, so I was a little bit curious, but that’s not necessarily an uncommon thing,’ the rabbi said. Cytron-Walker said he invited Akram to join the morning service.
As he turned his back to face the direction of Jerusalem, he heard the click of a gun.
The hostage crisis ended 11 hours later, and luckily Cytron-Walker and the other three people at the synagogue survived the attack.
Rabbis to testify at House hearing on security concerns at synagogues
Greetings from Washington, live blog readers.
Two House subcommittees will hold a hearing today on security concerns at synagogues, following a series of antisemitic attacks at the houses of worship.
Among those testifying at the hearing will be two rabbis: Charlie Cytron-Walker, of the Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, and Yosef Konikov, of Chabad of South Orlando in Florida.
The hearing comes one month after a man took four worshippers hostage at Cytron-Walker’s synagogue in Texas. All four hostages luckily survived the attack, which renewed fears over the rise of antisemitism in the US.
Joe Biden described the hostage crisis as “an act of terror,” saying his administration is committed to combating antisemitic attacks.
“I wanted to make sure we got the word out to synagogues and places of worship that we’re not going to tolerate this, that we have this capacity to deal with the assaults on particularly the antisemitism that has grown up,” Biden said.
“We are focused. The attorney general is focused. I’m making sure that we deal with these kinds of acts.”
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
