McCarthy Slams Biden on Debt Negotiations: Would Rather Be First President to Default than Cut Radical-Left Spending

mccarthy-slams-biden-on-debt-negotiations:-would-rather-be-first-president-to-default-than-cut-radical-left-spending

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) slammed President Joe Biden amid debt ceiling negotiations and accused the president of preferring the United States default on its debts rather than cut federal spending.

“President Biden doesn’t think there is a single dollar of savings to be found in the federal government’s budget,” McCarthy tweeted Saturday evening. “He’d rather be the first president in history to default on the debt than to risk upsetting the radical socialists who are calling the shots for Democrats right now.”

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned that the U.S. will hit its debt limit as early as June 1.

For months, Biden refused to negotiate with House Republicans on the debt ceiling. The president had a change of heart after House Republicans rallied behind Speaker McCarthy to pass the Limit, Save, Grow Act, which would lift the debt ceiling through early next year and save the government an estimated $4.8 trillion over the next ten years.

Debt ceiling negotiations between Biden and congressional leaders have been happening for nearly two weeks. However, Biden’s White House is “moving backward in negotiations,” according to McCarthy.

“The White House is moving backward in negotiations,” McCarthy tweeted. “Unfortunately, the socialist wing of the Democrat Party appears to be in control—especially with President Biden out of the country.”

The White House is moving backward in negotiations.

Unfortunately, the socialist wing of the Democrat Party appears to be in control—especially with President Biden out of the country.

— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) May 20, 2023

Biden left the country to attend the G-7 Summit in Hiroshima earlier this week. Although he cut his trip short, he will not return to the United States to resume negotiations until Sunday.

Biden’s decision to take a foreign trip less than two weeks from a potential default may have harmed his reputation with the American public.

A recent survey found that 33 percent of Americans blame Biden for the lack of an agreement on the debt ceiling, while only 27 percent blame House Republicans.

Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter.

Man Who Killed Teen He Accused of Being a ‘Republican Extremist’ Faces Maximum of 10 Years

man-who-killed-teen-he-accused-of-being-a-‘republican-extremist’-faces-maximum-of-10-years
Shannon Brandt
Stutsman County Jail via Fox News

The 42-year-old North Dakota man who admitted to killing 18-year-old Cayler Ellingson by running him over with his SUV because he was “part of a Republican extremist group,” faces a maximum of just ten years in prison.

Shannon Brandt was initially charged with vehicular manslaughter, but prosecutors upgraded the charge to murder in September.

Brandt said he was afraid Ellingson was “part of a Republican extremist group and that he was afraid they were ‘coming to get him,’” according to reports. He then hit and ran over Ellingson with his car, killing him.

As Valley News Live reported at the time:

After visiting the scene where the incident happened, deputies went to Brandt’s house in Glenfield, ND, which is about 12 minutes from the crash scene. Brandt admitted to consuming alcohol before the incident, and stated he hit Ellingson with his car because he had a political argument with him. Brandt also admitted to deputies that he initially left the crash scene, then returned to call 911, but left again before deputies could arrive.

Court documents say just before the crash, Ellingson called his mom and asked if they knew who Brandt was. She said yes, and told her son she was on her way to pick him up. A short time later, court documents say Ellingson called his mom again to say that “he” or “they” were chasing him. It was after the second call that Ellingson could not be reached.

However, prosecutors amended Brandt’s charge to manslaughter, which carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. Brandt entered a guilty plea on the manslaughter charges this week, avoiding a trial that was set to start on May 30.

Brandt’s attorney, Mark Friese, told WDAY Radio Now his client entered the guilty plea partially “to protect the involved families from the adversariness of trial.”

Friese said:

Several factors influenced Shannon’s decision. First, the prosecution amended the charge from homicide to manslaughter. We were unaware of their intention to do so until shortly before they did. Secondly, the prosecution deposed three of the defense witnesses last week. I suspect this provided a much clearer picture of the events for the prosecution, and likely influenced their decision to agree to further amend count 1 and to dismiss count 2. Third was his desire to protect the involved families from the adversariness of trial. Shannon has never denied responsibility for his part in this tragic accident. A plea of guilty permits him to accept responsibility while limiting the stress and emotional toll for all involved

As American Greatness reported:

An autopsy found that Ellingson was on the ground when he suffered his fatal injuries, meaning “the injuries weren’t caused from being struck by Shannon Brandt’s vehicle and were caused by being run over,” according to Dr. Kevin Maley, the medical examiner.

Ellingson’s death came less than one month after President Joe Biden used the weight of his presidency to paint “MAGA Republicans” as dangerous “extremists” and “white supremacists.”

“There is no question that the Republican party today is dominated, driven, and intimidated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans, and that is a threat to this country,” Biden said in a politically fueled primetime address.

Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter.

Democrats Lament About Debt Ceiling: We Backed Ourselves ‘Into this Corner’

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Democrats continue to vent over how they have been forced to negotiate with Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on a potential debt ceiling deal after months of saying they would not consider discussing such a compromise.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) said that he regrets that Democrats did not raise the debt ceiling during the lame-duck session in 2022 before Republicans formally took back the House in January.

“If I could do one thing different. And I was saying it at the time … ‘Hey, we got the votes,’” Kaine remarked, saying he believes that even the purportedly fiscal hawk Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) would have backed a debt ceiling hike.

Politico report follows as Republican leadership has said they are “pressing pause” on debt limit talks with Biden.

Congressional Democrats have become frustrated at being forced to negotiate with McCarthy, which led many to pursue the “legally questionable” question of using the 14th Amendment to raise the debt limit.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), a vocal progressive, called on Biden to pull out of the negotiations. He said, “Why are we negotiating? It’s just very frustrating that we have backed ourselves into this corner.”

Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA), a moderate Democrat, said, “The negotiations started when we lost the House.”

Progressive Democrats, led by Rep. Pramila Japayal (D-WA), the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), proposed the idea of raising the debt ceiling before Republicans took over the House.

However, a person familiar with the discussion told Politico that the logistics and getting Manchin behind a partisan debt ceiling hike would be unlikely.

So, would Manchin have gone for a Democrat-only debt hike late last year? “You’re speculating about all this hypothetical shit,” the person said.

He added, “It always needs to be bipartisan. But when you can’t get a bipartisan [deal] or have any type of agreement at all? You’ve got to raise the debt ceiling.”

Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.

Nevada Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Role in Torture, Murder of Roy Jaggers

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Roy Jaggers’ tortured, lifeless body was found at the bottom of a canyon 50 miles outside of Las Vegas in August 2021, and now all three of his killers have been brought to justice.

On Thursday, Brad Mehn, 39, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for his role in kidnapping, torturing, and forcing his ex-girlfriend’s neighbor to walk off a cliff at Cathedral Canyon, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

Heather Pate, 29, and her current boyfriend Kevin Dent, 37, took plea deals in April. They are both convicted of second-degree murder, and will be sentenced on June 22. Prosecutors said that Pate believed Jaggers had molested one of her children and lured him back to her apartment where she solicited Mehn and Dent to help torture the 27-year-old victim. There was no evidence that could corroborate Pate’s claims of child abuse, prosecutors said.

Kassy Robinson, Jaggers’ mother, said her son would often babysit Pate’s children and watch her dogs, Law and Crime reported.

Jaggers was tortured for hours at a gun range, and prosecutors said Mehn “brought the tools and weapons used to torture Jaggers, including a belt, baton, bayonet, stapler, pistol, axe, blowtorch and shotgun.” After being tortured he was forced to strip and walk off a cliff.

Dent could be released in ten years, and Pate will be eligible for parole in 15 years.

Elise Stefanik, Republicans Push Back on Biden’s War on Chocolate Milk

elise-stefanik,-republicans-push-back-on-biden’s-war-on-chocolate-milk

House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and other House Republicans have pushed back against a Biden administration proposal that would limit children’s access to chocolate milk and other drinks in schools across America.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is considering limiting certain foods and drinks such as chocolate milk to “reduce children’s risk of chronic disease.”

The proposal would limit flavored milk such as chocolate milk to high school.

“USDA is proposing to allow flavored milk for high school children only (grades 9-12),” the USDA proposal explained. “This approach would reduce exposure to added sugars and would promote the more nutrient-dense choice of unflavored milk for young children when their tastes are being formed. The proposed regulatory text for this alternative would allow flavored milk only for high schools (grades 9-12).”

“Children in grades K-5 would again be limited to a variety of unflavored milk,” the proposal added.

The Biden administration appears to be taking a page from New York Mayor Eric Adams’ proposed ban on chocolate milk, which he backed off from after Stefanik and many others attacked the proposal. Notably, Adams follows a vegan diet and has urged Congress to allow vegetarian options in New York City schools.

Stefanik proposed a bill, the Protecting School Milk Choices Act, which would ensure schools participating in the National School Lunch Program offer at least one flavored milk option.

Now, Republican leaders have set their sights on the USDA’s move to take chocolate milk away from children.

I will always lead the fight to save chocolate milk and protect our Upstate New York and the North Country dairy farmers. When New York City Mayor Eric Adams tried to ban chocolate milk, I led the successful effort to fight back and won on behalf of families and farmers. Now, Joe Biden is embracing this Far Left radical proposal to ban chocolate milk. This is totally unacceptable, and I will do everything in my power to stop these efforts. Flavored milk is one the best ways for kids to get essential dairy nutrients for growth and development.

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson (R-PA) said, “First it was your gas stove, and now it is your child’s school meal. President Biden’s proposal to ban chocolate milk is another example of brazen government overreach.”

He added, “I’m proud to stand with America’s dairy farmers against Biden’s intrusion into our school cafeterias. Chocolate milk is a calcium-rich childhood favorite, and it is here to stay!”

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), the chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said, “The Biden administration believes that the federal government knows best in everything. As a result, we continue to see this administration impose top-down regulations that do more harm than good.

She added, “The contents of school meals are best left to local professionals and the cafeteria staff who care for America’s students every day and know what they will eat.”

Fox News reported that a 2015 study found that chocolate milk could be a great post-workout option due to its high levels of protein, carbohydrates, and calcium.

Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.

Mail Delivery Halted for an Entire Seattle Zip Code

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Seattle residents in the 98118 zip code had to pick their mail up at the post office last week after the United States Postal Service paused delivery due to rising thefts.

“Mail delivery to less than 900 residents in parts of south Seattle was affected last week because of equipment security concerns. Improvements to the affected equipment were made, and all mail was delivered to the impacted residents,” Postal Service spokesperson Kim Frum told Fox News Digital.

The delivery pause was tied to thieves stealing a master key used by postal workers to open cluster mailboxes found in apartment buildings all throughout the city, KIRO 7 reported. Mail delivery resumed this past Tuesday.

While some residents received a notice from their apartment building of the pause, others said they learned through Facebook or by talking to neighbors. Residents had to go to the post office to pick up their mail. Some waited more than 45 minutes, only to be turned away when the post office closed at 5:00 p.m.

Resident Juana Esquibel said she tried picking up her mail three times and even got off work early to pick it up.

Nancy Truittpierce told KING5 that the post office could not give a date when delivery services would resume:

“I was asking one of the women when I was picking up my mail, ‘How much longer?’” Truittpierce said. “They don’t even know; they can’t tell us. They’re telling us to rent a post office box; that’s not an answer. That’s a ridiculous answer; there are people who aren’t able to do that.”

The United States Postal Service announced robberies of mail carriers are 50% higher than last year, KIRO 7 reported. Robberies have more than quadrupled in the last decade, with criminals targeting Arrow and Modified Arrow Lock (MAL) Keys, Fortune reported. USPS is currently in the process of replacing 49,000 of the arrow lock keys with electronic versions to deter criminals from robbing mail carriers.