- Rep. Jimmy Gomez drafts resolution to oust Marjorie Taylor Greene from Congress (Politico) – The measure is one of the starkest rebukes yet against the congresswoman, who has antagonized her peers by flouting coronavirus guidelines and has garnered national attention for engaging in the QAnon conspiracy theory. She has also denied the Parkland school shooting, and was filmed spreading racist, Islamophobic and anti-Semitic comments, prompting condemnation from the leadership of her own party.
- As Biden vows monumental action on climate change, a fight with the fossil fuel industry has only begun (Washington Post) – Industry executives expressed dismay at the scope, speed and direction in which Biden is heading, saying he is going much further than President Barack Obama ever did, while environmentalists said the danger that Earth faces is far more dire now than it appeared during Obama’s tenure and requires an extraordinary response.
- Biden, Emphasizing Job Creation, Signs Sweeping Climate Actions (New York Times) – The array of directives — touching on international relations, drilling policy, employment and national security, among other things — elevate climate change across every level of the federal government.
- In Colorado, President Biden’s energy leasing moratorium on public lands brings praise, lawsuit (Denver Post) – “We’re facing serious destruction of our lands, waters, air and wildlife, which increases the risks of disease pandemics and climate change-induced disasters,” said Gwen Lachelt, a former La Plata County commissioner and executive director of Western Leaders Network. Brad Handler, senior fellow for public policy at the Payne Institute at the Colorado School of Mines, said he believes the near-term impact of the leasing moratorium will be much less than the industry says.
- Extremists Emboldened by Capitol Attack Pose Rising Threat, Homeland Security Says (New York Times) – The warning was a notable departure for a Department of Homeland Security accused of being reluctant during the Trump administration to publish intelligence reports or public warnings about the dangers posed by extremists and white supremacist groups.
- Undoing Trump’s policies and other things Biden did his first week as president (USA Today) – Biden has signed over 30 executive orders. They focus on immigration reform, climate change, COVID-19, the economy, and promoting equity and diversity.
- ‘Their inaction cost lives’: U.S. Capitol Police union rebukes leadership (NBC News) – Some U.S. Capitol Police officers sustained brain injuries in the deadly riot on Jan. 6, one officer cracked two ribs and smashed two spinal discs, one will likely lose an eye, and another was stabbed with a metal fence stake. The acting Capitol Police chief, Yogananda Pittman, told a House panel that the department had “failed to meet its own high standards, as well as yours.”
- John Roberts’ refusal to sit for Trump impeachment sparks constitutional concerns (New York Post) – Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who has been vocal in his opposition to the second impeachment, used Roberts’ planned absence from the trial as a point in favor of dropping the trial. “The Constitution says two things about impeachment — it is a tool to remove the officeholder, and it must be presided over by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
- Biden immigration bill would make illegal immigrant farmworkers immediately eligible for green cards (Fox News) – A draft summary of the legislation obtained by Fox News says that agricultural workers would be able to adjust status after background checks and payment of applicable fees if they have worked 400 days or more in a five year period. It would include seasonal or temporary work.
- Republicans back away from confronting Trump and his loyalists after the Capitol insurrection, embracing them instead (Washington Post) – The nation’s two most powerful elected Republicans have signaled that they are ready to look past questions of responsibility for the violent effort to overturn the result of the presidential election, an attempt that left a Capitol Police officer and four rioters dead, as they maneuver to avoid a divisive battle within the Republican Party and try to position it to reclaim power in 2022.
