Congress returns to Capitol Hill with a chock-full agenda, and a community in mourning following a mass shooting gets a little relief. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023.
Congress returns to Capitol Hill, looks to avoid shutdown
Lawmakers were set to return to Capitol Hill Tuesday as Congress resumes its work following its summer recess. While there are several priority items Congress will look to address, perhaps the most pressing is avoiding a government shutdown.
The House of Representatives is scheduled to meet for just 11 days before the end of the fiscal year at the end of the month. By then, Congress will have to pass a short-term funding measure in order to keep government offices fully functioning.
House Republicans have tried loading their spending proposals with conservative policies, including blocks to abortion coverage, transgender care and diversity initiatives. These proposals are likely to fail in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
“This year, it looks like they’re not going to be able to adopt a new budget or even adopt some continuing resolutions to carry things forward,” Paul Helmke, a professor of practice at Indiana University, said. “There are members of the Republican caucus that want to use this process as a way to advance some of their agenda items. With such a slim majority in the House, it puts the entire process at risk. So we’ll just have to wait and see what happens after Oct. 1.”
In addition to working on keeping the government open, House Republicans were also expected to consider whether to move forward with an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. Other topics expected to be addressed in September include Ukraine funding, as well as disaster funding for victims of the Maui wildfires and Hurricane Idalia.
Former Proud Boys leader to be sentenced
The sentencing hearing in the Jan. 6 case against former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was scheduled for Tuesday. Federal prosecutors have sought 33 years in prison for Tarrio.
Four other Proud Boy were handed down some of the harshest sentences yet last week, ranging from 10 to 18 years.
More than 1,000 people have been charged with Jan. 6-related offenses, making it the largest prosecution in American history. While 600 people have either pleaded guilty gone to trial, six have become wanted fugitives by the FBI after missing court proceedings.
Ken Paxton impeachment trial begins
The Texas State Senate was set to begin the impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton Tuesday. The State House voted to impeach Paxton in May of 2023 over claims from former deputies of Paxton that he used his power to help a wealthy donor in exchange for favors.
The 20 articles of impeachment against Paxton include abuse of public trust, unfitness for office and bribery. Paxton has decried the impeachment as a “politically motivated sham” with the goal of disenfranchising his supporters.
Lawyers for Paxton said he won’t testify at the trial. Paxton has said he expects to be acquitted.
U.S. believes North Korea, Russia will conduct arms deal
U.S. government officials said they believe there is a planned meeting between North Korea and Russia this month. According to the officials, this meeting could result in North Korean Leaders Kim Jong Un putting weapons in the hands of Russia for their ongoing war with Ukraine.
The U.S. National Security Council warned arms negotiations between Russia and North Korea have been advancing over the past several months. Under the potential deals, North Korea would supply Russian troops with “significant” quantities and multiple types of weaponry and ammunition.
This wouldn’t be the first shipment of war supplies from the North to Russia. North Korea also supplied Wagner Group forces with rockets and missiles in late 2022. Russia has also received military assistance from Iran.
The U.S. has had increasing concerns over Russia’s relationship with North Korea, Iran and China. The four countries each have their own tensions with the U.S.
Burning Man attendees begin exodus from muddy desert
Some of the tens of thousands of Burning Man festivalgoers were finally get out of the Nevada desert on Monday, Sept. 4. They were stranded there for days after a downpour of rain muddied the roads and parking lots surrounding the event.
Video captured slow-moving cars and RV’s forming lines of stalled traffic with wait times of up to seven hours. Some attendees trekked by foot through the mud, sometimes ankle deep, to get to the main drag.
There were still more than 60,000 festival attendees at Black Rock City as of midday Monday. Thousands were expected to travel out Tuesday.
Dollar General donates to Jacksonville following shooting
Dollar General announced it is donating $2.5 million to the city of Jacksonville, Florida after a gunman killed three people at one of its stores in August of 2023. A 19-year-old store employee was among those killed.
Dollar General said the donation will go toward “efforts focused on healing and hope for Jacksonville,” including support for impacted employees. The store will be fully remodeled and reopen in late September or early October.
