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Congress

Jeffries calls on Biden to pardon more Americans

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2 years ago

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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called on President Joe Biden to pardon more people convicted of nonviolent offenses amid controversy over the president’s pardon of his son, Hunter Biden.

“During his final weeks in office, President Biden should exercise the high level of compassion he has consistently demonstrated throughout his life, including toward his son, and pardon on a case-by-case basis the working-class Americans in the federal prison system whose lives have been ruined by unjustly aggressive prosecutions for nonviolent offenses,” Jeffries said in a statement.

Jeffries’ comments echo the calls from some other Democrats who in recent days have asked Biden to use his clemency powers for more Americans in federal custody besides Hunter and to address sentencing disparities. But it did not pass judgment on the pardon of Hunter Biden itself. Some in the caucus have openly criticized the president since the pardon was issued and said it could tarnish his legacy and open a lane for Donald Trump to issue similar sweeping pardons.

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Congress

Todd Blanche confirmation hearing kicks off

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40 minutes ago

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July 15, 2026

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Attorney general nominee Todd Blanche opened his confirmation hearing by telling members of the Senate Judiciary Committee he is committed to “restoring American trust” in the the Justice Department — after claiming the Biden administration weaponized the law against President Donald Trump and many Republican lawmakers.

“In recent years, we watched the Justice Department turn against many of you and a former president and it damaged the public’s faith in justice,” Blanche, the current deputy attorney general now also leading the DOJ in an acting capacity, said Wednesday morning. “We are fixing that.”

He was likely referencing Biden-era special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and mismanagement of classified documents.

Blanche, who was confirmed last year as deputy attorney general, told the Senate he is “here today to earn your trust once more” amid indications that Judiciary Committee Republicans Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Cornyn of Texas could oppose him.

He also used his opening statement to play up the accomplishments his agency has taken to keep Americans safer, specifically noting actions to more stringently enforce the borders, keep drugs out of the country and crack down on fraud such as in the healthcare space.

Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, went after Blanche for an uneven rollout of the Jeffrey Epstein files and his role in facilitating the controversial legal settlement agreement for Trump that led to the short-lived launch of an “anti-weaponization fund” that members of both parties decried.

“This nation deserves an Attorney General who loves the Constitution more than he loves the President. An Attorney General who is focused on keeping Americans safe and combating corruption — not satisfying the grifter-in-chief’s personal grievances and filling his bank accounts,” Durbin said. “Mr. Blanche, you have proven beyond a reasonable doubt you are not that person.”

Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) lauded successful efforts under Blanche at DOJ to crack down on crime and defended him against Democratic attacks that the Justice Department has lacked transparency and accountability.

A staunch oversight advocate, Grassley called the current Justice Department “the most responsive” he has ever worked with during his decadeslong career — noting that DOJ, since January 2025, “produced approximately 43,000 pages of records in response to requests from the Senate and House,” which is “three times” the number of records the Biden DOJ produced over an equivalent timeline.

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Katherine Clark, No. 2 House Democrat, backs cutting Israel aid

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40 minutes ago

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July 15, 2026

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Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, the No. 2 House Democrat, said Wednesday she will vote to cut aid to Israel in a break with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

“I think that this is a cynical effort with this amendment to divide people,” Clark said in an interview. “But it is also a chance to say clearly that the status quo is not acceptable.”

“There is no country that should be given a blank check for military aid that is not in line with our interests and values as Americans,” she added.

The amendment from Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) is sharply dividing Democrats, with progressives calling for an end of U.S. support for Israel and many leadership-aligned members warning that the measure is poorly constructed and could cut humanitarian support for Palestinians in Gaza.

Jeffries said that he would oppose the amendment, calling it “overly broad,” but advised members to “vote their conscience” in a private Tuesday meeting.

“As a caucus, we have a united commitment to peace in the region,” Clark said. “I fully support what Leader Jeffries has put out as a proposal.”

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Congress

Todd Blanche says he can’t meet directly with Epstein victims

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40 minutes ago

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July 15, 2026

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Todd Blanche fended off questions about his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files at his confirmation hearing Wednesday morning, telling members of the Senate Judiciary Committee that, “when it comes to victims of his horrible man, we will never, never not talk to victims.”

But pressed by the top Democrat Judiciary Committee Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois, to meet with 10 victims present in the hearing room, Blanche suggested he is personally prohibited from meeting directly with them and instead offered to have them meet with one of his deputies.

“They have lawyers, as you know. I’m prohibited from meeting directly with them,” Blanche said. “I have met with counsel for survivors, as have many people in the Department of Justice. But if they are represented by counsel, we will work with their counsel.”

Durbin replied: “I think you ought to be in the room because you ought to hear this. You have a singular responsibility for these files.”

Earlier in the hearing, Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) handed Blanche an opportunity to defend his work overseeing the disclosure of the files. Blanche told the committee that, “if we learn today, if we learn next week, if we learn next month that there’s an individual that we can investigate, indict and prosecute out of the Epstein files, you better believe it we will.”

Since disclosure of millions of files earlier this year, however, the Justice Department hasn’t prosecuted anyone in connection with Epstein. Though Trump ordered an investigation into Democrats linked to Epstein, the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office has taken no steps to suggest that the probe is active.

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