Rep. Bill Pascrell dead following illness, 2nd New Jersey congressman to die in office this year



Democrat Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. of New Jersey passed away at age 87 after a lingering respiratory illness.

Pascrell's family made the announcement on Wednesday morning from Pascrell's personal X account:

It is with deep sadness that we announce that Bill Pascrell Jr., our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away this morning. As our United States Representative, Bill fought to his last breath to return to the job he cherished and to the people he loved. Bill lived his entire life in Paterson and had an unwavering love for the city he grew up in and served. He is now at peace after a lifetime devoted to our great nation America.

According to reports, Pascrell had been suffering from a respiratory illness, causing him to be hospitalized for more than three weeks. At one point, he even required "breathing assistance," staff said.

'Felony convictions by President George Washington to Obama and Biden: 0 Donald trump: 34.'

Pascrell was released from the hospital earlier this month only to suffer a setback and return to a rehab facility a few days later, northjersey.com reported.

Many outlets described Pascrell as "feisty" and referred to his fierce animus against former President Donald Trump. NBC News reported that Pascrell fought to gain access to Trump's tax returns and noted how frequently Trump featured in his tweets.

For instance, on July 13 — roughly six hours before a would-be assassin shot a bullet through Trump's ear, missing his skull by mere millimeters — Pascrell tweeted: "Felony convictions by President George Washington to Obama and Biden: 0 Donald trump: 34."

Two hours after the deadly shooting, Pascrell took to X to denounce all forms of "political violence" and asked his followers to "pray for Donald Trump."

A lifelong resident of Paterson, New Jersey, the state's third-largest city, Pascrell joined what NBC News called the "rough-and-tumble" world of New Jersey politics in the 1970s and eventually worked his way up to Congress by 1996. For a while, he simultaneously served in the House of Representatives and as Paterson mayor, a practice that the outlet claimed was "common" in New Jersey at the time.

Pascrell was seeking a 15th term in congressional office at the time of his death. Because his death occurred more than 70 days before Election Day, Democratic county committee members can select his interim replacement, who will then ostensibly face current Republican nominee Billy Prempeh in November.

Pascrell is survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Elsie Marie Botto, and their three children and five grandchildren.

Pascrell is not the only sitting New Jersey congressman to die this year. Back in April, Rep. Donald Payne Jr., a fellow Democrat, passed away following a heart attack likely precipitated by diabetes and high blood pressure.

Payne's former district will hold a special election on September 8 to determine Payne's replacement. Newark City Council President LaMonica McIver, a Democrat, is strongly favored over Republican nominee Carmen Bucco.

The winner of that race will have to defend the seat again roughly eight weeks later.

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Republican congressman says staffer was assaulted in DC: 'It's time we started treating criminals like criminals'



Republican Rep. Brad Finstad of Minnesota announced on Friday that one of his staffers had been assaulted earlier this week.

"Following Wednesday's Congressional Baseball Game for Charity, one of my staffers was attacked outside of his residence by an armed gunman," Finstad said in a statement. "Thankfully, he will be able to make a full recovery and the extent of his physical injuries was minor. I thank the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department for their quick response and their attention to this incident.”

The congressman called for a crackdown on criminals.

"In Washington, D.C. and cities across the country, anti-police, soft-on-crime policies have created lawless societies that endanger the public and empower criminal behavior. It's time we started treating criminals like criminals and bring back commonsense policies that imprison career criminals, keep the public safe, and allow our police officers to adequately protect our communities and keep violent criminals off the streets," the lawmaker declared.

\u201cFollowing Wednesday\u2019s Congressional Baseball Game, one of my staffers was attacked outside of his residence by an armed gunman. Thankfully, he will be able to make a full recovery and the extent of his physical injuries was minor. https://t.co/Jco39dywx9\u201d
— Congressman Brad Finstad (@Congressman Brad Finstad) 1686933842

Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram tweeted that "Fox is told that the aide was by himself when he was approached by two men. One had a gun."

"There was a struggle and the aide was assaulted with the weapon, but not shot. He had cuts and bruises and did not seek immediate medical attention. However, the aide did go to the doctor the next day just to be checked out and appears to be fine," Pergram tweeted.

\u201c3) There was a struggle and the aide was assaulted with the weapon, but not shot. He had cuts and bruises and did not seek immediate medical attention. However, the aide did go to the doctor the next day just to be checked out and appears to be fine.\u201d
— Chad Pergram (@Chad Pergram) 1686936717

Earlier this year, in March, one of GOP Sen. Rand Paul's (Ky.) staffers was the victim of a brutal assault in the nation's capital.

And in February, Democratic Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota was assaulted in the elevator of her apartment building in the city.

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Republican presses VA to stop flying Pride flag, requests removal of any 'flags promoting social policy positions or political statements'



Republican Rep. Mike Ezell of Mississippi has taken issue with an LGBT Pride flag being flown at a Mississippi Veterans Affairs facility.

In a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough and Interim Medical Center Director of the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System Stephanie Repasky, Ezell contended that flags pushing political or social ideology should not be flown on VA premises.

\u201cOur VA facilities should be focused on serving our veterans, not promoting social or political causes. \n\nI take issue with ANY flag flying at a VA facility that promotes an agenda, including the pride flag at the Biloxi VA.\n\nRead the letter I sent to VA Secretary McDonough here\ud83d\udd3d\u201d
— Congressman Mike Ezell (@Congressman Mike Ezell) 1685727996

"It has come to my attention that the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Harrison County, Mississippi (Biloxi VAMC), which is home to the Biloxi National Cemetery, is flying the rainbow pride flag at its front entrance. While I believe everyone should be treated with respect, I take serious issue with any flag flying at a VA facility that promotes social policy positions or political statements," he wrote.

"Our VA facilities should be focused on serving and providing quality care to our veterans, who deserve our utmost respect and admiration. These facilities should not be used as tools to promote any social or political agenda, and only government and military flags, such as POW/MIA flag and flags of the U.S. Armed Forces, should be flown or displayed alongside the American flag on VA property," Ezell declared. He concluded, "I am writing to request that this flag, and any other flags promoting social policy positions or political statements, be removed."

Biloxi VA adds rainbow flag to Pass Road display for Pride Month www.youtube.com

McDonough expressly supports displaying Pride flags at VA facilities. Last year, he authorized flying the controversial flag.

"Last June, I raised the Pride Flag at VA Central Office in Washington, D.C. This year, I authorized all VA-owned facilities to fly it for up to 30 days in June," McDonough tweeted in 2022.

On Friday, McDonough shared a photo of a Pride flag flying on a pole beneath an American flag and another flag. "Happy Pride to LGBTQ+ Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors! Your service, your sacrifice – even in the face of discrimination – will never be forgotten. Proud to fly the Pride flag over VA, and proud to serve you each and every day," he tweeted.

\u201cHappy Pride to LGBTQ+ Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors! Your service, your sacrifice \u2013 even in the face of discrimination \u2013 will never be forgotten.\n\nProud to fly the Pride flag over VA, and proud to serve you each and every day.\u201d
— Secretary Denis McDonough (@Secretary Denis McDonough) 1685727657

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Sen. Graham joins critics calling for Pulitzer Prize given to Washington Post and New York Times to be rescinded after Durham report proved their narrative to be 'politically motivated crap'



The Pulitzer Prize board honored New York Times and Washington Post reporters with a cash prize and its once-esteemed award in 2018 for peddling the thoroughly debunked Trump-Russia collusion narrative, which proved politically expedient for the liberal reporters' ideological comrades in Washington at the time.

In light of the damning Durham report, critics now reckon the awards to be albatrosses around the necks of those who dutifully worked to mislead the nation — put there by an organization apparently indifferent to the storm gathered as a consequence.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has joined those now urging that the Pulitzer Prize awarded to the staff at both papers be "taken back."

Graham told Fox News' "America's Newsroom" Tuesday that "we have a situation where the FBI ran every stop sign available, kept pushing a warrant against an American citizen based on a Steele dossier that was a piece of fiction. The information was supplied the FBI by two Russian agents. It was used to get a warrant against an American citizen to turn his life upside down and create a cloud of the Trump presidency and try to deny him the presidency."

With the full understanding provided in the Durham report that the investigation was from the get-go a stitch-up predicated upon a false claim, originally approved and advanced by failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Graham stressed that three things should happen:

First, Attorney General Merrick Garland "should pick up the phone and call all those that were harmed by this and say, 'Even though it didn't happen on my watch, I'll apologize to you. This is not the Department of Justice that I want you to believe in,'" said Graham.

Second, FBI Director Christopher Wray should "get on the phone and apologize to the people that had their lives ruined by the FBI."

Third, "the Pulitzer Prize given to the Washington Post and New York Times should be taken back because the entire episode was politically motivated crap. That's not something you should get a Pulitzer Prize for," added Graham.

Graham doubled down on this third suggestion Wednesday, tweeting, "Awarding the Washington Post and New York Times Pulitzer Prizes for reporting political fiction as fact regarding President Trump shows that these prizes are awarded not based on the product of your work, but the subject you go after. They should rescind the prize."

The awards in question went to the staffs of the New York Times and the Washington Post for what the Pulitzer Prize Board characterized as "deeply sourced, relentlessly reported coverage in the public interest that dramatically furthered the nation’s understanding of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and its connections to the Trump campaign, the President-elect’s transition team and his eventual administration."

The Daily Mail reported that the Jeff Bezos-owned Washington Post remains unrepentant.

"The Post stands by its reporting," said Jennifer Lee, a spokeswoman for the paper, citing a 2022 review by the Pulitzer board that claimed no aspect of the awarded stories "were discredited by facts that emerged subsequent to the conferral of the prizes."

This statement appears to indicate that false reports may be deserving of awards, just so long as the truth comes out after the receipt of the prize.

While the Washington Post evidently stands by past false narratives, the New York Times appears keen to downplay newly revealed truths.

In its Monday story on the Durham report, the Times claimed, "Mr. Durham’s 306-page report revealed little substantial new information about the inquiry," suggesting that Durham's hunt "for evidence to support Mr. Barr’s theory that intelligence abuses lurked in the origins of the Russia inquiry" had proven fruitless.

It added, "The special counsel’s final report nevertheless did not produce blockbuster revelations of politically motivated misconduct, as Donald J. Trump and his allies had suggested it would."

TheBlaze reported in 2019 that then-President Trump said the Pulitzer committee should revoke a joint Pulitzer Prize from both newspapers "for their coverage (100% NEGATIVE and FAKE!) of Collusion with Russia."

\u201cSo funny that The New York Times & The Washington Post got a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage (100% NEGATIVE and FAKE!) of Collusion with Russia - And there was No Collusion! So, they were either duped or corrupt? In any event, their prizes should be taken away by the Committee!\u201d
— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1553901917

In response to Trump's suggestion, the New York Times wrote in a March 29, 2019, tweet, "We're proud of our Pulitzer-prize winning reporting on Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. Every @nytimes article cited has proven accurate."

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) took to Twitter Monday to comment on the Durham report, writing, "Disgraceful. Obama-Biden officials and the corrupt corporate media pushed these piles of lies for years. Accountability now— starting with WaPo and The New York Times returning their Pulitzer Prizes for breathlessly spreading these ‘Russia, Russia, Russia’ lies."

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) posed the question, "Ready to give your Pulitzer back now?"

\u201cReady to give your Pulitzer back now?\u201d
— Congressman Byron Donalds (@Congressman Byron Donalds) 1684186374

Sean Spicer, who served as press secretary and White House communications director under President Donald Trump, quipped, "How will the Washington Post send back its Pulitzer? USP, FedEx, UPS."

Former Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones (R) wrote, "For three years the liberal media portrayed the now-infamous Steele dossier — the original basis for the Trump- Russian collusion claims — as true, and the New York Times and Washington Post received Pulitzer Prizes for a story that not only has been debunked but shown to be the product of Hillary’s Clinton’s presidential campaign."

The Georgia Republican suggested that it's time for the papers to issue apologies.

Graham Reacts to the Durham Report youtu.be

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REPORT: Discover credit cards enabling gun retailer purchase tracking starting in April



Discover Financial Services will allow tracking of purchases made at gun retailers starting in April, according to Reuters' exclusive report.

"First, Discover tracks your gun purchases. Then, Democrats take your guns," Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) tweeted Friday.

\u201cFirst, Discover tracks your gun purchases. Then, Democrats take your guns. https://t.co/vQI3VjIVQz\u201d
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Rep. Jim Jordan) 1677885170

"They are coming for your guns little by little," Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) said in a tweet earlier this week.

\u201cDiscover Card will begin tracking firearm purchases starting next month. \n\nThere are more than 50 million Discover cards in use right now. \n\nThey are coming for your guns little by little.\u201d
— Congressman Troy E. Nehls (@Congressman Troy E. Nehls) 1677799336

"This is a massive problem Congress needs to address immediately!" Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) tweeted Thursday, using all-caps to emphasize "massive" and "immediately."

\u201cBeginning in April, Discover will begin to track gun purchases made with their cards.\n\nThis is a MASSIVE problem Congress needs to address, IMMEDIATELY!\u201d
— Lauren Boebert (@Lauren Boebert) 1677795700
"It’s a ruse under the guise of stopping criminals from misusing firearms," wrote Larry Keane for National Shooting Sports Foundation, a firearm industry trade association.
"Fortunately for law-abiding Americans who support the Second Amendment, lawmakers at the state and federal level are saying 'Not so fast,' and proposing legislation to block the tracking of such lawful purchases," Keane added.
"Close your accounts y'all," advised Lavern Spicer, a former congressional candidate who ran for election in Florida in 2022.
\u201c@laurenboebert Close your accounts y\u2019all.\u201d
— Lauren Boebert (@Lauren Boebert) 1677795700
The controversial move makes Discover the first of its corporate peers to provide a hard date on implementing the tracking initiative, Reuters says.

The coming change follows an announcement by the International Organization for Standardization. The ISO reportedly decides on "classification of merchant categories used by payment cards." It approved launching a code specific to gun retailers last September.

The code, dubbed "5723 - Gun and ammunition shops," will not show specific purchases, according to Reuters.

"We remain focused on continuing to protect and support lawful purchases on our network while protecting the privacy of cardholders," Discover said in its statement to Reuters.
From Democratic politicians' and anti-gun activists' perspectives, the change is positive in that it will "allow financial institutions to better assist authorities in investigating crimes involving gun violence in the United States."
Opponents of the measure disagree, noting criminals regularly acquire their weapons on the black market where credit cards are not a part of the picture. Further, opponents argue, the move represents a threat to cardholders' privacy.
Tracking law-abiding Americans' retail purchases at firearms shops is only the beginning of the "scheme," Keane says. He notes that Amalgamated Bank CEO Priscilla Sims Brown has a broader aim, which she revealed to New York Times columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin.
That broader goal involves using "detection scenarios" that could prompt banks to file a Suspicious Activity Report to the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Such filings could be prompted, theoretically, for lawfully purchasing firearms, safety equipment, gear, or other items at a retailer identified with the 5723 code.

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Democrats immediately object when House Republican proposes members recite Pledge of Allegiance before committee meeting



Fireworks erupted at a House Judiciary Committee meeting on Wednesday after a Republican member proposed a resolution that members say the Pledge of Allegiance before meeting.

But the seemingly innocuous resolution caused a long, heated debate when Democratic members immediately objected.

What happened?

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) proposed an amendment to the committee's rules that would require each member to recite the Pledge of Allegiance before conducting committee business.

"On the Judiciary Committee, we are charged with vindicating the constitutional rights of our fellow Americans, and our Pledge of Allegiance is a national symbol of pride and unity," he explained. "My amendment gives the committee the opportunity to begin each of its meetings with the Pledge of Allegiance."

But Rep. Jerry Nadler, the top Democrat on the committee, immediately opposed it.

"I would oppose it simply on the grounds that, as members know, we pledge allegiance every day on the floor. And I don't know why we should pledge allegiance twice in the same day to show how patriotic we are," he said. "I don't think this is the most important amendment in the world."

Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) swiftly demonstrated why Nadler's objection was, perhaps, not justified.

"I've not seen Mr. Nadler on the floor when the pledge is done, and most members are not present there," Johnson said. "So it's not accurate to say we do the pledge every day or participate in the pledge every day. It may be offered, but you’re not there for it."

JUST IN: Matt Gaetz Amendment Causes Massive Debate In House Judiciary Committee Hearing www.youtube.com

From there, the civility of the meeting quickly went downhill. Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) countered with his own amendment barring "insurrectionists" from leading the Pledge of Allegiance. Gaetz responded that Democrats also have a history of not supporting the outcome of presidential elections or denying their legitimacy.

Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) later undercut Cicilline's argument completely, noting that "insurrection" is a crime and would disqualify those convicted of it from serving in the House. Cicilline was thus forced to admit that no one on the committee was guilty of "insurrection."

At one point, Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) took the opportunity to point out what he believed was the absurdity of the debate.

"I'm almost speechless," he said. "I know it's a real backbreaker. ... We can [go] that little extra mile, stand up, put our hand on our chest, say what we believe, and reaffirm this America that we love. Come on. This can't be real. I can't believe we're having this debate."

\u201cWould you believe me if I said the first half hour of our @JudiciaryGOP hearing has been wasted because Democrats oppose saying the pledge of allegiance?\u201d
— Congressman Jeff Van Drew (@Congressman Jeff Van Drew) 1675263416

What was the result?

Ultimately, Cicilline's amendment was blocked by a vote of 24-13, NBC News reported.

Gaetz's, on the other hand, was unanimously approved by a vote of 39-0.

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