Tag: republicans

Collins says China-linked Drug Networks are Expanding in Maine as Crackdown Language Heads to Trump’s Desk

Sen. Susan Collins (R) says she secured new funding and legislative language aimed at combating Chinese-linked illicit drug operations in Maine as the Fiscal Year 2026 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP) Appropriations Act heads to President Donald Trump’s desk to be signed into law.

The bill passed the Senate last week and was approved by the House of Representatives today, according to Collins’ office. Collins, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the measure is intended to support efforts to disrupt drug and money laundering operations tied to PRC-linked criminal syndicates.

“PRC-linked criminal syndicates continue to expand their illegal marijuana grow operations in Maine while contributing to the flow of fentanyl and its precursor chemicals that threaten communities in our state and across the country,” Collins said. “This legislation strengthens our ongoing efforts to expose and disrupt these networks and provide law enforcement with the information and tools they need to protect public safety.”

Among the provisions highlighted by Collins: the bill includes language directing the Secretary of State, in consultation with the heads of other relevant federal agencies, to submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees on PRC-linked criminal syndicates or nationals who may be directly or indirectly involved in illegal drug and money laundering operations in the United States, including in Maine, California, and Oregon.

The legislation also includes $150 million to counter the flow of fentanyl, fentanyl precursors, and other synthetic drugs into the United States.

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Senate Armed Service Committee Member Profited From Venezuela Invasion

Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) has cultivated an image as a Rambo-type hero, which was burnished in August 2021 when he took an unauthorized trip to Afghanistan to try to help rescue people fleeing the Taliban after they returned to power in Afghanistan.

A former mixed martial arts fighter and wrestler who champions the Trump administration’s trillion-dollar-plus military budget, Mullin is a super-hawk sitting on the Senate Armed Services Committee who criticized President Joe Biden for supposedly “appeasing” countries like Iran.

In 2022, Mullin introduced a bill in Congress that would allow U.S. citizens to volunteer to fight Russia on behalf of Ukraine, claiming that thousands of Americans were ready to fight communism. (Lacking even a bachelor’s degree, Mullin does not seem to realize that Russia under Vladimir Putin is not a communist country.)[1]

While Mullin may genuinely subscribe to reactionary political views,[2] his opportunism was disclosed in an article in The Oklahoman in late January, which revealed that he had bought Chevron and RTX (formerly Raytheon) stock just days before U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in an illegal Special Forces raid, Operation Absolute Resolve.

A spokesperson for Mullin told The Oklahoman that the purchases were made without Mullin’s input by a firm that manages his stock trading. This excuse seems to be disingenuous since Mullin had to have green-lighted the stock trades and did not demand their cancelation or say that he sold back the RTX and Chevron stock shares after they were disclosed.

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Senate Republicans push for House GOP rebellion against funding package, voter ID legislation

A pair of Senate Republicans are pushing their House counterparts to reject the Trump-backed shutdown deal unless it includes Homeland Security funding and election integrity legislation. 

Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, are calling on House Republicans to push back against the Senate-passed funding package, which includes bills to fund five agencies, including the Pentagon, as a partial government shutdown continues. 

They contended that the package needs to be retooled, and must include a modified version of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility Act, dubbed the SAVE America Act, and the Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill, which was stripped out after Senate Democrats threatened to blow up the government funding process. 

Doing so could extend what was expected to be a short-term shutdown.

Scott said congressional Democrats would “NEVER fund DHS” and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He voted against the package twice, arguing that the spending levels would further bloat the nation’s eye-popping $38 trillion national debt, and that the billions in earmarks betrayed Republicans’ previous vows of fiscal restraint.

“If House Republicans don’t put the DHS bill back in, add the SAVE America Act and remove the wasteful earmarks, Democrats win,” Scott said. “We must protect our homeland, secure our elections and end the reckless spending NOW!”

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Deranged RINO Commentator Rick Wilson Calls For EXECUTION Of Stephen Miller BY HANGING

As President Trump’s promised mass deportations gain steam, radicals are spiraling into outright calls for violence against those enforcing America’s borders. In a shocking video clip, anti-Trump operative Rick Wilson demanded the execution of Stephen Miller, the architect behind the administration’s tough immigration policies.

Wilson’s meltdown comes amid backlash over recent ICE actions, including two fatal encounters that have fueled leftist outrage. But while open-borders advocates cry foul, the reality exposes their organized efforts to sabotage law enforcement and shield illegal aliens from accountability.

In a recent video, Wilson rails against Miller for labeling the agitator who was killed in the ICE-related incident this past weekend as a “domestic terrorist.” Wilson states: “When Stephen Miller goes out and calls a guy who was by every account so far, he never had an illegal problem. Had to conceal carry permit. Had gun permit in Minnesota. He’s was a nurse. He was nice to his neighbors.”

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GOP Congressman Backs Effort To Roll Back Marijuana Legalization In Arizona—But Says Trump Holds ‘Power’ With Rescheduling Push

A GOP congressional lawmaker says he’d like to see his state of Arizona roll back its voter-approved marijuana legalization law with an initiative that could be on the November ballot—but he acknowledged that President Donald Trump’s recent federal rescheduling order could complicate that prohibitionist push.

Two Republican members of Arizona’s U.S. House delegation spoke with Marijuana Moment about the proposed ballot measure to eliminate commercial cannabis sales in the state, voicing opposition to legalization while recognizing that pending federal reform represents an obstacle for the anti-marijuana campaign.

Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ)—who was among a handful of GOP lawmakers who urged the Trump administration to reject rescheduling last year—said he would like to see voters approve an initiative to repeal the adult-use marijuana market in Arizona. That measure was filed with the secretary of state’s office last month, but it hasn’t been certified for ballot placement at this point.

“We need to really take a comprehensive look at cannabis all the way across the board. Science tries to commit one way or another to us, and we’re not getting the full background on it,” he said, adding that he still regards marijuana as a “gateway drug” to other illicit substances and arguing that the cannabis industry has “resisted every which way with the regulations.”

Asked about Trump’s recent executive order directing the attorney general to expeditiously finalize a rule moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the congressman conceded that could hamper the state-level repeal effort.

“He’s got power,” Gosar said. “But a lot of us want to know who was it that actually turned his ear” to support rescheduling.

The lawmaker said the president has historically been receptive to his input, and he’d like to have a discussion about the rescheduling move—but that’s yet to materialize.

Another congressional Republican representing Arizona, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), also weighed in on the rescheduling push in an interview with Marijuana Moment last week.

While there’s a libertarian perspective on the issue he appreciates when it comes to letting adults make their own choices about personal marijuana use, he said the fiscal conservative in him says prohibition can help prevent the use of taxpayer dollars to deal with what he characterized as the consequences of cannabis use.

“I’ve always taken the position that you need to keep marijuana where it was because the social safety network is in place, causing taxpayers to have to fund rehabilitation for those things,” he said.

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Oklahoma Gov. Stitt: Trump ‘Getting Bad Advice,’ We Can’t Deport Every Single Non-U.S. Citizen

Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-OK) said President Donald Trump is getting “bad advice” on his immigration policies.

Host Dana Bash said, “Are you comfortable with what the Trump administration is doing in Minnesota?

Stitt said, “Well, first off, this is a real tragedy. And I think the death of Americans, what we’re seeing on TV, it’s causing deep concerns over federal tactics and accountability.”

He added, “But now Americans are asking themselves, what is the endgame? What is the solution? And, you know, we believe in federalism and state rights, and nobody likes feds coming into their state. And so what’s the goal right now? Is it to deport every single non-U.S. citizen? I don’t think that’s what Americans want. We have to stop politicizing this. We need real solutions on immigration reform. And I believe that I’ve got a great solution that we should give the states the authority to do workforce permits.”

Bash said, “Are you saying that they should pull out of Minnesota?”

Stitt said, “Well, I think that the president has to answer that question. He is a dealmaker, and he’s getting bad advice right now. The president needs to let the American people know. What is the solution? How do we bring this to a conclusion? And I think only the president can answer that question because it’s complicated. We have to enforce federal laws. But we need to know what is the endgame. And I don’t think it’s to deport every single non-U.S. citizen.”

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South Dakota Senate Panel Advances Bills To Ban Intoxicating Hemp And Kratom—But Without Recommendations For Passage

A South Dakota Senate panel advanced—but did not endorse—bans on hemp-derived intoxicants and kratom on Wednesday at the Capitol in Pierre.

Both bills were sponsored by Sen. John Carley, R-Piedmont.

The Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted unanimously to put the two prohibition bills in front of the full state Senate with no recommendation. Committees generally give a “do pass” recommendation to the bills they send out for a floor vote.

The votes came one day after the Senate Judiciary Committee offered its unqualified support for a bill meant to restrict the sale of certain hemp-based products to people older than 21. That bill came from Attorney General Marty Jackley (R).

In testimony about Carley’s bills, business owners and consumers of products like hemp-derived THC seltzers and kratom said they helped people kick opioids or alcohol. They also mentioned sales taxes collected on consumable products and the value of hemp to South Dakota farmers. That led some committee members to oppose the bills and sparked failed attempts to block the proposals. Ultimately, however, the committee opted to let the state Senate weigh in.

“We need to have a conversation about this on the floor,” said Sen. Curt Voight, R-Rapid City. “I think it rises to the level of a legislative decision.”

Possession, sale or use of kratom or THC consumables under each proposal would be a class 2 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine.

Tighter rules on hemp products

The first bill, Senate Bill 61, aims to act as an outright ban on the possession, sale or use of any intoxicating hemp products in the state outside of licensed medical marijuana dispensaries.

Such products are typically produced by altering or distilling cannabidiol, or CBD, found in the hemp plant to produce forms of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which is the intoxicating compound found in greater abundance in the marijuana plant.

Many of the gummies, vape cartridges and other products made using hemp-derived THC variants like Delta-8, Delta-9 or Delta-10 are sold primarily in smoke shops, but THC seltzers are often available at bars, liquor stores or grocery stores.

The products essentially act as a workaround for the prohibition of marijuana in South Dakota by anyone who lacks a medical marijuana card, Carley said. The senator is also a member of the state’s Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee, which has taken testimony from medical cannabis providers about the impact the unregulated market has on their operations.

“This actually is harming the licensed marijuana businesses,” Carley said.

Carley had the support of the South Dakota Police Chiefs’ Association, South Dakota Sheriff’s Association and a group called Protecting South Dakota Kids.

Opponents included representatives for hemp retailers and hemp growers and a handful of business owners, who said the bill’s ban on any products with more than 0.4 percent THC by weight would remove many non-intoxicating products from store shelves, including topical creams.

“All this is a hemp and CBD ban,” said Matt Yde, who sells CBD in Sioux Falls but does not offer intoxicating products. “I would have to close my store, because I would have to remove 90 percent of my products.”

Steve Siegel of the South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association said he’s had many friends who’ve switched to THC seltzers from alcohol or pain killers. He said their popularity shows consumer demand, and getting a medical marijuana card can be expensive and onerous.

“These drinks should be regulated. But they’re selling like wildfire,” Siegel said. “They’re a phenomenal alternative to alcohol.”

Carley responded by saying the state shouldn’t be encouraging people to switch from one mind-altering drug to another.

He was “sorry to hear” about people who’d been addicted to painkillers and alcohol, but said instead of switching to a THC alternative, “They need some friends there. They need some church. They need some God in their life, or even ice cream or tea.”

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Utah Sen. Mike Lee Calls for Public Execution of Man Charged in Charlie Kirk Killing

Utah Sen. Mike Lee is drawing national attention after publicly calling for the execution of the man charged with killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk, using social media to demand the punishment be carried out “in public,” as reported by The New York Post.

“Execute Tyler Robinson. In public,” Lee wrote in a post on X.

The comments followed a court filing Monday by Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, who called for a speedy trial in the case. In the filing, she accused the defense team of the accused killer of employing delay tactics as the high-profile prosecution moves forward.

Robinson, 22, has been charged with aggravated murder in connection with the fatal shooting of Kirk during a Turning Point USA event held last September at Utah Valley University.

Prosecutors have already indicated they will seek the death penalty if Robinson is convicted.

Lee’s remarks marked the second time in recent days that the Utah Republican has publicly called for Robinson to receive the death penalty.

In a similar X post on Friday, Lee wrote, “Tyler Robinson publicly executed Charlie Kirk,” followed by another statement saying, “Tyler Robinson should be publicly executed.”

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‘No longer in my hands’: How Hill Republicans stopped caring about DOJ releasing the Epstein files

One month after the congressionally mandated deadline to release all its files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the Justice Department has made only a fraction of the files public — and it remains silent on its plans to fully comply with the law.

Also keeping quiet about the DOJ delays are congressional Republicans, almost all of whom voted in November to release the records after spending months heeding President Donald Trump’s opposition to the move.

Some of them are openly admitting it’s no longer a priority.

“I don’t give a rip about Epstein,” Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) said last week when she was asked to take stock of the month since the Dec. 19 deadline.

“Like, there’s so many other things we need to be working on,” she added. “I’ve done what I had to do for Epstein. Talk to somebody else about that. It’s no longer in my hands.”

Boebert was one of four House Republicans, alongside Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who joined with Democrats to force a House floor vote on the Epstein legislation when leadership resisted moving it.

The White House lobbied these lawmakers heavily to take their names off the discharge petition to compel the bill’s consideration, with administration officials at one point summoning Boebert to the Situation Room for a final plea.

Now Washington’s attention has since shifted to other political firestorms, from Trump’s military action in Venezuela to the shooting of a U.S. citizen by an ICE agent in Minnesota, and congressional Republicans are eager to move on — underscoring the extent to which the GOP remains wary of crossing swords with the president.

The public falling out between Greene and Trump was largely over Greene’s support for releasing the Epstein files — Trump called her a “traitor” — and ultimately culminated in Greene’s resignation from the House earlier this month. Trump vetoed a bill that would have supported a water infrastructure project in Boebert’s district, and administration officials privately warned Mace that her defiance would likely to cost her the president’s endorsement in the South Carolina governor’s race.

Mace has vowed on social media to “keep fighting” for justice for Epstein’s victims but has not otherwise continued the drumbeat against the Justice Department.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who has worked with Democrats on a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee investigation into the Epstein case, said in a recent interview she’s now more more focused on holding Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for not honoring the panel’s subpoena to testify about Epstein.

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PETA’s Latest Hoax Exposed: Liberal Animal Rights Group Falsely Claims Trump Funding Russian Cat Torture, But White Coat Waste and Republican Lawmakers Ended It Years Ago

PETA is up to its same old tricks, once again making questionable claims and repackaging other groups’ work as its own.

On Friday, the liberal animal rights group published a new webpage stating, “Your Tax Dollars Fund Russian Experiments on Cats—Tell NIH No More!” and posted on social media that, “a foreign experimenter funded by the U.S. government, is mutilating…cats in Russia.”

The problem is that PETA’s claim seems to be false.

The NIH hasn’t funded these cat experiments in Russia for three years since the conservative watchdog group White Coat Waste first exposed and cut the funding.

WCW’s Senior Vice President Justin Goodman quickly jumped in on PETA’s social media posts to set the record straight.

Back in early 2022, WCW obtained records showing how the NIH was funding cat experiments at the Russian-government-tied Pavlov Institute of Physiology.

The group then led a grassroots campaign and lobbying effort that attracted support from both Republican and Democrat members of Congress.

WCW’s efforts, with people like GOP Conference Chair Rep. Lisa McClain and Senator Joni Ernst, ultimately led to the funding for those cat experiments and all other animal testing in Russia to be cut in 2023.

Since then, all Russian animal labs have been ineligible to receive any NIH funding, directly or indirectly.

PETA’s misleading new webpage claiming that “your tax dollars fund Russian experiments on cats” appears to be based on two 2025 research papers that actually say they used old data collected years earlier, before the NIH funding was cut.

The recent publications PETA is relying on also reference grant funding for cat experiments in Russia that WCW already led a successful campaign to cut back in 2023. The most recent version of the relevant NIH grant documents, obtained by WCW under the Freedom of Information Act, does not mention funding cat experiments in Russia or anywhere else, nor do federal funding databases.

PETA’s new campaign appears to be based on sloppy research at best, and a blatant lie at worst.

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