US Politics: Recent Episodes
Voice of America
California voters have rejected a move to unseat their governor in a recall election, a rarely used provision of direct democracy in some 20 U.S. states. Mike O'Sullivan reports that Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, faced down 46 challengers in an election where Donald Trump became an unseen player. Camera: Roy Kim
U.S. President Joe Biden says extreme weather caused by climate change is putting America in a “code red” situation. He’s pushing two massive bills in Congress, totaling in the trillions of dollars, to reverse the damage. From Washington, VOA White House correspondent Anita Powell looks at what’s at stake. Produced by: Jesusemen Oni
Voters in California are casting ballots in a referendum to decide whether the state's governor, Democrat Gavin Newsom, should be replaced. VOA's Mike O’Sullivan in Los Angeles has details.Camera: Roy Kim Produced by: Mary Cieslak
California voters will decide on Tuesday (Sept. 14) whether to remove Governor Gavin Newsom in a recall election. Mike O'Sullivan reports that both Democrats and Republicans are aggressively mobilizing voters either for or against the Democratic governor.Camera: Genia Dulot, Elizabeth Lee for homeless video
One of the lasting legacies of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks may finally be repealed by U.S. lawmakers seeking to limit presidential war-making powers. The 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (or AUMFs) for the war on terror have been a subject of heated debate on Capitol Hill almost since they were passed. VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson has more. Produced by: Katherine Gypson
Thousands of Americans gathered Saturday in Washington to demand federal legislation to protect voting rights. Saqib Islam reports from the protest, March On for Voting Rights, which also marked the 58th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech on the National Mall. Camera: Saqib Ul Islam Producer: Saqib Ul Islam
U.S. Senate Republicans blocked a vote on a major package of Democratic voting rights reforms earlier this summer, part of a broader state by state battle between the two parties over revamping election laws following the 2020 presidential election. As VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson explains, Republicans are calling for safeguards on election integrity while Democrats want to expand access for voters.
Warning: This TV package includes a soundbite from Tuesday's congressional hearing that contains profane and racist language.U.S. lawmakers heard emotional testimony from four members of law enforcement Tuesday as a special panel met for the first time to investigate the events of the January 6 attempt by Trump supporters to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. VOA's Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports the panel will probe former President Donald Trump’s role in the riot.Produced by: Katherine Gypson
Hearings begin Tuesday in the House of Representatives for a select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. VOA’s Steve Redisch explains the committee’s work and the political controversy surrounding it.Camera: Mary Cieslak
Pressure is ratcheting up against Donald Trump and his closest circle. His company, the Trump Organization, is under a criminal investigation on suspicion of fraud and other illegal financial dealings. Yet the former president remains popular among Republicans and wields an outsized influence over the party. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has this story. Producer: Bakhtiyar Zamanov
Former President Donald Trump is struggling to put himself back at the center of America’s attention. His recent lawsuits against Google, Facebook and Twitter highlight the platforms’ power to control digital speech, even that of world leaders. Michelle Quinn reports.Producer: Michelle Quinn.
U.S. President Joe Biden was in Philadelphia Tuesday to urge the passing of voting rights legislation that has stalled in Congress, but he did not outline a path to overcome Republican opposition. The speech came as Republicans in state legislatures sought to pass measures restricting access to voting. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has this report.Produced by: Barry Unger
After months of disagreement, the U.S. House is set to vote on a select committee to investigate the events of Jan. 6, when supporters of former President Donald Trump rioted at the U.S. Capitol. VOA's Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson has more.
The issue of reparations — making amends for historical wrongs perpetrated against a group or population — has always been highly controversial. But to the victims of atrocities like genocide and slavery, offering such compensation should be a no-brainer. VOA correspondent Mariama Diallo looks at examples of reparations as they relate to the debate over reparations for African Americans in the U.S.Henry Ridgwell contributed to this report.
This Tuesday, local voters will cast their ballots in a primary election on the path to selecting the next mayor of New York. Some experts call the country’s biggest city and its financial capital a bellwether, despite the city’s overwhelmingly liberal lean. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.
It's a routine sight on the Illinois River: towboats slowly pushing barges carrying everything from salt and petroleum to corn and soybeans, the top commodities produced in the state."This is the backbone of our economy," said Tom Heinold, chief of the operations division for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District. "Here in the upper Midwest, we feed the world from right here."Heinold oversees Corps of Engineers facilities along the Illinois River, including the Starved Rock Lock and Dam near Utica. The National Waterways Foundation says the statewide system moves more than 83 million tons of freight annually, worth more than $13 billion to the U.S. economy.Using barges to transport goods on rivers is not only efficient but also environmentally friendly, reducing the need to use petroleum-guzzling trucks, Heinold said."We can take 1,000 tractor-trailer trucks' worth of commodities and put them on a single 15-ton barge tow," he told VOA. "If it's big, bulk, it's more efficient to go on the rivers. So we see the benefits of that, that cost savings over roads and rails."Showing their ageBut the locks, which rise and fall to allow barges to navigate a consistent depth of the river, were built nearly a century ago and are showing their age."It is literally, in places, crumbling," Heinold said while peering from a balcony overlooking the lock and dam. "You can see the concrete right in front of you, deteriorating. On the vertical walls, you can see the corner armor rusting. Some of it is bent.""They were built with a 50-year design life," explained Rodney Weinzierl, a farmer in central Illinois, where the waterways are key to getting crops to foreign buyers. Weinzierl serves as executive director of the Illinois Corn Growers Association, which advocates for improving the country's inland waterway system."Exports are very important to Illinois and the U.S., and infrastructure is what keeps us competitive with foreign competition," Weinzierl said. But since most taxpayers rarely engage with this part of the country's infrastructure, he said, the waterways often get overlooked."The public just never really sees it," he told VOA. "It's much lower on the list of awareness of infrastructure that's really helped make our nation what it is today."FILE - These are the Emsworth Locks and Dam on the Ohio River at Emsworth, Pa., April 9, 2021. They are 70 years old and in need of repair.Weinzierl says it's crucial to improve ...
Republicans in the U.S. Senate voted Friday to block legislation that would create a panel to investigate the deadly January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, where lawmakers were meeting to certify Joe Biden’s presidential election victory over Donald Trump. VOA’s Laurel Bowman has more.Producer: Bakhtiyar Zamanov.
A confrontation between two members of U.S. Congress is the latest flash point of political incivility in America. VOA’s Steve Redisch examines the issue.Producer: Kimberlyn Weeks
As the Israeli-Palestinian conflict showed no sign of abating, Democrats in the U.S. Congress called for a cease-fire while Republican lawmakers condemned the actions of Hamas, saying there was no moral equivalence between the two sides. VOA's Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson has more. Producer: Katherine Gypson
As the Israeli-Palestinian conflict showed no sign of abating, Democrats in the U.S. Congress called for a cease-fire while Republican lawmakers condemned the actions of Hamas, saying there was no moral equivalence between the two sides. VOA's Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson has more.Producer: Katherine Gypson.
President Joe Biden toured an electric vehicle plant in Michigan on Tuesday, where he made the case for his $174 billion electric vehicle plan, framing it in the context of competition against China. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has this report.
For many years, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was the highest-ranking woman in the history of the U.S. government before Kamala Harris was elected vice president last November. A continual target of Republican criticism, Pelosi has cemented her place in history leading an often-divided Democratic caucus under four U.S. presidents. VOA's Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson has more. Produced by: Katherine Gypson
A top immigration official on Thursday pledged a comprehensive response to the influx of unaccompanied minors at the U.S.-Mexico border. In testimony on Capitol Hill, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told concerned lawmakers a migrant crisis early in the Biden presidency has been contained. VOA's Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson has more.Producer: Katherine Gypson.
Some Republican lawmakers and conservative commentators continue to falsely claim that President Joe Biden’s climate plan will force Americans to eat far less red meat. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara looks at how burgers have become the latest battlefield in the country’s culture war.
World leaders welcomed the Biden administration's announced support for waiving patent restrictions on COVID-19 vaccines, the so-called TRIPS waiver, at the World Trade Organization. While this could be a breakthrough in the global fight against the pandemic, as White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara reports, it’s just the first step in a long and complicated process.
With the first one hundred days of his presidency now behind him, Joe Biden faces formidable battles to pass the rest of his legislative agenda on Capitol Hill. VOA's congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports on the obstacles Democrats face to pass nearly $4 trillion in legislation.Producer: Katherine Gypson
Marking his first 100 days in office, U.S. President Joe Biden traveled Thursday to Georgia, a state where Democratic victories in the Senate allowed him to pursue a far more ambitious legislative agenda. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has this report.
U.S. President Joe Biden took office three months ago working with a Congress narrowly controlled by Democrats. While Biden faced twin economic and public health crises caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Capitol Hill was consumed by the second impeachment trial of his predecessor, Donald Trump. VOA congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson looks at the new president’s dealings with lawmakers during his first 100 days.Producer: Katherine Gypson.
In his first address to the joint session of Congress Wednesday night, President Joe Biden pitched his ambitious infrastructure and jobs plan while casting government as a force for good. The American presidential tradition was noticeably different in many ways, due to COVID-19 protocols. VOA’s White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara reports.
U.S. President Joe Biden has pledged to put human rights at the center of U.S. foreign policy. Human rights leaders have welcomed strong statements from the new administration but say action must follow. VOA's Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine has more.Camera: Ricardo Montañana, VOA Burmese Service.
With U.S. President Joe Biden set to give his first address to a joint session of Congress this week, a slight majority of Americans approves of his performance, according to a recent poll. There are many issues Democrats and Republican leaders expect him to address. Michelle Quinn reports. Video editor: Mary Cieslak
As tributes pour in honoring former U.S. Vice President Walter Mondale, who died Monday at age 93 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, VOA Midwest Correspondent Kane Farabaugh looks back on exclusive interviews with the Democratic politician who waged what he called “the good fight.”Producer and camera: Kane Farabaugh.
A new law in the southern U.S. state of Georgia that restricts mail-in voting and strengthens voter identification requirements has sparked a nationwide debate over voting rights for minorities. Democratic Party lawmakers are weighing their options even though voting rights legislation has little chance of passage in the U.S. Senate. VOA’s Congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson has more.
Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger are among the most well-known celebrities who used their superstar status to jump into politics. Now some politicians are using Hollywood talent agents to build their political brand. Karina Bafradzhian has the story.
President Joe Biden announced his plan to withdraw all 2,500 American troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, months later than the May 1 deadline that the Trump administration and the Taliban agreed on last year. White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has this report.
Lawmakers return to Washington this week, with U.S. President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure package topping their agenda. Michelle Quinn reports. Video editor: Mary Cieslak
The U.S. and Iran have agreed to a second round of indirect talks in Vienna next week to try to bring each other back into compliance with a 2015 nuclear deal, but Iran has insisted that all U.S. sanctions against it be lifted and the U.S. warned that such a demand may lead to an impasse.A senior U.S. State Department official who spoke to reporters on Friday said the indirect talks would resume in the middle of next week in the Austrian capital. U.S. and Iranian diplomats concluded an initial round of meetings earlier in the day, with mediators from the European Union delivering messages between the two sides. The talks began Tuesday with Iran meeting Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia, the five other remaining signatories of the 2015 deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and those five world powers meeting separately with the U.S. delegation nearby.The JCPOA called for Iran to freeze nuclear activities that could be weaponized in return for sanctions relief from world powers. The U.S. withdrew in 2018 and began unilaterally ratcheting up sanctions on Iran under then-President Donald Trump, who criticized the deal negotiated by his predecessor as not doing enough to stop objectionable Iranian behavior. Iran retaliated a year later by exceeding the JCPOA’s nuclear activity limits.A U.S. official described this week’s talks as productive, businesslike and constructive. The official said, however, that EU mediators going back and forth between two hotels carrying messages between the U.S. and Iranian teams was cumbersome.“We exchanged ideas about the principles that would guide any sanctions lifting on the U.S. side,” the official said. The U.S. side did not present a list of specific sanctions that could be lifted, and the Iranian side did not present a list of nuclear steps it would be willing to take to reverse JCPOA violations, the official added.“All sanctions that are inconsistent with the JCPOA and are inconsistent with the benefits that Iran expects from the JCPOA, we are prepared to lift,” the official said, adding that a question remained about whether Iran is serious about reciprocating the U.S. offer.Iran’s lead delegate to the talks, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, was quoted on Friday by Iranian state news site Press TV as saying Tehran will “only come back to full compliance with the agreement after the U.S. lifts sanctions imposed, reimposed or relabeled following the U.S. withdrawal from the ...
Under pressure from activists, on Thursday President Joe Biden signed a series of executive actions aimed at curbing gun violence, following recent mass shootings. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara reports, prospects for gun control legislation appear dim for now in the divided U.S. Congress.
U.S. President Joe Biden recently announced a $2 trillion spending plan aimed at modernizing the nation's roads and bridges, among other infrastructure. The plan, however, is expected to face obstacles in Congress. VOA’s Michelle Quinn reports.Producer: Mary Cieslak
Unaccompanied minors continue to stream across the US-Mexico border, the only migrant group the Biden administration is allowing to remain in the US. As VOA’s Aline Barros reports, the influx has overwhelmed an immigration system struggling to comply with strict requirements for housing and processing children. Camera: Celia Mendoza
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed America’s commitment to NATO as he sought to strengthen the transatlantic relationship in a two-day summit this week in Brussels, which wrapped up Wednesday. As Henry Ridgwell reports, a broad agenda included the growing threat posed by China. Camera: Henry Ridgwell
U.S. President Joe Biden is urging Congress to pass tighter gun laws following two mass shootings in Georgia and Colorado. White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has the story.
U.S. lawmakers are taking a new look at a decades-old law that grants U.S. presidents sweeping powers to wage war overseas. As VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports, Congress may attempt to take back some of that power.Produced by: Katherine Gypson
Democrats in the US Senate are considering a historic rule change in order to get President Joe Biden’s agenda passed. VOA’s Steve Redisch explains the filibuster.
The US secretary of state and national security adviser wrapped up their first in-person talks with top Chinese officials in Alaska on Friday. Elizabeth Lee reports.
Though Washington is the seat of U.S. political power, its residents have no voting rights in Congress nor rights of full home rule because of its unique status as the federal capital. But advocates for making Washington, D.C. a state say they see more potential than ever, as VOA’s Carol Guensburg reports. Camera: Betty Ayoub
U.S. President Joe Biden is touring the country to pitch his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package as he seeks to help Americans return to normalcy, both in life and in how they view the presidency. White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara looks at how Biden’s crisis communication style compares to his predecessor’s.
The U.S. House is set to pass a massive COVID-19 relief bill this week that will reshape the American economy and send billions of dollars in global health funding abroad. VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports on the U.S. response to the pandemic as vaccinations ramp up around the country.Camera: Adam Greenbaum
The U.S. Senate is expected to vote this weekend on a massive new round of coronavirus aid addressing the ongoing economic and health crises caused by the pandemic. VOA's congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson has more on the impact of that aid. Produced by: Katherine Gypson Camera: Adam Greenbaum
Months after record-high U.S. voter turnout propelled Democrats to victory in the 2020 elections, giving them control of the White House and both houses of Congress, Republicans are attempting to reshape election laws in state legislatures across the nation.In state after state, Republicans seek to limit opportunities for early and absentee balloting that Americans flocked to last year — Democratic voters in particular.In America’s heartland, Iowa is among the first examples of the trend.More than 2 million Iowans were registered to vote in the 2020 general election, a record in a state with a population of just over 3.1 million.Of 1.7 million ballots ultimately cast in Iowa last November, more than 1 million were submitted through the mail as absentee ballots — also a record — as many voters shunned the polls during a pandemic.Former President Donald Trump, a Republican, won Iowa but lost the national election to Democrat Joe Biden.Now Republicans, who control Iowa’s state legislature, have passed a bill limiting early, in-person voting and shortening the time allotted for absentee ballot submissions. Republicans argue that expanded use of both could invite fraudulent balloting even if no evidence of widespread fraud emerged from the 2020 elections.'You make improvements'“The question I get most often is, ‘Why?’” Iowa State Representative Bobby Kaufmann, a Republican, told fellow lawmakers during debate over the legislation in late February. “Why are we doing an election bill? ‘Do you not think that we had a successful 2020 election?’ I do. ‘Do you think that Iowa is rife with election fraud this last election?’ I do not. But the job of the state government committee is to ensure election integrity. You make improvements, and that’s exactly what we are doing here today.”What Republicans promote as preventing potential voter fraud, Democrats see as voter suppression that would disproportionately impact minorities and other Democratic-leaning groups that sometimes struggle to get to the polls on Election Day.“Iowans oppose this legislation and want us to make sure that it is easy to vote and hard to cheat,” State Rep. Eric Gjerde, a Democrat, explained to his colleagues during the legislative session ahead of voting on the measures. “We want to make the freedom to vote as easy as possible for every single Iowa voter. I have many constituents who work multiple jobs and are parents and need the flexibility to vote when they have the time.”Democrats failed to defeat the Republican ...
Republican state lawmakers are pushing restrictive voting bills in dozens of U.S. states after record voter turnout in the 2020 elections saw Democrats take the White House and control of the U.S. Congress. VOA’s Kane Farabaugh reports the Midwest state of Iowa is one of many to take up legislation that could limit voter access. Camera: Kane Farabaugh Producer: Kane Farabaugh
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Biden administration would promote democracy abroad but not through costly military interventions, which he said had failed in the past. Blinken’s comments came Wednesday as he outlined President Joe Biden's foreign policy objectives, as VOA's Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray told U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday that the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump rioters trying to overturn Joe Biden’s election victory was domestic terrorism. As VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports, Wray admitted the bureau did have raw intelligence warning of violence that day.
Donald Trump slammed President Joe Biden’s policies and reaffirmed leadership of the Republican Party at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Florida on Sunday, his first major speech after leaving office. He hinted but did not confirm whether he will run again in 2024. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has the story.
US intelligence agencies released a report to Congress on Friday concluding that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved an operation in 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey, 'to capture or kill' Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and US resident. VOA’s Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports on reaction to the long-awaited report. Producer: Bakhtiyar Zamanov
President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Wednesday for a government review of global supply chains and potential US vulnerabilities in key industries, including computer chips, electric vehicle batteries, pharmaceuticals and critical minerals used in electronics. White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has this report.
The Senate has confirmed career diplomat Linda Thomas-Greenfield as the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Thomas-Greenfield is likely to be tested by countries like China at the world body, VOA's Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports.
For the first time Tuesday, U.S. lawmakers heard details from top security officials about the failures on January 6 when pro-Trump rioters breached the Capitol. As VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports, security officials told lawmakers there were numerous law enforcement missteps that day.Camera: Mike Burke Produced by: Katherine Gypson
U.S. Attorney General nominee Judge Merrick Garland told lawmakers Monday an investigation into the January 6th riot at the US Capitol will be his first priority if confirmed. VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson has more on President Joe Biden’s pick to be the nation’s top law enforcement officer.Camera: Mike Burke Produced by: Katherine Gypson
The United States says it is ready to talk to Iran about the possibility of reviving a 2015 agreement intended to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. Former U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the deal nearly three years ago. VOA’s Penny Dixon has more. Producer: Rod James
The American radio host and commentator Rush Limbaugh died this week at age 70 after a career that transformed American media and politics. Mike O’Sullivan looks back at the conservative icon.
Democrats in Congress introduced a bill Thursday based on the Biden administration’s immigration priorities that would provide a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants. Meanwhile, officials will begin processing Central American asylum-seekers who were turned back and forced to remain in Mexico under a controversial Trump-era policy that has been revoked. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has the story.
Former President Donald Trump is out of office, but not out of politics. He remains popular among Republicans and is now picking fights with some top leaders in a battle for control of the Republican Party. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has the story.
First ladies are not elected, but once their husband becomes president, they are expected to represent the nation and to look good while doing it. Although they have no overt political power, VOA's Dora Mekouar reports that modern first spouses have turned to "fashion diplomacy" to get their point across. Camera: Mike Burke
Saturday’s vote at the Senate impeachment trial of former U.S. President Donald Trump took place after four days of hearing from lawyers for the House of Representatives who prosecuted the case against him, and lawyers who defended him. VOA’s Steve Redisch examines how politics shaped the strategies behind both sides’ arguments.Produced by: Mary C
Following the acquittal Saturday of former president Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial, Trump’s future in politics remains uncertain. Fifty-seven senators voted to convict him, including seven from his own Republican Party — falling short, however, of the 67 votes needed for conviction. Mike O’Sullivan reports that Republicans and Democrats face separate challenges in the post-Trump era. Camera: Genia Dulot
The US Senate on Saturday acquitted former President Donald Trump of the impeachment charge that he incited the Jan. 6 riot at the US Capitol. By a vote of 57-43, senators voted to hold Trump responsible for his supporters’ attempts to overturn the counting of electoral college results for Democrat Joe Biden, though they were 10 votes short of the 67 needed for a conviction. Seven Republicans voted with Democrats for Trump’s conviction. VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson has more. Camera: Mike Burke Producer: Katherine Gypson
The legal defense for former President Donald Trump took less than three hours Friday to argue before the U.S. Senate that he should not be convicted of incitement in the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. As VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports, the first-ever trial of a former U.S. president is rapidly moving to a close.
Washington, D.C., has a different look during the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. The Capitol area remains an ultra-high-security zone, and nearby residents wonder if fortress-like security measures are permanent, given heightened political tensions in the country after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. VOA’s Carolyn Presutti has this report. Camera: Mike Burke
House impeachment managers on Thursday closed their case, arguing former President Donald Trump was directly responsible for the attempt to overturn the counting of Electoral College votes for Joe Biden. VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports on Democrats’ final argument in this historic trial. Camera: Mike Burke
House impeachment managers Wednesday showed never-before-seen footage from the Jan. 6 riot of Trump supporters at the U.S. Capitol. The video capped the first day of Democrats’ opening argument that former President Donald Trump was directly responsible for the attempt to overturn the counting of electoral college votes for Joe Biden. VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson has more. Camera: Mike Burke Producer: Katherine Gypson
The historic second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump started in the U.S. Senate Tuesday. Senators will have to decide if Trump incited the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol a month ago by urging his supporters to confront lawmakers as they were certifying that Democrat Joe Biden had defeated Trump in the 2020 election. VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson has more.Camera: Mike Burke
This week, Washington will tackle two important issues – the $1.9 trillion economic relief package President Joe Biden has proposed and the Senate impeachment trial of his immediate predecessor, Donald Trump. VOA's Michelle Quinn reports. Video editor: Mary Cieslak
Three paragraphs into the introduction to the brief submitted by Democrats in the House of Representatives is a window into their strategy for the U.S. Senate impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump.In accusing the then-president of inciting a “violent mob to attack the United States Capitol,” the brief portrays the attackers as “insurrectionists [who] assaulted police officers with weapons and chemical agents,” taking control of the major parts of the Capitol. “Members and their staffs were trapped and terrorized. … Hundreds of people were injured in the assault. Five people — including a Capitol Police officer — died,” the brief reads.“It was clear to me that the Democratic side were really trying to make this an issue of safety,” said Jennifer Mercieca, a Texas A&M communications professor who specializes in American political rhetoric. “They are trying to make the case that Trump is a clear and present danger to the United States and to the United States Constitution.”Safety versus processFurther into the four-page introduction, Democrats indicate they will use Trump’s words against him, quoting from the “Save America Rally” that preceded the January 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol.And they will use the words of those who carried out the attack to recreate the scene for the jury of senators who witnessed it.“Safety arguments are really strong. Fear appeal, safety arguments, appeals to frustration, those are all really negative emotional states that have action tendency that is very active,” Mercieca said.“That's very powerful," she added. "If they can activate people's memories of the event and they can sort of remind them of the fear that they felt, and [get them to] react to that fight or flight response, they might [be] able to participate even beyond the partisanship.”With the 100-member Senate evenly split, it would require 67 votes — a two-thirds majority — to convict the former president, meaning Democrats would need 17 Republicans to vote with them.For Republicans, the word “former” lies at the heart of their strategy.“If the accused is no longer president, where’s the constitutional power to impeach him?” Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky asked during debate of his motion to declare the trial unconstitutional. “Impeachment is for removal from office. And the accused here has already left office.”Paul's motion on constitutionality did not pass, but the 55-45 vote left Democrats well shy of the 67 needed to convict Trump.Only after conviction can the Senate hold a majority vote to bar Trump ...
President Joe Biden challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday to release opposition leader Alexey Navalny immediately and without condition, in a stark break from his predecessor. The Kremlin has rejected what it described as an "ultimatum” from Biden, as VOA's Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports.
A fight over the future of the Republican Party is underway as former President Donald Trump faces a second impeachment trial. VOA's Kane Farabaugh reports from the Midwest state of Illinois, where a Republican congressman is weathering intense blowback for demanding his party turn the page on Trump in the aftermath of the January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol.Producer: Kane Farabaugh.
Amid freezing temperatures and falling snow, about 100 Illinois Republicans turned out to turn against one of their own.“We are mad, we are furious, and we will never vote for him again,” Shirley Prescott told VOA. The focus of her anger, and that of the others braving a frigid day in Ottawa, Illinois, was U.S. Representative Adam Kinzinger.Now serving his fifth term representing a district outside Chicago, Kinzinger voted to impeach Donald Trump after a mob of the former president’s supporters assaulted the U.S. Capitol January 6. Once regarded in the party’s mainstream, he wants Republicans to move past what he regards as Trump's dishonest and destructive brand of politics.FILE - Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., speaks to reporters, March 6, 2019, at the White House in Washington."The Republican Party has lost its way," Kinzinger said in a video message posted to a website for his new political action committee. "Hope has given way to fear … poisonous conspiracy theories and lies. This is not the Republican road.”It is not a message well-received by some Republicans in his district.“Our congressman is, in our opinion, gone off the rails and said things we don’t agree with,” said Larry Smith, chairman of the LaSalle County Republicans in his district. “We are absolutely not in agreement with Adam.”Despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud and the fact that Trump, like Kinzinger, carried LaSalle County, Smith has taken part in lawsuits challenging mail-in ballots in Illinois."The election, locally, was wrong,” he said. “It was mismanaged, and it did not represent the voice of the people.”Trump delivered a similar message about alleged voter fraud nationally on January 6 before a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol. Smith, like Trump, is not backing down from unsubstantiated claims of irregularities and remains an ardent backer of the former president.“There’s enormous support for Trump, and for what he did [during his term as president],” Smith said.Diverging opinionsBut local Republican opinion is not unified.“Trump has hurt the party,” said Susan Thornton, Smith’s predecessor as chair of the LaSalle County Republican Party. “It’s been a disaster for the party, and I can’t understand why people can’t recognize that.”Thornton is firmly at odds with the current Republican direction and leadership, both locally and nationally.FILE - Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump clash with police at the west entrance of the Capitol during a "Stop the Steal" protest outside the building in Washington D.C., ...
President Joe Biden visited the State Department Thursday and outlined his vision for U.S. foreign policy, ordering an end to U.S. support for offensive military operations in Yemen and an overall shift toward diplomacy. VOA’s Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports. Producer: Kim Weeks
U.S. lawmakers say the threat of domestic extremism remains high almost one month after pro-Trump protesters violently stormed the U.S. Capitol, resulting in the deaths of five people. As VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports, those threats are expected to continue well past the Senate impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump. Camera: Adam Greenbaum Produced by: Katherine Gypson
The dramatic end to Donald Trump’s presidency and the upcoming impeachment trial is fracturing the Republican Party. As VOA’s Elizabeth Lee finds, not everyone who voted for Trump considers themselves a Republican, and not all Republicans consider themselves Trump supporters. Camera: Miguel Amaya, Richard Swearinger, Natasha Mozgovaya, Spike Johnson, Michelle Quinn and Roy Kim Producer: Elizabeth Lee
American Muslims are welcoming President Joe Biden's executive order lifting travel restrictions on several Muslim-majority countries, restrictions often referred to as the travel ban or Muslim ban. VOA's Yuni Salim spoke to American Muslims in this report narrated by Nova Poerwadi.
2020 saw a wave of protests in the U.S. denouncing police brutality and demanding social justice during the final year of the Trump administration. Esha Sarai spoke with activists, protesters and organizers across the country about the future of the movement with a Democrat in the White House.Producer: Esha Sarai. Cameras: Natasha Mozgovaya, Esha Sarai.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the humanitarian crisis in Yemen -- as well as U.S. relations with Russia and China -- are among his immediate priorities. VOA Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports from Washington.
President Joe Biden signed a series of sweeping executive orders aiming to cut oil, gas and coal emissions to tackle climate change. Biden said he wants the U.S. to once again lead the global response to the climate crisis, a sharp departure from his predecessor. White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has the story.
Despite slim Democratic majorities in both chambers of Congress, President Joe Biden faces challenges in getting his agenda passed. VOA’s Steve Redisch explains how the rules of the U.S. Senate make Biden’s task more difficult.
In his first full week in office, President Joe Biden has focused on reversing multiple Trump administration policies and unveiling plans to address the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the economy, immigration and climate change. Michelle Quinn reports on how the flurry of new policies and actions may be received by a deeply divided country. Producer: Matt Dibble
The U.S. Senate confirmed President Joe Biden's nominee Antony Blinken to lead the U.S. State Department on Tuesday. As VOA's Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports, Blinken faces numerous challenges worldwide as the nation's top diplomat. Camera: Adam Greenbaum Produced by: Katherine Gypson
Jill Biden, the wife of recently inaugurated President Joe Biden, has made it clear that education policy will be a priority for her in the White House. Jill Biden is familiar with life in Washington as her husband spent 36 years in the U.S. Senate and eight years as vice president under Barack Obama. VOA's Esha Sarai and Carolyn Presutti bring us more about the new U.S. first lady in this profile.Video editors: Marcus Harton, Esha Sarai
As Joe Biden begins his first full week as U.S. president, he faces many challenges. Chief among them: ramping up the nationwide coronavirus vaccination effort and next month’s Senate impeachment trial of his predecessor, Donald Trump. Michelle Quinn reports. Video editor: Mary Cieslak
The U.S. House of Representatives is set to send an article of impeachment against Donald Trump to the Senate on Monday, accusing the former president of inciting an insurrection during the Jan. 6 mob storming of the Capitol. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has this story on why Democrats are still keen to pursue impeachment even with Trump no longer in power.
Kamala Harris made history as the first woman, first Black person and first person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president when she was sworn into office this week. That means her husband, Doug Emhoff, became America’s first “second gentleman” in the White House. More with VOA Correspondent Mariama Diallo.
President Joe Biden has taken over as America’s leader at a time of sickness, acrimony and division. VOA’s Carolyn Presutti introduces us to the 78-year-old man who will guide the United States for the next four years. Camera: Carolyn Presutti
The United States returns to a unified government this week as Joe Biden becomes the 46th president and Democrats take control of the U.S. Senate. With the U.S. House continuing under the Democratic party leadership of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Biden has an opportunity to enact big legislative changes. VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports.
Joe Biden was peacefully sworn in as America’s 46th president Wednesday. He took the oath outdoors, on a heavily guarded stage outside the US Capitol, where thousands of rioters had entered two weeks prior. Due to the pandemic and strict security measures, attendance was severely limited. VOA's Carolyn Presutti was in the sparse crowd to hear their thoughts about the transfer of power. Camera: Adam Greenbaum
Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden became the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, taking the oath of office on the steps of a heavily locked-down U.S. Capitol just two weeks after pro-Trump protesters breached the seat of congressional power. As VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports, former president Donald Trump’s refusal to participate in the ceremony as well as restrictions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus made it an inauguration unlike any other in American history. Producers: Katherine Gypson and Jesse Oni
Vice president-elect Kamala Harris made history when she became the first woman ever to win election on a presidential ticket. VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports on the path that brought Harris to the second most powerful position in the U.S. government.Camera: Adam Greenbaum Producers: Katherine Gypson, Jesse Oni
Incoming President Joe Biden’s pick to be the next secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said his vision for restoring America’s standing abroad is leadership based on “humility and confidence.” Blinken testified in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Tuesday, as VOA’s Cindy Saine reports from Washington.Camera: Saine Skype Video interviews
Inauguration Day is also moving day at the White House. In just six hours, the departing first family is moved out and the executive mansion is cleaned and prepped for its newest residents. Aside from the precise logistics, leaving the executive residence can be a highly emotional time. VOA’s Dora Mekouar speaks with a woman who has an insider’s view of moving day at the White House. Camera: Mike Burke
On January 20, the United States will inaugurate President-elect Joe Biden in Washington, D.C. Following the violent assault on the Capitol earlier this month by supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump, Americans are bracing for the worst but hoping for unity, the theme of Biden's inauguration. Mike O’Sullivan reports. Camera: Genia Dulot and Natasha Mozgovaya
Americans are getting ready to inaugurate President-elect Joe Biden after one of the nation’s most contentious elections and a violent assault on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump. Mike O’Sullivan reports on the mood of the nation as the United States transitions into its next political phase.
On the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Joe Biden is set to be inaugurated Wednesday as the 46th president of the United States. The national special security event comes amid reports domestic extremist groups may again protest the presidential election results. VOA's Michelle Quinn reports. Camera: Natasha Mozgovaya Video editor: Mary Cieslak
Except for rare cases, the inauguration of a new president symbolizes the American tradition of a peaceful transfer of power. VOA's Steve Redisch explains how and why Wednesday's swearing-in of Joe Biden will be far from ordinary.
The FBI is issuing new security warnings ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, citing potential armed protests in state capitals nationwide. Meanwhile, Congress is considering proposals to establish a national bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building. Patsy Widakuswara has this report. Producer: Bakhtiyar Zamanov
At least 15,000 armed National Guard troops will provide support for U.S. Capitol security before and during the inauguration of President-election Joe Biden on January 20. Daria Dieguts has more on the National Guard and its role.Camera: Sergey Sokolov
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft met virtually with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen Wednesday night after her trip this week was canceled. Ties between the United States and Taiwan have been growing under the Trump administration, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo this week lifting restrictions on contacts between the two democracies. VOA State Department Correspondent Nike Ching has more on what comes next for the incoming administration.
In a new CBS/YouGov poll, 21% of Republicans said they approved of the bloody siege on the U.S. Congress by supporters of President Donald Trump. Many more believe the November election was rigged. As the U.S. heads into a turbulent transition of power, Patsy Widakuswara has the story on this divided and angry nation. Producer: Bakhtiyar Zamanov
The Democratic-majority US House impeached President Donald Trump Wednesday, charging him with inciting an insurrection attempting to overturn the Electoral College vote count at the US Capitol last week. As VOA's Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports, the trial in the US Senate will not start until after President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated next week. Producers: Katherine Gypson and Jesse Oni
The Democratic-majority U.S. House of Representatives will vote to impeach President Donald Trump as early as Wednesday, charging him with inciting an insurrection in an attempt to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory. VOA's Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports. Produced by: Katherine Gypson
The U.S. House of Representatives is preparing to vote to impeach President Donald Trump this week, following the violent breach of the U.S. Capitol by the president's supporters that left five people dead. VOA's Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports on Democrats' options for removing Trump just days before his term ends.
With U.S. President-elect Joe Biden set to be inaugurated on Jan. 20, one question being debated is whether Congress will pursue a second impeachment of outgoing President Donald Trump over his alleged role in last Wednesday’s attack on the Capitol building. Michelle Quinn reports.
This week’s joint session of Congress shaped up as President Donald Trump’s last chance – however far-fetched – to subvert the November election results and claim victory for another term. And he counted on the continued loyalty of Vice President Mike Pence, who formally presided over the proceeding. Steve Redisch has more.Producer: Kim Weeks
Politically motivated mob violence in Washington, D.C., has sent a shockwave through the country, where Americans continue to grapple with the assault on the U.S. Capitol, and what it means for the country moving forward. VOA’s Kane Farabaugh has more from the Midwest state of Illinois. Camera: Kane Farabaugh Producer: Kane Farabaugh
In a video released Thursday night, President Donald Trump said he is outraged by the “violence, lawlessness and mayhem” that transpired when his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol this week. Trump is facing a growing call from Democrats and Republicans who say he must be removed from office. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara reports. Producer: Bakhtiyar Zamanov
A day after a mob breached the U.S. Capitol building, sending legislators into a lockdown, lawmakers are outraged and security is increasing. VOA’s Carolyn Presutti reports from Capitol Hill, where she spoke with some of the pro-Trump crowd who still lingered after Wednesday’s chaotic scenes. Camera: Mike Burke
Rattled members of Congress reconvened Wednesday night to resume counting electoral votes from the November election. Both Democrat and Republican lawmakers said they are determined to continue certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral victory, hours after thousands of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol building. Patsy Widakuswara has the story.
It was a scene Americans never expected to see in their own country, as a riotous mob pushed into the U.S. Capitol building. Michelle Quinn reports. Producer: Matt Dibble
Democrat Raphael Warnock is the projected winner of one of Georgia’s two Senate runoffs Wednesday, becoming the first African American to be elected to the U.S. Senate in the state’s history. Warnock, who defeated Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler, is a pastor of the Atlanta church where American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. preached. VOA Correspondent Mariama Diallo has this profile of Warnock.
Democrats have won control of the U.S. Senate — and Congress as a whole — after scoring a pair of wins in Tuesday’s Senate runoff races that drew the attention of the nation. VOA Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports from Atlanta, Georgia, on the consequences for the Biden presidency. Producers: Katherine Gypson, Adam Greenbaum. Camera: Adam Greenbaum.
Voting in the Southern U.S. state of Georgia ended Tuesday, where two crucial runoff races will determine which party holds the majority in the U.S. Senate. VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports from Atlanta, Georgia, where the races are close.
Voters in the southern U.S. state of Georgia will play a crucial role in determining the balance of power in the U.S. for the next two years when they head to the polls Tuesday. VOA's congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports from Atlanta, Georgia, on the two U.S. Senate runoff elections.
The congressional joint session to count electoral votes is generally a routine, ceremonial affair. But President Donald Trump's repeated efforts to challenge Democrat Joe Biden's victory will bring more attention than usual to next Wednesday's joint session of the Senate and the House. The congressional count is the final step in reaffirming Biden's win, after the Electoral College officially elected him on Dec 14. The meeting is required by the Constitution and includes several distinct steps. Some Republicans who are echoing Trump's baseless claims of fraud have said they will officially object to the results, forcing votes in the Republican-run Senate and the Democratic-controlled House that will almost certainly fail. A group of House Republicans had been looking for a senator to sign on because there must be support from at least one member of each chamber to force the votes. That support came Wednesday from Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, a possible contender in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. Hawley's challenge comes despite a plea from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that Republican senators not join the futile House effort. McConnell told his caucus on a private call earlier this month that it would be a "terrible vote" for Senate Republicans to have to take. A look at the joint session: What Happens When Congress Meets in January? Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open a sealed certificate from each state that contains a record of its electoral votes. The votes are brought into the chamber in mahogany boxes. Bipartisan representatives of the two chambers read the results out loud and do an official count. The president of the Senate, Vice President Mike Pence, presides over the session and declares the winner. What Does The Constitution Require? The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. If there is a tie, then the House decides the presidency, with each congressional delegation having one vote. That hasn't happened since the 1800s, and Biden's electoral win over Trump was decisive, 306-232. How Does The Session Unfold? The two chambers meet midday to count the votes. If the vice president cannot preside, there is precedent for the Senate pro-tempore, or the longest-serving senator in the majority party, to lead the session. That's currently Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. The appointed "tellers" from ...
Two crucial Senate runoff elections will be held in the southern state of Georgia next week, with inflammatory accusations still circulating about the state’s handling of last month’s presidential election. As Mike O’Sullivan reports, the rhetoric about election fraud has reached dangerous levels, casting a cloud over the Jan. 5 runoffs.
A runoff election in the U.S. state of Georgia has profound implications for Democrat Joe Biden, who will be sworn in as U.S. president January 20th. At stake: two Senate seats that will decide the balance of power in the U.S. Congress. Mike O'Sullivan explains.
After weeks of silence, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, following Monday’s formal vote by the Electoral College that cemented Biden’s victory in the November 3 election. Yet there is still no sign President Donald Trump is willing to accept defeat. White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara reports.
In the United States, nearly three million doses of the nation’s first COVID-19 vaccine will be delivered this week to states to administer to high-risk health care workers as the nation’s death toll from the disease continues to rise. Michelle Quinn reports.Produced by: Mary Cieslak
Republicans and Democrats are working to get Georgia residents to vote in the January 5 runoff election that will decide control of the U.S. Senate. But Republicans are also divided about the results of the November 3 presidential race, with President Donald Trump still asserting widespread voter fraud. Michelle Quinn reports.Video editor: Mary Cieslak
After a tumultuous four years marked by trade uncertainty and now a global pandemic, many farmers across the country still supported President Donald Trump at the ballot box. Despite ongoing and unsupported claims of voter fraud, they are coming to terms with his loss in the November election.“It appears that the president’s chances grow dimmer day by day,” said farmer and Illinois Farm Bureau Vice President Brian Duncan.“I certainly think you can see instances of fraud and manipulation, but I find it hard to see that there would be that on the scale you would need to turn it around,” Fred Grieder explained to VOA on his farm outside Bloomington, Illinois. “Yeah, I think it’s done.”Both Grieder and Duncan raise crops in the Midwest state of Illinois, where President-elect Joe Biden won a decisive election victory fueled by support in densely populated areas, like the city of Chicago.But rural Illinois, where President Trump was popular, is important to the nation’s agriculture industry.Only about 1% of the U.S. population lives on a farm, but the agriculture and food industry represent about 5% of U.S. gross domestic product. Illinois is one of the country’s leading producers of corn and soybeans, the primary crops on both Grieder and Duncan’s farms, which is why they are interested in who Biden picks to lead the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).“I’d rather see someone who is more 'production-ag' oriented to fill that role who can understand the needs of rural America and the farmers because, really, USDA is the one advocate we have in an administration,” said Duncan, who views the current USDA secretary, former Georgia Gov. Sonny Purdue, as someone who had President Trump’s ear.“Certainly not everything he said or did was supported wholeheartedly in the countryside, but by and large the farmers I talked to saw Secretary Purdue as an advocate and an ally.”“That’s the person who has to go to the president and make sure they advocate for whatever agriculture’s needs are, so that’s going to be a key one,” agreed Mark Gebhards, governmental affairs director for the Illinois Farm Bureau.'There’s a lot of unknowns'Gebhards, who works with government agencies on behalf of Illinois farmers to guide public policy on trade, environmental regulation and government aid packages, also emphasized the vital importance of Cabinet picks for the U.S. Trade Representative and Environmental Protection Agency.“I think farmers felt that President Trump had their ...
President-elect Joe Biden’s selections to lead Cabinet positions provide insight into how he plans to govern once he assumes office in January. VOA’s Kane Farabaugh reports that while many farmers in the Midwestern United States may not have voted for Biden, they will be impacted by whom he picks to lead key agencies. Producer: Kane Farabaugh
President-elect Joe Biden has chosen women to fill many key Cabinet posts as well as his entire senior communications team, part of his campaign promise to ensure full inclusion and gender equality. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has this report on Biden’s agenda for women.
President Donald Trump’s claims of election fraud have put doubt in the minds of many Republicans. One state that has seen recounts after the election is Georgia, a state that has not voted for a Democrat for president since 1992. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee shows the diversity of opinions among Republicans on the outcome of the presidential election.Producer: Barry Unger. Camera: Joel Brewer, Michael Catron.
U.S. President-elect Joe Biden announced his picks for top diplomatic and national security posts in his forthcoming administration. Biden is pressing ahead with the transition process even though President Donald Trump has yet to formally concede. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has the latest.Produced by: Bakhtiyar Zamanov
U.S. presidents often change government policy through presidential actions, issuing executive orders, proclamations or memoranda, bypassing Congress and the legislative process. Mike O’Sullivan reports, President Donald Trump has relied heavily on the tactic, and President-elect Joe Biden has promised to do the same.
President-elect Joe Biden has announced several of his top cabinet picks, naming his long-time close adviser and former deputy secretary of state Antony Blinken as his choice to be the next secretary of state. VOA's Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine has more on Blinken, who is known as a staunch supporter of international alliances, human rights and refugees.Produced by: Barry Unger
President-elect Joe Biden has announced several of his top cabinet picks, naming his long-time close adviser and former deputy secretary of state Antony Blinken as his choice to be the next secretary of state. VOA's Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine has more on Blinken, who is known as a staunch supporter of international alliances, human rights and refugees. Produced by: Barry Unger
Through an executive order issued Jan. 20, 2017, one week after he was sworn in, President Donald Trump temporarily restricted immigration from seven majority-Muslim countries that he said were hotbeds of terrorism. The move was widely criticized by immigrant advocates and blocked in the courts, setting up legal battles over subsequent orders. It was an example of U.S. presidents shifting policy through presidential actions — executive orders, proclamations and memoranda — bypassing Congress and the legislative process. Trump has relied heavily on the tactic, and President-elect Joe Biden has promised to do the same. A modified Trump immigration ban was later upheld by the Supreme Court. However, it is likely to be reversed after Biden is sworn in on January 20, one of many expected presidential actions in the new Democratic administration, said John Woolley, co-director of the American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara. "Because almost any order can be reversed by a subsequent order, we can be very confident that Joe Biden is going to come in with his guns blazing in terms of executive orders," he said. Executive orders throughout historyThe first U.S. president, George Washington, issued the first of what would later be called executive orders, providing instructions to government departments. During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation, which consisted of two separate executive orders. Franklin Roosevelt signed more executive orders than any president, more than 3,700 before he died in office in his fourth term. Some were aimed at getting the country through the Great Depression, others geared toward mobilizing the nation during World War II. Many were simple administrative directives. Trump had issued 195 executive orders through mid-November 2020, during one term in office, roughly on a par with recent presidents. The power to take such unilateral action is not spelled out in the Constitution, which simply says the president is in charge of the executive branch of government, explained political scientist Kenneth Mayer, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "They are a natural application of the broad grant of executive power," he said. Some executive orders have been aimed at national security, including one signed by Roosevelt, later widely criticized, confining Japanese Americans in camps during the Second World War. President George W. Bush issued controversial orders to facilitate intelligence gathering in the war on terror, one authorizing warrantless wiretaps of international conversations that, at times, involved U.S. citizens. FILE ...
Following a hand recount of ballots, officials in Georgia certified U.S. presidential election results in the state, confirming that President-elect Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump. Yet the president shows no signs of conceding. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has the latest. Producer: Bakhtiyar Zamanov
In a virtual event with front-line health care workers Wednesday, President-elect Joe Biden warned that his team is going to be "behind by weeks or months” in the country’s pandemic planning unless the Trump administration stops blocking the transition process. White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has the story.
Facing charges of censorship, the CEOs of Twitter and Facebook appeared before a hearing of U.S. lawmakers Tuesday to defend actions taken during the recent U.S. elections. Tina Trinh reports.Produced by: Matt Dibble
Pre-election polls suggested Joe Biden would be a runaway winner of the presidential contest and that Democrats would win a majority in the U.S. Senate. VOA’s Steve Redisch examines how and why many polls missed.
Joe Biden, the projected winner of the U.S. presidential election, will inherit a pandemic-ravaged economy that shows signs of recovery. As Keith Kocinski reports, Biden’s ambitious economic agenda would face hurdles in a politically divided Congress.
Kamala Harris made history as the first woman projected to become vice president-elect. That means her husband, Doug Emhoff, is set to become America’s first-ever “second gentleman” in the White House. VOA’s Mariama Diallo has more.
Although projected to lose the U.S. election, President Donald Trump made the race closer than expected, in part by gaining a higher percentage of minority voters than in 2016, especially among in the growing Latino or Hispanic population. VOA’s Brian Padden reports on increasing political diversity of this rapidly growing ethnic minority, which has increased from 16% to 18% of the U.S. population in the last decade according to the Pew Research Center. Camera: Vero Balderas Iglesias Producer: Brian Padden
Joe Biden, projected to become America's 46th president in January, has vowed to stop constructing a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border -- a centerpiece of President Donald Trump’s presidency. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee reports. Camera: Spike Johnson and Christian von Preysing Producer: Elizabeth Lee
The balance of power in the U.S. Congress will come down to just two Senate races in one Southern state – Georgia -- where the presidential contest remains too close to call. As VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports, those two Senate seats will determine if there is a divided government during President-elect Joe Biden’s first two years. Camera: Adam Greenbaum Producer: Katherine Gypson
President Donald Trump’s campaign launched a new legal effort this week aimed at stopping the certification of election results in Pennsylvania, as the president continued to refuse to concede to President-elect Joe Biden. White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has the latest.
President-elect Joe Biden dismissed the Trump administration’s refusal to begin the official transition process, even as key Republican Party leaders sided with President Donald Trump in his uphill legal fight to overturn Biden’s projected presidential election victory. White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has the latest.
After winning a close election, President-Elect Joe Biden now shifts focus to governing a deeply divided nation that is grappling with a deadly pandemic and a struggling economy. VOA’s Brian Padden reports that for the incoming moderate Democratic president, success will likely hinge on both finding common ground with conservative Republicans while maintaining support from progressives in his own party.
Vice president-elect Kamala Harris made history this week when she became the first woman ever to win election on a presidential ticket. VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports on the path that brought Harris to the second most powerful position in the U.S. government.Camera: Adam Greenbaum Produced by: Katherine Gypson, Jesse Oni
World leaders have been giving their reactions to the victory of Joe Biden in the U.S. presidential election. But as Henry Ridgwell reports from London, some U.S. rivals including China and Russia are awaiting the outcome of legal challenges to the result. Camera: Henry Ridgwell Produced by: Jason Godman
American voters waited days to hear the projected results of the 2020 election, with voter turnout at record numbers. Amid a pandemic and a strong partisan divide, how does the country heal? Esha Sarai reports from Philadelphia.