Washington, May 14 (IANS) US lawmakers from both parties intensified pressure on President Donald Trump ahead of his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, urging him to confront Beijing on issues ranging from North Korean refugees and political prisoners to trade barriers, fentanyl and American manufacturing.In one of the sharpest bipartisan appeals, Congressman James Walkinshaw and Senator Tim Kaine urged Trump to press China to stop forcibly returning North Korean refugees, warning that th…
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Washington, May 8 (IANS) More than 100 bipartisan members of the US Congress have urged President Donald Trump to press Chinese President Xi Jinping for the release of jailed Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai during their upcoming meeting, warning that the 78-year-old’s health is rapidly deteriorating.In a bicameral letter led by Representative Chris Smith and Senator Rick Scott, lawmakers said Lai’s 20-year prison sentence under Hong Kong’s National Security Law …
Washington, May 1 (IANS) A heated Senate hearing saw sharp clashes between US SEcretary of War Pete Hegseth and lawmakers, as divisions deepened over the Iran war, rising costs and a proposed $1.5 trillion defence budget.At the Senate Armed Services Committee, Democratic and some independent senators challenged the administration’s claims of success in Iran and questioned the scale of military spending.Ranking Member Jack Reed led the criticism, accusing the administration of entering an “un…
Washington, May 1 (IANS) US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that he believes the ceasefire with Iran “pauses” a 60-day clock on congressional authorization for war.Hegseth made the remarks when asked by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine at a congressional hearing on Thursday about whether the Trump administration would seek authorization from Congress for the war with Iran on the 60-day mark of the war as required by law, Xinhua news agency reported.”Ultimately, I would defer to the White House a…
Washington, April 22 (IANS) US lawmakers have urged the Navy to speed up the deployment of unmanned surface vessels, warning that delays could leave the United States trailing adversaries adopting autonomous systems at a pace. Opening a Senate Seapower subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, Senator Rick Scott said the Navy “must move decisively to integrate unmanned systems into the fight” and warned it “appears… late to the game already,” pointing to lessons from the war in Ukraine.Scott sa…
Washington, March 20 (IANS) Facing rising health care costs and access gaps, US senators advanced bipartisan proposals on drug pricing, maternal care and insurance reform.At a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing, lawmakers from both parties pitched a wide range of bills aimed at lowering costs, expanding access, and addressing workforce shortages.Opening the session, Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy stressed the need for practical solutions. “As chair, my focus is cu…
Washington, March 12 (IANS) More than 40 US senators have demanded answers from the Pentagon over the bombing of a girls’ school in Iran that reportedly killed at least 168 people, most of them children, during the opening phase of the Trump administration’s war against Iran.In a letter to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, the lawmakers said they were writing with “grave concern regarding the airstrikes on a girls’ elementary school that reportedly killed at least 168 people — mostly chil…
Washington, March 9 (IANS) US Senator Tim Kaine has warned that the ongoing conflict involving Iran risks repeating the mistakes of decades of American wars in the Middle East, calling the military action “illegal and profoundly unwise” while raising concerns about the safety of US personnel and civilians. Speaking on CBS News on Sunday, the Virginia Democrat said the return of the first American casualties had deepened concerns about the direction of the conflict.”With the arrival of the first …
Washington, March 3 (IANS) A fierce political battle erupted in Washington over President Donald Trump’s military campaign in Iran, with senior Republicans defending the action as lawful and necessary, while top Democrats accused the President of launching a war without Congressional approval.Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed criticism that the administration had failed to properly notify lawmakers.“Why not notify Congress?!” Rubio told reporters at the US Congress.“We can’t notif…
Washington, Feb 14 (IANS) Two senior US senators have urged the Trump Administration to convene a Quad Leaders’ Summit ahead of President Donald Trump’s expected meeting in April with Chinese President Xi Jinping, arguing that it would strengthen Washington’s leverage in dealings with Beijing.US Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE), both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote to Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, encouraging the Ad…