Boehner Uncommitted to Gun Votes in House

GOP Sees the World Through Google Glass

May 152013

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — This week’s Republican House meeting was a little more exciting than weeks past, and it wasn’t just because of what was on the agenda.

At the request of the GOP, Google representatives held Google Glass demonstrations at the beginning and the end of the meeting, allowing Congressional members to try on the sought-after technology. A Google spokesperson told ABC News that the company offered the same demonstration sessions to Democrats, but have yet to schedule any official group presentations.

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) was among those who tried on a pair of the new glasses. In an email, a representative for Bachmann told ABC News that the congresswoman enjoyed trying on Google Glass because she “likes being ahead of the curve when it comes to innovative technology” and believes “it is a testament to just how much the industry has evolved.”

Bachmann’s first query when trying on the glasses? The Drudge Report.

Earlier this year, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich won a Twitter contest to be one of the first to try out the technology as a Google Glass explorer. His winning Tweet mentioned plans of zoo and museum visits.

#ifihadglass i would take it on tours of zoos and museums to share the animals and fossils — @projectglass google.com/glass/start/

— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) February 21, 2013

ABC News has been unable to confirm whether Gingrich has received his pair of Google Glass, but a Google representative confirmed that contest winners were notified of how they could claim their prizes over the span of the past few weeks.

Boehner Says Jail Time Possible in IRS Scandal

May 152013

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — House Speaker John Boehner suggested on Wednesday that those who were responsible for the IRS targeting conservative groups should face jail time.

“Now my question isn’t about who is going to resign,” Boehner, R-Ohio, told reporters Wednesday. “My question is who’s going to jail over this scandal?”

Asked who he believes should go to jail, the speaker did not direct his demand to a specific individual but said that someone at the IRS “made a conscious decision to harass” conservatives while delaying their requests for tax-exempt status.

“There are laws in place to prevent this type of abuse,” he said. “We need to know who they are and whether they violated the law. There’s clearly someone who violated the law.”

The speaker went on to vent about controversies dealing with Benghazi and the Department of Justice as well.

Boehner seemed bewildered by the Department of Justice’s decision to secretly obtain phone records from the Associated Press, which he indicated violated the First Amendment protections for a free press.

“Let me tell you, I am very interested and I’m hopeful that we’re going to get a clear explanation for why such unprecedented action was taken,” Boehner said. “It befuddles me that there could be some justification that would allow them to infringe on the First Amendment to the Constitution.”

While the White House has shown some emails from the Benghazi investigation to certain members of Congress, the speaker said the administration “could make this a lot easier for all Americans” by permanently turning over copies of the documents to Congress.

Boehner brushed aside questions about whether the three burgeoning scandals play into the GOP’s favor in the 2014 congressional midterm elections, insisting his focus is “on the priorities of the American people” while executing Congress’s duty to provide oversight over the executive branch.

“The American people deserve the truth and fairness from their government,” Boehner said. ”I don’t want to prolong this anymore than anyone else. What I want is the truth.”

Celebrating Moms on Capitol Hill

May 122013

ABC(WASHINGTON) — A special Mother’s Day edition of ABC’s This Week gave a glimpse inside an exclusive club on Capitol Hill: women who give birth while serving in Congress.

Rep. Jaime Hererra Beutler, R-Wash., who recently announced her pregnancy, will become the ninth woman to have a baby while serving in Congress. Although Washington is known for its partisan divide, Beutler said babies can bring both parties together.

“The fun thing is, babies aren’t partisan,” Beutler said. “So even folks who we do not agree on policy, are so excited because they recognize that this is a great thing.”

Several women in Congress balance the roles of mother and elected official. Before announcing her pregnancy, Rep. Beutler reached out to Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., mother to 4-year old Joaquin, for advice.

“Probably the best piece of advice I give to women who are trying to juggle career and family is you really have to learn to be forgiving of your own self,” Sanchez told ABC News’ Martha Raddatz. “When you have a lot of balls in the air, this is what I tell women, inevitably, one or two are gonna fall. And you can’t beat yourself up about it.”

Women currently hold 98 of the 535 seats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., – the first woman to give birth twice while serving in Congress – said the female lawmakers rely on one another for support.

“There’s some days that I think, ‘Okay, I have this figured out.’ And then the next day it feels like it’s all fallin’ apart,” Rodgers said. “And that’s where it’s good to be able to talk with other working moms on Capitol Hill that understand, that can relate to you, and give you those words of encouragement.”

The women said there are many unique challenges that come with being a working mom in Congress – including picking up their children from school between Congressional votes and flying back to their home districts with young children in tow.

But Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., mother of two, believes motherhood gives them a unique perspective in Washington, and encouraged more women to seek public office.

“I want more women in government. I want more women members of Congress,” Gillibrand said. “Because even though we shouldn’t have to be the bearers of these issues, we passionately are, because we see it. We see the challenge every day.”

On this Mother’s Day, the congresswomen also reflected on their own mothers, and said that much has changed since the days when their moms were raising families.

Rep. Sanchez called the difference “night and day.”

“My mom was a mother to seven children. She was a stay-at-home mom,” Sanchez said. “I think she should be sainted. She went back to night school, earned her degree and became a teacher.”

“What they’ve accomplished, and frankly what all the women who come before us have accomplished, makes everything that we do possible,” Gillibrand added.

Going Beyond Cat Videos: YouTube Brings Congress to the People

May 022013

iStockphoto/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — Move over C-SPAN, YouTube is now bringing Congress to the people. All members of the U.S. Congress were invited earlier this week to start live-streaming video from their YouTube channels.

“Whether it’s to share a look into your daily work, broadcast speeches and meetings, or showcase events in your district, we can’t wait to see how you connect with your constituents,” a news release from YouTube says.

Congress can hardly wait, either. The House and Senate both issued “Dear Colleague” letters to congressional members urging them to use the technology offered by YouTube.

“This technology allows Members to communicate with constituents in real time at no cost,” Reps. Candice Miller, R-Mich., and Robert Brady, D -Pa., wrote in the House “Dear Colleague” letter.

Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Lamar Alexander, R- Tenn., echoed the message in a letter addressing the upper chamber. The letter made sure to specify that “this free service complies fully with Senate Internet Regulations,” to which YouTube also adheres.

Although a congressional address has yet to go viral, YouTube’s relationship to politics is anything but random.

Chelsea Maughan, a YouTube spokeswoman, says the 2012 U.S. presidential and vice presidential debates were watched live in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Combined, the four videos garnered more than 27 million views, which is more than double the views of the original version of the Internet hit “Charlie Bit Me.”

YouTube believes such viewership is what drives video content, and will ultimately bridge communication between politicians and constituents. Time will tell how this partnership plays out, but both parties are optimistic about the prospects.

“Video plays a powerful role in bringing us closer together, especially when it connects people in real time,” a YouTube statement read.

“By transcending borders, empowering citizens and increasing transparency, it’s one of the many ways technology allows democracy to thrive.”

Boehner Uncommitted to Gun Votes in House

Apr 182013

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — After the U.S. Senate voted down a slate of proposals to toughen the country’s gun laws Wednesday, House Speaker John Boehner was non-committal Thursday on the prospect of considering similar measures in the House of Representatives. Still, the speaker maintained that the Republican-controlled committees of jurisdiction in the House will continue examining mental health and gun violence.

“Our committees continue to work at this,” Boehner, R-Ohio, said. “No decision has been made beyond that.”

When he was asked whether he would expedite consideration of a bill or follow regular order, in which a bill starts at the committee level, and, separately, whether he believes there should be a political price to pay for lawmakers who oppose stronger gun legislation, the speaker’s tone carried a lack of urgency.

“Our committees are going to continue to look at the violence in our society and look at these tragedies and determine whether there are common-sense steps that we can take to reduce the chances of this,” Boehner said. “The relevant committees are working on this issue. I’m going to continue to work with them, and when we have a decision to announce, we’ll announce it.”

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Democrats are “so disappointed” by the Senate’s failed efforts, but she said she will continue fighting for stronger gun measures.

“Something must be done, because that’s what the American people expect and what they deserve,” Pelosi, D-Calif., said. “What we want also is a vote. The American people can say to the leadership in the Congress, to the speaker of the House, give us a vote. Give us a vote in the House.”

Boehner has long maintained that he would wait until the Senate actually passes legislation – not simply takes votes on gun measures – before he considers any gun-related legislation on the House floor.

On Thursday, despite the actuality of the Senate’s failed votes, Pelosi urged Boehner to take up legislation without delay.

“If he was waiting for the Senate to act and now he feels he’s — doesn’t have any work to do, well, then that just says we’re not the legislative branch,” Pelosi said. “We’re the first branch of government, the legislative branch. It is our responsibility to legislate, and we have our responsibility in the House to do that.”

Rep. Mike Thompson, the chairman of the Democratic Task Force to Prevent Gun Violence, said that the failed vote in the Senate was “unexplainable,” but is “not going to slow us or deter our work in regard to gun violence prevention.”

“Every time I get in the car, the Garmin says, ‘Recalculating, recalculating,’” Thompson, D-Calif., joked. “We’ll recalculate and get our bearing, and we’re going to go forward on this. The American people want their Congress to take action to make their communities, their neighborhoods, their workplace and their schools safer, and we can do that while protecting the Second Amendment.”

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