Elections
GOP Rep McCarthy ‘unsure’ if he has votes needed for Speakership
Today, California Republican Kevin McCarthy “battles to secure enough votes to be named House Speaker, while facing fierce opposition from the right-wing of his caucus” to take the place of outgoing Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, also from California, reports The Guardian.
McCarthy needs 218 votes to win the speakership, but faces opposition from far-right Republican representatives such as Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz.
The right-wing House freedom caucus chair’s Scott Perry tweeted:
Kevin McCarthy faces election for House speaker unsure if he has votes needed – live https://t.co/Yz4fdGBixq
— Guardian news (@guardiannews) January 3, 2023
Pelosi will continue to represent California as a congresswoman in the House for her San Francisco district, but announced she will be stepping back from her leadership role.
Pelosi’s replacement for Democratic leadership is pointing to progressive Hakeem Jeffries to be House minority leader.
China
Analysis: Biden unlikely to sanction Iran’s oil exports, gas prices ‘critical during an election year’
Analysts say President Joe Biden is unlikely to “prompt dramatic sanctions action on Iran’s oil exports” due to “worries about boosting oil prices and angering top buyer China” according to Reuters.
Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, House Republican Representative Steve Scalise, said the administration had made it easier for Iran to sell its oil, generating revenues that were being used to “go fund terrorist activity.”
The Biden administration has maintained for months that among its primary goals is to keep the Gaza conflict between terror group Hamas and Israel from turning into a wider regional war. However, House Republican leaders accused President Joe Biden of failing to enforce existing measures and said they would take up this week a series of bills to sharpen sanctions on Iran.
Kimberly Donovan, a sanctions and anti-money laundering expert at the Atlantic Council, said that oil-related sanctions have not been strictly enforced in the past couple of years.
“I would not expect the administration to tighten enforcement in response to Iran’s missile and drone attacks against Israel over the weekend, mainly for concerns (that) could lead to increases in oil prices,” she said.
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