The debt ceiling is a numerical limit, set by Congress, on how much money the federal government can borrow to pay its bills. Increasing the debt ceiling is a routine congressional task, but Republicans want to hold it hostage to make cuts to Social Security and Medicare, even though failing to raise the limit would cause massive economic devastation.
More than 150 of the 222 House Republicans elected in November voted to overturn the 2020 election results and/or denied the legitimacy of the outcome.
The new Republican-controlled House has thus far failed six separate times to elect a House Speaker—the first time such a debacle has occurred since 1923. Until the new Congress elects a speaker, the House cannot assign members to committees, introduce or vote on legislation, help constituents, or even swear in members.
The start of the new Pennsylvania legislative session was fraught with drama and surprises as lawmakers elected Democrat Rep. Mark Rozzi as Speaker of the House.
While House Democrats flipped a total of 12 seats in November to win a majority, three seats are now vacant and Republicans are claiming they’re in the majority again.
Lawmakers voted 107-85 to impeach District Attorney Larry Krasner, setting the stage for what would be the first Pennsylvania Senate impeachment trial in nearly three decades.