In the News

Democratic lawmakers are blasting President Trump for dedicating a golf trophy to hurricane victims while Puerto Rico continues to recover from Hurricane Maria.

Lawmakers took to Twitter to criticize Trump, who dedicated the trophy at the Presidents Cup golf tournament Sunday to the victims of the recent hurricanes that have struck the U.S.

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Los Angeles) is a naturalized American citizen, having emigrated from Taiwan as a young child.

Earlier this month, under a new proposed policy, the Department of Homeland Security said it will begin collecting public social media information about immigrants—possibly also green card holders and naturalized citizens—and include them as part of their so-called "Alien File."

A third of Californian taxpayers could lose thousands of dollars from the repeal of one deduction under a GOP proposal released Wednesday, setting up another political dilemma for California Republicans facing tough reelection battles next year as Democrats work to win back the House of Representatives.

GOP leaders touted "unity" behind a tax reform framework Wednesday, but the effort is likely to face many hurdles working with a president seeking bipartisan buy-in.

Despite two White House meetings with bipartisan House members this month, one Democratic lawmaker questions the sincerity of President Trump's effort after GOP leaders held a private "retreat" to review the framework.

House Democrats introduced legislation on Thursday to prevent Trump administration officials from using private jets on the taxpayers' dime as multiple Cabinet heads come under fire for the practice.

Two groups of Democrats unveiled bills with correspondingly flashy titles.

Progressive Reps. Ted Lieu (Calif.), Ruben Gallego (Ariz.), Jamie Raskin (Md.) and Pramila Jayapal (Wash.) put forth the Swamp Flyers Act, while centrist Democratic Reps. Tom O'Halleran (Ariz.) and Kurt Schrader (Ore.) offered the Taxpayers Don't Incur Meaningless Expenses (Taxpayers DIME) Act.

Krystal Banks has been a bail bondsman in Detroit for nearly two decades. During that time, she's seen a lot — and she's made some good money, too.

Banks says criminal defendants have left tens of thousands of dollars with her when they skipped bail for a court hearing. In such cases, the money goes to the county for a fine.

But Banks fears her livelihood could be in jeopardy, along with that of 79 other Michigan bail bond companies, as a result of a bill pending in the U.S. House that seeks to replace cash bonds for defendants with supervised release.

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) on Wednesday cast President Trump and congressional Republicans' tax proposal not just as bad policy, but bad math.

"If you believe 2+2=7, you will like GOP #TaxReform plan," Lieu wrote on Twitter. "If you believe in math & don't want to blow up fed deficit, you will be horrified."

Lieu's comments came after Trump unveiled a tax reform framework during a speech in Indiana on Wednesday.

Democratic lawmakers began calling for Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price to resign on Wednesday following a series of reports about his use of private jets at taxpayers' expense.

Five House Democrats joined together to demand Price's resignation, hours after President Trump said he's "not happy" with his health secretary's pattern of costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars to ride on private planes.