Former Trump OMB Director Russ Vought and Economic Policy Institute's Josh Bivens discusses the debt limit and CBS News congressional correspondent Scott MacFarlane discusses Thursday's sentencing of Oath Keepers' founder Stewart Rhodes.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin delivers a commencement speech at the U.S. Naval Academy's 2023 graduation and commissioning ceremony in Annapolis, Maryland.
Chiefs of the six U.S. military service branches discussed defense priorities during an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, DC. When asked about the impact to the military if an agreement is not made over the looming debt ceiling, U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Linda Fagan said, "it would have an immediate and dramatic impact on readiness." Other topics discussed including recruitment and retention challenges, the use of artificial intelligence (AI), modernization, the importance of allies, Ukraine, and challenges presented by adversaries, such as China and Russia.
White House Homeland Security Adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall spoke about how the Biden administration worked to counter domestic threats in a lecture at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City. Following her remarks, Ms. Sherwood-Randall engaged in a moderated Q&A with the audience, answering questions about the rise in anti-Semitic and other forms of domestic extremism in the U.S.
The House is holding a brief pro forma session. No roll call votes will take place. Members are on a district work period over the Memorial Day holiday but will be given 24-hrs notice to return to D.C. to vote on a debt limit deal soon after it's reached.
Former Trump budget official Russ Vought, President of the Center for Renewing America, discussed the debate on raising the debt limit and federal spending.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Deputy Division Director Kathryn Capanna joined patient advocates and health care providers to discuss the FDA's patient-centered policies and health care devices at the National Health Council's (NHC's) Science of Patient Engagement Symposium in Washington, DC. Topics included device manufacturers' data collection methods, user equity in designing devices, and ways that patient organizations can support medical device innovation.
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee held a hearing on problems relating to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), which are companies that negotiate drug costs with manufacturers on behalf of health insurers and other payers. Both Republican and Democratic representatives said that the three largest PBMs--CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and Optum Rx--own 80% of the PBM market and alleged that such companies artificially inflate drug prices. The lawmakers also charged that these major PBMs have conflicts of interest in the pharmaceutical industry and are not transparent with their business deals.
Science journalist Angela Saini explored the origins of patriarchy and how it spread to societies around the world. She was interviewed by author and the Women's Media Center director Soraya Chemaly.
"You are ready" to lead, said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to the 2023 U.S. Naval Academy's graduating class at the graduation and commissioning ceremony in Annapolis, Maryland. He spoke on the challenges of the pandemic the graduating class faced, the Navy's and Marine's mission abroad, and the values learned during their time at the academy. Also delivering remarks was Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro.
Officials from the Swedish Psychological Defence Agency and others discuss countering disinformation campaigns during a conversation co-hosted by the Embassy of Sweden and the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensics Research Lab. Topics included focusing on critical thinking, building trust in government, and building resilience in moments of polarization. The panelists were introduced by Swedish Ambassador to the U.S. Karin Olofsdotter.
FBI and Homeland Security Department officials testified on national security and aggression from China during a hearing before a House Homeland Security subcommittee. Topics included the Chinese spy balloon incident, IP theft, election interference and critical infrastructure vulnerabilities. Aside from the hearing's focus, a few lawmakers also pressed FBI Counterintelligence Deputy Assistant Director Jill Murphy on the Durham report and a new unsealed court order finding the FBI misused a surveillance database for cases they were investigating.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak responded to criticisms for his party's immigration policy from Labour Party Leader Kier Starmer, who said they have "lost control of immigration." In response, the prime minster said while they are "clamping down on illegal migrationhe's perfectly comfortable wanting to say he wants free movement back." Other topics discussed were the economy and the cost of living, child poverty, clean energy, health care investment, and support for Ukraine.
Science journalist Angela Saini explored the origins of patriarchy and how it spread to societies around the world. She was interviewed by author and the Women's Media Center director Soraya Chemaly.
"You are ready" to lead, said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to the 2023 U.S. Naval Academy's graduating class at the graduation and commissioning ceremony in Annapolis, Maryland. He spoke on the challenges of the pandemic the graduating class faced, the Navy's and Marine's mission abroad, and the values learned during their time at the academy. Also delivering remarks was Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro.
House Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chairs Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) discussed issues facing small business owners at an event hosted by Punchbowl News. They also talked at the event's start about the ongoing negotiations to raise the federal debt limit, including a proposal they released a day prior that would suspend the debt ceiling for six months and establish a commission to consider budget-trimming proposals.
Michelle Bernier-Toth, the State Department's special adviser for children's issues, along with advocates, testified on children abducted by a parent and taken overseas and efforts to return them to the U.S. before a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee. Topics included challenges with international law, implementation of the U.S. Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act and the lack of resources for parents in these situations. According to a government report, in 2022 alone, more than 800 children were abducted and taken overseas by a parent.
