House to vote on holding Steve Bannon in contempt over Capitol attack evidence

 

House to vote on holding Steve Bannon in contempt over Capitol attack evidence

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2021/oct/21/steve-bannon-house-vote-subpoena-capitol-attack-us-politics-joe-biden-latest

 

Good morning, US politics live blog readers, on a big day in a crucial week in Washington for Joe Biden’s administration there is a lot going on, so tune in as we bring you all the developments in short order.

 

Here’s are some of the main items on the docket today:

 

• The House is due to vote this afternoon on whether to recommend the prosecution of Steve Bannon, former top aide to Donald Trump, for criminal contempt of Congress for defying the subpoena issued by the bipartisan select committee investigating the insurrection at the US Capitol on 6 January by extremist Trump supporters. If, as expected, the House votes to do so, the next stage involves federal prosecutors, as part of the Department of Justice (DoJ), deciding whether to prosecute. The House vote follows the unanimous select committee vote two days ago.
• US attorney general Merrick Garland will testify in front of the House judiciary committee from 10am ET and can expect questions from members of Congress on taking actions over defiance of Jan 6 committee subpoenas (also issued to other former top aides of Trump). Garland will also be asked about DoJ efforts - unsuccessful so far - to stop the Texas abortion ban.
• Frantic negotiations between Joe Biden, top staff and members of Congress to reach a deal on an outline agreement to pass the flagship Build Back Better legislation package, amid a mix of acrimony and determined optimism (a heady Capitol Hill cocktail). Biden is racing to find a way to preserve his climate action agenda ahead of going to Scotland next week to represent the US at the Cop26 United Nations climate crisis summit.
• The fall-out continues from the failure of Democrats to advance voting rights legislation, after Senate Republicans again blocked a sweeping voting rights bill yesterday day, a move that will significantly increase pressure on the Biden administration to do away with the filibuster.
• Vice-President Kamala Harris heads to Virginia to campaign for Democrat Terry McAuliffe who is neck-and-neck with his Republican rival for the governorship of that state in next month’s gubernatorial election.
• Donald Trump is launching a social media platform. Yep.