In the News
‘A bold plan’: Rep. Huffman talks about Biden administration’s climate initiatives
Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, says the Biden administration re-joining the Paris Accord was a step in the right direction to avoid digging the "Climate hole deeper." "I'm just as encouraged though by the quality of the people he is putting in place in key agencies," Huffman said. Huffman says that with the "floor of the United States Senate is no longer under lockdown" it makes sense to go back and try to pass failed bills. "It just makes all kinds of sense to pick up where we left … Continue Reading
January 23, 2021
US: Tensions Running High after Gun Incident near House Floor
by Cristina Marcos
Lawmaker tensions are running high this week after a Republican lawmaker nearly brought a gun onto the House floor, further stoking concerns about Capitol security and whether members of Congress need protection from one another. The renewed anxiety just two weeks after the deadly Jan. 6 attack was sparked by Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) when he set off a newly installed metal detector off the House floor with a concealed gun, despite a longtime ban on firearms in the chamber. The incident … Continue Reading
January 22, 2021
In Suddenlink-Cox Media Group feud, Huffman blames media consolidation
by Isabella Vanderheiden
After two weeks of finger-pointing amid customers' calls to resume service, the dispute between Altice/Suddenlink and Cox Media Group continued Friday with no end in sight. Suddenlink said it was not its decision to drop KIEM-NBC and KVIQ-CBS from its channel lineup and accused CMG of unfairly jacking up customers' fees. CMG accused Suddenlink of choosing to adversely affect its customers rather than reaching "a fair market deal." In the end, it's the consumer that suffers, said Bayside … Continue Reading
January 20, 2021
Rep. Jared Huffman: ‘Low blow,’ ‘classless’ for Trump to skip inauguration
by David Sherfinski
Rep. Jared Huffman, California Democrat, slammed President Trump on Wednesday for skipping the inauguration of President-elect Joseph R. Biden. "Well, I mean obviously that's a low blow and a snub and classless and all the things that shouldn't surprise us at all just given who Donald Trump is," Mr. Huffman said hours before Mr. Biden is sworn into office. "No matter how tacky and small Donald Trump is, we're just a heck of a lot bigger than that as a country," Mr. Huffman said. Before Mr. … Continue Reading
January 20, 2021
An Exemption to the U.S. Capitol Gun Ban: Members of Congress
by Jennifer Mascia
Five days before the Capitol insurrection, 83 House Republican lawmakers wrote a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy asking them to uphold lawmakers' right to carry firearms inside the U.S. Capitol complex. They cited several attacks, including a 1954 shooting by Puerto Rican nationalists who wounded five Congressmen; a 1998 shooting that killed two Capitol Police officers; and a 2017 shooting at a Congressional baseball practice in Northern Virginia, which left … Continue Reading
January 20, 2021
Scenes from Inauguration Day
North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman shared some photos from today's inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, calling it a "very special day." "As President Biden said today, if enough Americans join us in a spirit of unity, truth, and decency, we can move the entire nation forward. I think we can do it," Huffman said in a Facebook post.In a separate message, Huffman noted he was honored to attend the historic ceremony, saying the day "marks the end of the disastrous … Continue Reading
January 20, 2021
‘Grim and beautiful,’ Biden’s inaguration a day of jarring juxtapositions
by Eli Stokols, Chris Megerian
WASHINGTON - On television, at least at certain moments, it may have looked as it always has - the hand on an old Bible, the Marine Band's brassy rendition of "Hail to the Chief," the audience of dignitaries. But when Joseph R. Biden descended the steps onto the inauguration platform bedecked with red, white and blue bunting, he passed through a brass door with a large crack in its glass panel, lingering evidence of the deadly siege of the U.S. Capitol building two weeks earlier. Across … Continue Reading
January 20, 2021
Scars of Capitol attack permeate high-security inauguration
by Rebecca Kheel
President Biden was inaugurated Wednesday under the cover of unprecedented levels of security, just two weeks after a deadly siege on the Capitol. Thousands of National Guardsmen from around the country flooded into D.C. to prevent a repeat of Jan. 6, when violent Trump supporters stormed the Capitol intent on overturning the election results. The insurrection marred America's tradition of a peaceful transfer of power between presidential administrations. But in the end, Inauguration Day … Continue Reading
January 20, 2021
Meanwhile in Humboldt County: Small Trump rally at courthouse as party leaders seek unity
by Isabella Vanderheiden
A small group of 10 to 15 protesters gathered at the Humboldt County courthouse on Inauguration Day with continued support for former President Donald Trump. Protestors waved American flags and held signs praising Trump and calling for his re-election in 2024. Five members of the small group declined to comment on the protest. "I'm here to stand up for the truth," Eureka resident Rebecca Dement said as the "Star-Spangled Banner" blasted over her shoulder. "The American people will see the … Continue Reading
January 19, 2021
‘I almost threw it away’: Stimulus payments safe amid fears of scam
by Isabella Vanderheiden
As 8 million Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) are distributed across the country, a growing number of people fear they're being scammed due to the appearance of the envelope. When Bayside resident Pete Oringer received his stimulus payment last week, he thought it was junk mail. "I almost threw it away but I hesitated and I threw it on a pile," he said. The U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service began distributing EIP cards and checks during the second week of January … Continue Reading
January 19, 2021
North Bay residents look to Biden inauguration with hope and pessimism
by Austin Murphy
For all its pomp and solemnity, the inauguration of an American president is a surprisingly elastic affair. The dates and locations of the ceremony have shifted, down through the centuries, as have the size of the crowds and the time of day. And that's a good thing, because Wednesday's inauguration of Joe Biden will go down as one the most unusual in American history. The 78-year-old president-elect from Delaware will take his oath on the west front of the U.S. Capitol building ringed with … Continue Reading
January 18, 2021
‘Make America California Again’; that’s the Biden plan, LA Times reports
by Frieda Powers
President-elect Joe Biden is reportedly looking heavily to the state of California for "inspiration" in setting the progressive policies of his administration. With California Sen. Kamala Harris about to become vice president, the new administration will likely be drawing on the more liberal policies enacted in the Golden State, even if many have failed, and sparked an exodus of residents. TheLos AngelesTimes reported that California will become "the de facto policy think tank" for the … Continue Reading
January 17, 2021
Bay Area congressmen pledge to hold Trump, GOP accountable for insurrection
by Emma Goss
San Francisco - An impeachment trial is likely to come for President Trump after the Biden inauguration, and Capitol police are also investigating what role Republican members of Congress may have played in providing rioters adavnced access to the building. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) is one of 34 Congressional Democrats calling for an investigation into Republicans in Congress who possibly gave tours of the Capitol to Trump supporters a day before the rampage on January 6. "The only … Continue Reading
January 15, 2021
Trump Auctions Off Arctic Refuge Land to Oil Companies
ANCHORAGE, Alaska, January 14, 2020 (ENS) - The Trump administration has begun to auction off roughly one-third of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil drilling. It is no coincidence that this lease sale was announced with only a few weeks left in the Trump presidency, as President Donald Trump is eager to kickstart Arctic oil drilling before leaving the White House on January 20. The refuge is home to some of the most diverse and spectacular wildlife in the Arctic, according to … Continue Reading
January 15, 2021
Trust between lawmakers reaches all-time low after Capitol riots
by Cristina Marcos
Hefty fines to enforce the use of masks and metal detectors to enter the House chamber. Censure resolutions. And a call for investigating whether some lawmakers aided insurrectionists. Trust between the two parties has reached an all-time low - and it's raising questions about how they can possibly work together on much of anything as the new session of Congress begins when some lawmakers don't even feel safe around each other. Much of the physical damage in the Capitol from last week's … Continue Reading
January 14, 2021
Bay Area Lawmakers Support Calls for Investigation Into ‘Suspicious Behavior’ Before Capitol Riot
by Alexander Gonzalez, Brian Watt
Some members of the Bay Area's congressional delegation are among the lawmakers calling for an investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that has absorbed Washington over the past week. On Wednesday, as the House voted to impeach President Trump a historic second time, more than two dozen representatives, including South Bay Rep. Jackie Speier and North Bay Rep. Jared Huffman, requested a formal inquiry into "suspicious behavior" the day before the attack. East Bay Rep. … Continue Reading
January 13, 2021
‘Today we make history forever,’ Jared Huffman tells Congress
North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) called on members of Congress today to vote in favor of a second impeachment of President Donald Trump in the waning days of his administration. "Today we make history forever," Huffman told his fell representatives in the House on Wednesday. "A vote to impeach Donald Trump means years from now you can look at your grandchildren in the eyes and say, I did the right thing." The House of Representatives is currently debating whether to vote in … Continue Reading
January 13, 2021
A fight over metal detectors reveals how broken Congress really is
by Jerusalem Demsas
The US House is fighting about metal detectors. Yes, metal detectors. Following the January 6 insurrection when pro-Trump extremists stormed the Capitol, heightened security measures have been put in place - ones that restrict members of Congress. On January 12, the newly appointed acting Sergeant at Arms Timothy Blodgett wrote a memo to all members of Congress and their staff alerting them that everyone (including members of Congress) will need to submit to security screenings when … Continue Reading
January 13, 2021
Bay Area Congressmen Support Fining Colleagues Who Don't Wear a Mask
Two Bay Area congressmen are backing a House rule change to fine colleagues who fail to wear a mask on the House floor. The House Tuesday approved a $500 fine for members who don't wear a mask and a $2,500 fine for a second violation. Democratic representatives are in an uproar after three members from their caucus tested positive for COVID-19 within 24 hours of being locked down for hours in a crowded room during last week's Capitol siege. During the attack, several GOP members refused masks … Continue Reading
January 13, 2021
What they said at Trump impeachment trial: Key quotes from California lawmakers
by Rita Beamish
On Wednesday, a majority of the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Trump for a second time. At issue in the unprecedented trial was Trump's role in egging on a mob that mounted a deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol a week earlier while Congress convened to certify the election victory of President-elect Joe Biden. One California congressman was among the 10 Republicans in the House who joined Democrats in the 232-197 vote for impeachment. Rep. David Valadao of Hanford endorsed … Continue Reading