OPINION: George Santos and The Politics of Accountability. As Congress begins its new term, the story that has truly crossed over into the national consciousness is the saga of New York Rep. George Santos. Despite all the evidence that Santos is a real life Talented Mr. Ripley, he is still a member of Congress and received two committee placements from GOP leadership. To us, the story goes past Santos—it goes to accountability and what is right. And what is right is that GOP leadership should demand Santos resign or begin actions to remove him as seemingly every damning revelation has been confirmed by the man himself. If the GOP wants to be viewed as having credibility in the eyes of Americans when it comes to their investigations of President Joe Biden, his son Hunter, or government agencies such as the FBI having biases against conservatives and their movement, they should start with removing one of their own from office. That is accountability that every voter wants. North-JerseyNews.com
The FBI found an additional six classified documents from President Joe Biden’s home in Wilmington, DE, during an all-day search Jan. 20, according to the President’s lawyers. The search, which began at 9:45 a.m. Friday and ended around 10:30 p.m. the same day, turned up classified documents from President Biden’s time as vice president and in the U.S. Senate. The 13-hour search took place after Biden’s legal team gave the Justice Department access to the President’s home upon finding an initial batch of classified documents there earlier this month. The Record
Rep. Josh Gottheimer is being looked at as a House member that can work between both parties as well as chambers to obtain votes that will result in passage of legislation over the next two years in his role as co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. As the 118th Congress takes shape, it is a role that Gottheimer is ready to reprise in the same way he worked to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. “There’s going to be things they have to get done,” Gottheimer said listing legislative matters such as keeping the government funded, raising the debt limit and passing a farm bill that will need votes from both sides. “The only way that will happen is if moderate Democrats work with a group of Republicans to help them get it across the finish line.” North-JerseyNews.com
The debate around gas stoves and ranges has entered North Jersey as State Sens. Steven Oroho (R-24) and Joe Pennacchio (R-26) are offering legislation that would protect the right of residents to buy and use gas stoves and appliances. The issue comes after a Consumer Product Safety Commission member noted a federal ban on new gas stoves could be considered in response to health concerns. “Our bill would guarantee the right of New Jerseyans to use gas appliances and prevent state regulators from implementing any intrusive and expensive bans,” said Oroho. “We’re taking power back from the Trenton bureaucrats who want to control our lives.” North-JerseyNews.com
Gov. Phil Murphy on Jan. 20 unexpectedly shelved public hearings slated to begin this week on the state’s Energy Master Plan, which lays out a detailed blueprint for reaching Murphy’s target of a 100% clean energy economy by 2050. In a press release issued by his office, the governor announced stakeholder meetings that were to begin Thursday would be put off until later this year. The plan, broadly supported by the environmental community and clean-energy advocates, is facing questions on proposals to develop an offshore wind industry along the New Jersey coast and electrify buildings by phasing out the use of natural gas. NJ Spotlight News
Federal Reserve officials are preparing to slow interest-rate increases for the second straight meeting and debate how much higher to raise them after gaining more confidence inflation will ease further this year. In recent public statements and interviews, Fed officials stated slowing the pace of rate increases to a more traditional quarter percentage point would give them more time to assess the impact of their increases so far as they determine where to stop. Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard said in remarks last week that raising rates in smaller increments “gives us the ability to absorb more data…and probably better land at a sufficiently restrictive level.” The Wall Street Journal
Gas prices rose again over the weekend, pushing the average cost for a gallon of regular in New Jersey to $3.37. The steady increase over the last few weeks has New Jersey drivers paying 11-cents more than a week ago and 14-cents higher than a month ago, and nearing what we were paying at this time one-year ago. The Energy Information Administration reported a sharp rise in demand for gas last week and AAA analysts say that’s the reason for the rise in prices. NJ1015.com
Investigators are now focused on determining what motivated a man they say killed 10 people at a popular ballroom in Monterey Park over the weekend. The manhunt ended on the afternoon of Jan. 22 when a SWAT team closed in on a white van in a parking lot in Torrance. Officers heard one shot as they approached the van, and discovered that the 72 year old suspect had shot himself. Officials offered no motive for the rampage but said they believe the gunman also tried to carry out a second attack nearby at a ballroom in Alhambra, where a patron wrestled a gun out of the suspect’s hands, preventing another tragedy. The New York Times
President Joe Biden is expected to name Jeffrey Zients, his former coronavirus response coordinator, as the next White House Chief of Staff heading into a critical new phase as he confronts a Republican House and is expected to kick off a re-election campaign. Zients will replace Ron Klain, who has run President Biden’s White House since the president took office two years ago and is preparing to step down sometime after the State of the Union address on Feb. 7. The change at the top may presage other personnel shifts in the coming weeks and months as the White House gears up for the 2024 election. The New York Times
A push by the White House and Democratic lawmakers who support abortion rights to renew protections for the procedure is expected to stall in Congress along with Republicans’ efforts to further limit abortion access. That will leave the issue largely determined by states, as the Supreme Court intended when it overturned Roe v. Wade in June and ended the constitutional right to an abortion. Several Republican-controlled states are now pursuing new restrictions, while states under Democratic control, including Michigan, are looking to protect access. The Wall Street Journal
Gov. Phil Murphy’s $10 million plan to protect abortion clinics across the Garden State has been met with forceful resistance from State Senate Minority Leader Steven Oroho (R-24). According to the governor, over $6 million dollars of no-interest forgivable loans has already been earmarked to 15 abortion clinics to begin upgrades to their facilities. “When the Murphy Administration says this funding will help abortion clinics to ‘deliver care to more patients,’ they really mean it will help to terminate more pregnancies,” said Oroho (R-24). “This is just the latest step in Gov. Murphy’s extreme plan to use taxpayer dollars to fund more abortions without limits right up until the moment of birth.” North-JerseyNews.com
BettyLou DeCroce recently announced that she will seek the Republican nomination for the State Assembly in District 26, which covers parts of Morris and Passaic counties. DeCroce, a Parsippany resident, formerly represented the two counties in the Assembly for nine years under the old legislative district map before losing in a primary race in 2021. DeCroce says she is running because “we desperately need to elect effective conservatives to the state legislature.” InsiderNJ.com
Former West New York mayor Felix Roque has joined the race to win his old job back. Roque joins former mayor and U.S. Rep. Albio Sires and current West New York Commissioner Cosmo Cirillo in what is now a three-way race. They will compete to succeed Mayor Gabriel Rodriguez, who is planning a run for state assembly. The Jersey Journal
Palisades Park’s Stephanie Jang believes that Bergen County Presiding Municipal Court Judge Anthony N. Gallina cost her the election. Jang alleges Gallina put his thumb on the scale and influenced the mayoral election last Fall when he found probable cause to refer a citizen complaint to the prosecutor against one of the candidates just two weeks before Election Day. “Definitely, I believe so,” said Jang, a Republican councilwoman who lost by just 256 votes in a heavily Democratic town. Her running mate lost a council seat by just 84 votes. New Jersey Globe
And finally…Why NJ’s bald eagle population continues to thrive. The Record
