[OldBill]

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Longtime Michigan Republican Rep. Fred Upton, who voted to impeach President Donald Trump over the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, announced Tuesday he will not run for a 19th term in Congress.


Upton, 68, is the fourth of 10 Republicans who backed impeachment to not seek reelection, joining Reps. John Katko of New York, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio.


“Even the best stories has a last chapter. This is it for me,” Upton said during a speech on the House floor. "I’ve done the zillions of airline miles back and forth. I’ve signed Fred to over a million letters, cast more votes than anyone in this chamber while here and by most accounts have succeeded in making a difference, accomplishing what I've set out to do with more unfinished work still yet to come.”


The recent once-a-decade redistricting process put the moderate Upton, of St. Joseph, and sixth-term Republican Rep. Bill Huizenga of Holland Township in the same GOP-leaning seat in the state's southwestern corner. In February, Upton's campaign aired an ad that signaled he was more likely to run, but he stopped short of announcing a bid.


Trump has worked to exact revenge on those who crossed him — recruiting, endorsing and campaigning for challengers running against them. That includes Upton, whom Trump has slammed as a “RINO," a Republican in name only. “He doesn’t deserve to keep his seat,” Trump said in September.

Trump last month endorsed Huizenga after earlier supporting another Republican primary challenger before the new district was drawn. On Tuesday, Trump issued a statement reacting to Upton's decision, saying: “UPTON QUITS! 4 down and 6 to go.”

Upton, who was first elected in 1986 and chaired the House Energy and Commerce Committee from 2011 through 2016, became emotional as he ended his remarks in which he thanked his “salt-of-the-earth” constituents. He noted his parents were watching on C-SPAN.



“Someone asked my wife Amey what would be the next chapter. She said, 'And they lived happily ever after.′ Indeed, we will.”

Legislative highlights, Upton said, include a law to accelerate medical product development and what he said was his “driving mission” — a focus on jobs and the economy. He mentioned work to rev up American energy production, deal with climate change, reduce corporate taxes, rescue the domestic auto industry and protect the Great Lakes.
He also said he has been hitting the road with Michigan Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell "in a push for civility. Hopefully, civility and bipartisanship versus discord can rule not rue the day.”
Dingell spoke after Upton, who stayed to watch. She also was emotional.

“It is his civility that I and Congress will miss the most," she said. "Fred really believed that he was an American first, that reaching across the aisle was important, that working together is how we get things done for the American people.”


Upton is the 16th House Republican to say he or she is not running for reelection, compared with 30 Democrats. The total had been 31 Democrats, but Filemon Vela, who said he was not seeking reelection, ended up resigning for another job last month.

___
This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the first name of Fred Upton's wife Amey.

[OldBill]

AP sources: Ivanka Trump set to testify before Jan. 6 panel



MARY CLARE JALONICK, LISA MASCARO and FARNOUSH AMIRI





Tue, April 5, 2022, 11:35 AM






WASHINGTON (AP) — Ivanka Trump, former President Donald Trump's daughter and among those closest to him during the insurrection at the Capitol, is set to testify Tuesday before the Jan. 6 committee, according to three people familiar with the situation.
Trump's daughter, who was with her father much of that day, is expected to speak to the committee virtually, according to the people, who were granted anonymity to discuss it.
Ivanka Trump
is one of more than 800 witnesses the committee has interviewed as it works to compile a record of the attack, the worst on the Capitol in more than two centuries. She the first of Trump's children known to speak to the committee and one of the closest people to her father.

Her decision to cooperate is significant for the committee, which has been trying to secure an interview with her since late January. It comes less than a week after her husband, Jared Kushner, testified to the nine-member panel in a virtual meeting that lasted more than six hours. Members of the committee said his testimony was helpful and are hoping to further fill in the gaps with her help.

Her testimony, like others before the committee, will be private. The panel is using the interviews to compile a comprehensive record and will begin to release information in the coming months as it holds public hearings and releases a series of reports on the insurrection.


Lawmakers have said they want to discuss what Ivanka Trump knew about her father’s efforts, including a telephone call they say she witnessed, to pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence to reject Joe Biden's 2020 election win as part of his ceremonial role overseeing the electoral count. Pence rejected those efforts.

The committee is also interested in any concerns she may have heard from Pence’s staff, members of Congress and the White House counsel’s office about Trump's pressure on Pence.

Ivanka Trump's cooperation stands in contrast with some of her father's other top advisers, several of whom have refused to cooperate as the former president has fought the probe.

Trump has tried to exert executive privilege over documents and interviews, but in many cases has been overruled by courts or Biden, who has that authority as the sitting president.



The House is expected to vote this week to recommend contempt charges for Trump advisers Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino, both of whom the committee says have been uncooperative. The committee previously voted to recommend contempt charges against longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon, who defied a congressional subpoena, and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who ceased cooperating with the panel.

Bannon was later indicted by a federal grand jury and is awaiting prosecution by the Justice Department. The Justice Department has not taken any action against Meadows.

Other witnesses who are still close to the former president — and several who were in the White House that day — have declined to answer the committee’s questions.




YES DECLINED because of possible self incrimination using burner phones by passing the land lines of white house LOL

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[DwightShrute]

I #feel like I know her from somewhere pic.twitter.com/EYpkaa3i3U

— Crazy funny Stuff (@crazyfunnystuff) April 6, 2022