Here in the Valley, Republican congressional incumbents such as Jeff Denham of Turlock and David Valadao of Hanford are pushing hard for immigration reform. Elsewhere in America, some GOP House candidates are embracing President Donald Trump's fiery rhetoric about building a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico and voting...
Could Hard-Right Supreme Court Haunt GOP? History Says Maybe.
WASHINGTON — Be careful what you wish for. That's the history lesson for Republicans eagerly anticipating Brett Kavanaugh's ascension to the Supreme Court, which could cement conservative control of the court for a generation. The GOP may ultimately pay a political price. When and how steep? That depends on how...
Trump Tweets House GOP: Don't Waste Time on Immigration
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday told his fellow Republicans in Congress to "stop wasting their time" on immigration legislation until after the November elections. GOP leaders said they'd press on anyway, but his comments further damaged their attempt to win over wavering lawmakers for a measure already facing...
GOP Leaders Postpone 'Compromise' Immigration Vote
WASHINGTON — The Latest on the immigration controversy (all times EDT): 2:15 p.m. — Battle Between Conservatives and Moderate Republicans House Republican leaders abruptly postponed voting on a compromise immigration measure amid ongoing infighting between conservative and moderates. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy's office confirmed the decision. Voting that had been...
California’s 'Top 2' Primary Reverts to Law of the Jungle
Voters who took part in California’s innovative and anti-party “jungle” primary delivered a typical and predictably partisan result in the governor’s race. They sent Democratic Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom as the heavy favorite into a November contest against Republican businessman John Cox. With the liberal Newsom positioning himself as a...
Will Denham-Valadao Immigration Gambit Cross Finish Line?
Will an effort to force a debate on immigration on the House floor cross the finish line? We could find out Thursday. That is the "soft deadline" set by GOP moderates for securing the needed backing to trigger a series of votes. Congressional Republicans need two more signatures from their...
Democrats Dominate Early Fresno District 7 Voting
Veva Islas, one of three candidates vying for the Fresno City Council District 7 seat, sent out a campaign email Wednesday morning stating that "Democratic mail ballots in District 7 so far are outnumbering those of Republicans by almost 3 to 1!" As the race, which is officially nonpartisan, involves...
Editorial: Why Is Valley GOP Mum About ICE Audits Targeting Growers?
The top officials at Immigration and Customs Enforcement clearly are following President Donald Trump's anti-immigrant agenda while turning a deaf ear to those worried about Valley agriculture and our neighbors who toil in the fields. Last week, The Fresno Bee reported that Rep. Jim Costa (D-Fresno) sent a letter to ICE...
'Mass Shooting Generation' Students Fed Up With Inaction
Perhaps many of us were wrong about Newtown in December 2012. That’s when we thought the mass shooting of 6- and 7-year-old children in Connecticut would translate into the seminal moment for change as we plod interminably through the polarizing gun debate. We thought Capitol Hill Republicans and Democrats alike...
Pelosi Is the Gift That Keeps on Giving for '18 GOP Hopes
Fresh off her failure to protect illegal immigrants, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has her sights set on the 2018 midterms. And she’s not shy about it: “I just want the Democrats to have the gavel. It doesn’t have to be me, but I’m good at what I do.” Republicans beg...