Senate absences and last-minute talks over barring funding for drug paraphernalia are slowing down government funding talks, pushing lawmakers within 48 hours of the shutdown deadline.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) begins his bid for a third term in office with a lead over his chief Democratic rival, though one that is not overwhelming in a perennial swing state.
Yet many Americans believe conspiracy theories about the election, in part because Trump as president promoted them with the aid of allies in the right-wing news media.
A Pew Research Center poll released last week found that 65 percent of voters believe Biden “received the most votes cast by eligible voters in enough states to win the election, with 54 percent saying he definitely did. However, 34 percent claimed Trump was definitely or probably the actual winner, despite the fact that Biden won the election with more than 300 electoral votes. Biden also won more than 7 million more votes than Trump in the popular vote.
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“Despite the unusual circumstances on Capitol Hill, the committee is working in good faith to move this nominee as fast as possible and ensure the committee s members have an opportunity to question the nominee in both open and closed settings,” said the lawmakers.
“The Director of National Intelligence plays a crucial role in overseeing the 18 agencies that make up our nation’s Intelligence Community, and the committee looks forward to holding a hearing next week with Ms. Haines,” they added.
A spokesperson for Rubio was not immediately available for further comment on the postponement.
However, a source with knowledge of the matter told CNN that the confirmation timeline is not expected to be altered significantly. The source told the outlet that the hearing was delayed because a senator wanted the hearing in person, and Friday s session would have been remote.