Morning Wire XX
[0] President Biden signs a $1 .2 trillion spending bill after the GOP -led House scrambles to push through a vote.
[1] The ayes are 286, the days are 134, two -thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution has agreed to.
[2] What exactly is in the massive spending bill, and will tensions among Republicans come back to haunt Speaker Johnson?
[3] We need a speaker of the House that knows how to negotiate, knows how to walk in the room, knows how to hold the line.
[4] I'm Daily Wire, editor -in -chief John Bickley, with Georgia Howe.
[5] It's Monday, March 25th, and this is Morning Wire.
[6] Russia suffers its worst terror attack in decades at a packed concert hall, who's claiming responsibility for the attack in what does it mean for the region.
[7] And Vice President Harris unveils new gun control proposals at a rally in Parkland, Florida, as the DOJ launches its National Extreme Risk Center.
[8] And this National Resource Center will be a place where we provide for training for local leaders on how to use red flag laws and keep communities safe.
[9] Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire.
[10] Stay tuned.
[11] We have the news you need to know.
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[19] Congress narrowly averted a government shutdown over the weekend as both the House and the Senate scrambled to pass a new spending package totaling $1 .2 trillion that was quickly signed by President Biden.
[20] The compromise came amid anger from House Republican hardliners, but will keep the wheels of state in motion until October.
[21] Here to discuss the deal and what it may mean for future legislation, as well as Mike Johnson's tenure as Speaker of the House, is Daily Wire contributor David Marcus.
[22] Hey, Dave, so first, can you break down what exactly are we spending $1 .2 trillion to fund in this bill?
[23] Morning, John.
[24] About 70 % of the money here goes to defense, and that was not a particularly controversial aspect of the bill.
[25] What many Republicans were upset about and the reason that the majority of House Republicans voted against the compromise was the spending in other areas such as Head Start programs and other social programs that some in the GOP simply say we can't afford right now.
[26] This was a six -month process that began with former Speaker Kevin McCarthy being ousted by a band of Republicans led by Representative Matt Gates, specifically because McCarthy refused to shut down the government back in September.
[27] Now this deal will keep the federal lights on almost until the next election, and Speaker Johnson will try to hold on to his job by arguing that the compromise was worth it.
[28] Speaking of Johnson's job, Marjorie Taylor Green is filed, but not yet acted upon a motion to vacate him as Speaker.
[29] Could he wind up being kicked out like McCarthy was?
[30] Yes, he could.
[31] It's still very much the case that one member of Congress, in this case, MTG, can pull the trigger on an attempt to remove the speaker.
[32] And even if Green holds off for now, this is going to be hanging over Johnson's head as he faces key decisions, like whether or not to bring controversial military aid to Ukraine to the floor for a vote next month.
[33] And here's where it gets extra tricky, because there are many Republicans in his caucus who support such funding and many who don't.
[34] The real question here will be whether Green or other, shall we say, firebrands in the House GOP, have the stomach for another speaker battle.
[35] But that having been said, if they want it, they can absolutely have it.
[36] Yeah.
[37] Now, President Biden rapidly signed the spending package.
[38] Is the White House or his campaign taking a victory lap for having staved off a shutdown?
[39] Yes, but a somewhat muted one.
[40] This was really about six spending deals in one.
[41] And it does keep departments like Homeland Security, Defense and Labor open and running.
[42] But there isn't a lot for Biden to spike the football on here, which is probably in part why Johnson felt comfortable moving forward, despite the threats from within his own party.
[43] Politically, it's likely that Biden would have had the better of a shutdown since House Republicans would have been on an island with even many Senate Republicans favoring the deal.
[44] But at the same time, Biden really doesn't need any extra chaos right now.
[45] So it may be a political wash. Yeah, enough political chaos already.
[46] Finally, there were a few wins for conservatives in the budget, or at least for Johnson to tout.
[47] What were some of those?
[48] Sure.
[49] So one is that part of the agreement says that U .S. embassies will no longer fly LGB &T flags or Black Lives Matter flags, which is a big deal for many Americans who see it as very inappropriate.
[50] The law now mandates that only government flags or those associated with prisoners of war or hostages, for example, can appear on diplomatic buildings.
[51] Another was the disbanding of the U .S. House of Representatives' Office of Diversity, Equity, and inclusion.
[52] This comes at a time when many Americans and even some corporations are starting to question whether DEI may be doing more harm to race relations than good.
[53] And, you know, at least for now, John, House members won't have to fill out any privilege, workbooks, or give up Taco Tuesday.
[54] We certainly can't have that.
[55] Dave, thanks for joining us.
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[65] Over the weekend, Moscow was rocked by a terror attack at a concert hall that left at least 137 people dead and hundreds more injured.
[66] Here with the latest is Daily Wire Senior Editor Cabot Phillips.
[67] So Cabot, a tragedy in Moscow.
[68] What do we know so far?
[69] Yeah, on Friday, Russia experienced its deadliest terror attack in decades.
[70] Four men burst into a sold -out concert hall and shopping venue in a suburb outside of Moscow.
[71] out.
[72] Armed with automatic weapons and even flamethrowers, the men opened fire on the helpless crowd, and then set fire to the building before fleeing the scene alive.
[73] Russian officials said that many victims wounded by gunfire were unable to escape and ultimately succumbed to smoke inhalation as large portions of the concert hall collapsed.
[74] At latest count, the death toll now sits at 137, including men, women, and children, with hundreds more wounded, many of whom remain in critical condition.
[75] In the hours after the attack, Russian officials announced that they had detained 11 people for their involvement, including the four gunmen themselves.
[76] According to state media reports, the gunmen were from the Muslim nation of Tajikistan, a former Soviet state in Central Asia that borders Afghanistan.
[77] So what do we know at this point about who's behind the attack?
[78] Well, almost immediately afterwards, ISIS -K, that's a chapter of the Islamic State active across Central Asia and the Middle East, claimed responsibility for the attack.
[79] Now, remember, ISIS -K, was also responsible for the suicide bombings at the Kabul airport back in 2021 during the U .S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
[80] So a lot of people familiar with them.
[81] For context, Russia has long been a target of ISIS, in large part because of Moscow's support of Bashar al -Assad during the Syrian civil war.
[82] And it's worth noting U .S. intelligence officials had been sounding the alarm over a potential attack throughout the last month.
[83] In early March, the American embassy in Moscow issued a rare warning to the public, urging people to avoid large public gatherings, including concerts.
[84] They cited intelligence that extremist groups were planning an imminent attack on the Russian capital, which ultimately did come to fruition on Friday.
[85] So a branch of ISIS is claiming responsibility, but interestingly, Putin is hinting at another possibility.
[86] Right.
[87] So in his first address to the nation on Saturday, Putin broadly blamed what he called international terrorism for the attack, but he made no actual mention of ISIS.
[88] He did, however, strongly imply that Ukraine was to blame for the attack, claiming the gunmen, quote, tried to hide and move toward Ukraine, where, according to preliminary data, a window was prepared for them on the Ukrainian side to cross the state border.
[89] Now, for his part, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy expressed outrage at those accusations, calling Putin, quote, scum, who has engaged in his own form of terrorism by launching an invasion of Ukraine.
[90] But again, worth pointing out American officials say no evidence of Ukrainian involvement.
[91] So what does the attack mean for the region more broadly?
[92] So first and foremost, it's just evidence that ISIS still maintains the ability to organize and carry out major attacks outside of the Middle East.
[93] Keep in mind, the attack comes as leaders across the region have claimed the group is no longer a threat and that American forces are not needed in the region anymore.
[94] But U .S. ambassador to Iraq, Alina Romanowski, said the attack was proof that coalition forces must remain in place until ISIS has been entirely dismantled.
[95] So while the terror group in this case went after an adversary of the West, it certainly got the attention of the U .S. officials and could prolong or intensify our military presence in the region.
[96] Well, 137 people.
[97] That's hard to wrap your mind around.
[98] Cabot, thanks for reporting.
[99] Anytime.
[100] The Biden administration made a new push for gun control over the weekend.
[101] Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Parkland, Florida, to push strict gun laws and announce a new executive office to promote red flag laws across the country.
[102] Daily Wire reporter Tim Pearce joins us to talk about the Biden administration's renewed push for strict restrictions on firearms.
[103] Hey Tim.
[104] So first, tell us about this trip by the vice president.
[105] What was her message?
[106] She traveled to Parkland on Saturday in part to roll out a new gun control push for the Biden administration.
[107] She did that with the backdrop of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, where in 2018, a former student killed 17 people and wounded 17 more in a mass shooting.
[108] She toured the school and met with some of the victim's parents and others impacted by the shooting.
[109] Afterwards, she gave a 15 -minute speech outlining the administration's latest gun control push.
[110] Here's some of that.
[111] I will continue to advocate for what we must do in terms of universal background checks, an assault weapons ban, what we must continue to do to treat, diagnose and treat trauma in our communities.
[112] And there won't be complete agreement on all.
[113] that must be done to address these kinds of tragedies.
[114] But there are some that, frankly, to use a colloquialism are just no -brainer.
[115] Harris there nodded to the Biden administration's general agenda on guns, but she spent most of her time focused in particular on red flag laws, which is at the center of the administration's newest national office, the National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center.
[116] Right.
[117] The Department of Justice announced this new resource center earlier in the day, and here we have Harris raising its profile.
[118] What is the extreme risk center supposed to do?
[119] The vice president said its main goal will be to aid states in implementing red flag programs.
[120] Under a red flag law, a court can temporarily restrict someone's access to firearms if it has reason to suspect the person as a danger to themselves or the community.
[121] That usually involves a court receiving a complaint from someone else concerned about the person's access to guns.
[122] Here's Harris on the new resource center.
[123] Part of why I am here today is to challenge every state.
[124] pass a red flag law.
[125] Of the states that have passed, red flag laws approximately 21, only six have taken up the offer that we have made through our administration of federal resources to help them with the training and the implementation of these red flag laws.
[126] Not surprisingly, a lot of conservatives are sounding the alarm about what this center might do.
[127] It is worth pointing out that the funds to promote red flag laws were allocated years ago.
[128] The Resource Center will draw on a $750 million fund created in 2021, of which the Department of Justice has awarded about a third, $238 million since.
[129] Now, the president has been pushing for stricter gun control for years, but last week, an Obama appointed judge in Illinois actually appeared to expand gun rights to illegal aliens.
[130] What can you tell us about that ruling?
[131] Yeah, last week, Judge Sharon Coleman issued a ruling that said a federal law that made it illegal for.
[132] for an alien to possess a firearm is unconstitutional, at least as it was applied in the case before the court.
[133] The case was about a man who, during the Floyd riots of 2020, fired several rounds at a car that he thought was trying to run over some members of a neighborhood watch.
[134] It's not clear what his nationality is, but he has lived in the U .S. illegally since 2002.
[135] The ruling has drawn some backlash from Republicans.
[136] Here's Florida Senator Marco Rubio on Fox News last week.
[137] There's no distinction between being here legally or illegally, and there's no distinction between being a citizen or not being a citizen, then what's the point of even having citizenship?
[138] What's the point of even having immigration laws?
[139] And this is just one more mockery that we're finding in our court system.
[140] Luckily, I expect that this is going to be appealed and overturned at some point because it's an absurd outcome.
[141] Andrew Arthur, who's a Law and Policy Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, wrote that this decision could end up at the Supreme Court so we could see an opinion on illegal aliens constitutional rights in the future.
[142] Yeah, and we'll keep an eye on that case if it makes it.
[143] that for.
[144] Tim, thanks for joining us.
[145] Thanks for having me. Another story we're tracking this week, former President Donald Trump faces key legal ramifications stemming from two different cases today.
[146] Trump is expected in a New York courtroom where he could receive a trial date for his hush money case, but that's not the only legal threat Trump faces today.
[147] New York AG Letitia James could begin collecting on the $454 million judgment that's been levied against him.
[148] James could freeze his bank accounts and begin the process of seizing Trump's properties.
[149] Thanks for waking up with us.
[150] We'll be back this afternoon with more of the news you need to know.