By ASHLEY MURRAY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers in the U.S. House passed bipartisan legislation Thursday in an effort to curb staggering overdose deaths from illegal fentanyl substances that are illicitly produced and up to 50 times stronger than heroin.

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/467/text?s=5&amp;r=3&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22H.R.+467%22%5D%7D">HALT Fentanyl Act</a>, passed on a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023237">289-133</a>&nbsp;vote with 74 Democratic votes and support from the Biden administration, would permanently categorize lab-made substances with&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_chem_info/frs.pdf">similar chemical structures</a>&nbsp;to fentanyl among the most strictly regulated drugs under U.S. law.

The Drug Enforcement Administration in 2015&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10404">temporarily</a>&nbsp;defined 17 fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I — the category carrying the most severe criminal penalties. Congress has since extended the temporary scheduling multiple times.

While proponents who point to record-breaking overdose deaths say the legislation would hold traffickers accountable, numerous advocacy groups argue the bill is under researched and risks criminal charges for those in possession of small amounts of “harmless and inert substances,” according to a letter signed by 150 organizations.

Drug overdose rates in the U.S. have risen fivefold in the past two decades, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db457.htm#:~:text=Drug%20overdose%20deaths%20have%20risen,increased%20from%2017.1%20to%2019.6.">study</a>&nbsp;published in December.

The study shows that deaths attributed to synthetic opioids, including fentanyl and its many analogues, have been steadily on the rise, with a staggering jump in recent years.

The CDC&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2022/202205.htm">tracked</a>&nbsp;a record 107,622 overdose deaths in 2021 — 71,238 of them due to manmade, illegal fentanyl substances.

The DEA&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dea.gov/fentanylawareness">attributes</a>&nbsp;more deaths to illegal fentanyl among Americans under 50 than any cause of death, including heart disease, cancer, homicide, suicide and other accidents.

Of particular concern is that illicit fentanyl substances are often cut into other recreational drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin, with users unaware of its presence.

“The HALT Fentanyl Act would ban fentanyl analogues and strip the drug cartels and other criminals of the incentive to create new versions of fentanyl to skirt around the law,” GOP Rep. Brett Guthrie of Kentucky said on the House floor late Wednesday. “This bill is a key step to help get these poisons off our streets and give law enforcement the tools they need to crack down on illicit fentanyl traffic trafficking.”

Sunday will mark nine months since Deb and Ray Cullen, of Shippingport, Pennsylvania, lost their 23-year-old son Zachary to a drug overdose.

The Shippensburg University student had traveled with two friends to Harrisburg for a birthday weekend trip.

“They were having dinner, having drinks, enjoying themselves. And then at some point, the detective told us that he thinks that they were targeted by a dealer. He doesn’t think they were looking for anything but thinks somebody came up to them and offered, and they made the choice to purchase some cocaine. And the cocaine was laced with fentanyl,” Deb said.

The morning they received the news, Ray and Deb say, they turned on Zachary’s laptop to find that he had left open study materials for his university course in managerial economics.

“He passed away. His friend survived, but with some physical issues. So we’re here trying to just make a difference so that other families don’t have to go through this,” she said Thursday shortly after the vote while sitting in the office of GOP Rep. John Joyce, her representative and a co-sponsor of the bill.

The parents said they hope to see more awareness and an end to the stigma around those with substance use disorder and those who experiment with drugs that they are unaware are laced with illicit fentanyl.

“There’s a lot of recreational cocaine and drug use. There was (someone yesterday) who said that had (the users) not done something illegal, that they would still be here,” Ray said. “I’m like, ‘Well, there’s a lot of things that get done illegally that you don’t die from.’”

“I think people that are dealing this drug, they need to be held accountable,” Deb added.

Joyce said he has been following up with the family since they emailed his office shortly after their son’s death.

“I went over to Speaker McCarthy (today) and said ‘Up there in the gallery, there are parents who have lost their son, and they’re courageous and they continue to work to spread this message and have taken time out of their busy lives to come to Washington and drive down here for this vote,’” Joyce said.

“This is an initial step. We need to take additional steps to (go after) the active ingredients which are shipped from China, to Mexico to the cartels, formulated and brought through our borders to kill our family or neighbors or friends,” Joyce continued.

Unlike legal fentanyl that doctors prescribe after surgery or for advanced stage cancer patients, illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances are produced in underground labs by&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10890">transnational criminal organizations</a>.

More than 150 harm reduction, criminal justice and civil liberties organizations have come out against the bill, which was introduced this Congress by GOP Reps. Morgan Griffith of Virginia and Robert Latta of Ohio.

In a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/05/23/more-150-groups-urge-congress-vote-no-halt-fentanyl-act">letter</a>&nbsp;Wednesday to House leadership, groups including the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Watch urged lawmakers to vote against the legislation.

“The classwide scheduling policy expands the application of existing severe mandatory minimum sentencing laws enacted by Congress in the 1980s to a newly scheduled class of fentanyl-related compounds,” the letter said. “For example, just a trace amount of a fentanyl analogue in a mixture with a combined weight of 10 grams — 10 paper clips — can translate into a five-year mandatory minimum with no evidence needed that the seller even knew it contained fentanyl.”

Other advocacy groups who co-signed the letter included the Association of Black Social Workers in Virginia, the Florida Harm Reduction Collective, Progressive Maryland and HEAL Ohio.

Though the bill outlines registration processes for researchers to continue to test the fentanyl-related substances, the advocacy groups say that lawmakers are classifying chemical compounds before their effects are known.

“… the HALT Fentanyl Act does not include an offramp to reschedule or remove (fentanyl related substances) that research has proven to be pharmacologically inactive or do not meet schedule I criteria,” the letter continues.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/">Criteria</a>&nbsp;used by the Department of Justice to classify Schedule I drugs include high abuse potential and “no currently accepted medical use in the United States.”

Marijuana, LSD, ecstasy and peyote are listed as Schedule I.

“In committee, Democrats offered amendments to improve the (bill),” Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey said on the House floor Wednesday. “We asked that Republicans consider additions to the bill that reflect the Biden administration’s commonsense interagency proposal.”

Pallone, ranking member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Committee, which marked up the bill, said the amendments rejected by GOP leadership would have promised “a scientific and equitable approach.”

Despite the opposition from many Democrats, 74 of the party members voted in favor of the HALT Fentanyl Act.

“To stop this effort now is just not right. Fentanyl related substances are highly toxic and we should treat them as such with blanket permanent scheduling,” said Rep. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire.

Pappas is the sponsor of a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/568/text?s=9&amp;r=3&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22fentanyl+pappas%22%5D%7D">bill</a>&nbsp;that permanently schedules fentanyl related substances but also adjusts criminal penalties and establishes a process to declassify compounds found to be safe.

“This is the beginning of the legislative process. This bill … would likely come back to the House after the Senate puts its mark on it. So we’re gonna continue to advocate for those commonsense provisions,” Pappas said.

The Biden administration issued a statement earlier this week supporting the HALT Fentanyl Act but said that its other recommendations to lawmakers included compelling agencies to root out which substances do not pose high potential for abuse and to study the effects of the blanket scheduling.

“The Administration calls on Congress to pass all of these critical measures to improve public safety and save lives,” the statement said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685113794321.png" alt=" Deb and Ray Cullen, of Shippingport, Pa., center and right, show a photo of their son, Zachary, in the office of their congressman, GOP Rep. John Joyce, left. Zachary died nine months ago at 23 of a drug overdose involving cocaine laced with illicit fentanyl. The Cullens traveled to the U.S. Capitol Thursday, May 25 to watch the House vote on the HALT Fentanyl Act (Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)." />
 <figcaption> Deb and Ray Cullen, of Shippingport, Pa., center and right, show a photo of their son, Zachary, in the office of their congressman, GOP Rep. John Joyce, left. Zachary died nine months ago at 23 of a drug overdose involving cocaine laced with illicit fentanyl. The Cullens traveled to the U.S. Capitol Thursday, May 25 to watch the House vote on the HALT Fentanyl Act (Ashley Murray/States Newsroom).</figcaption>
 </figure>By ASHLEY MURRAY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — Lawmakers in the U.S. House passed bipartisan legislation Thursday in an effort to curb staggering overdose deaths from illegal fentanyl substances that are illicitly produced and up to 50 times stronger than heroin.The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/467/text?s=5&amp;r=3&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22H.R.+467%22%5D%7D">HALT Fentanyl Act</a>, passed on a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023237">289-133</a>&nbsp;vote with 74 Democratic votes and support from the Biden administration, would permanently categorize lab-made substances with&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_chem_info/frs.pdf">similar chemical structures</a>&nbsp;to fentanyl among the most strictly regulated drugs under U.S. law.The Drug Enforcement Administration in 2015&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10404">temporarily</a>&nbsp;defined 17 fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I — the category carrying the most severe criminal penalties. Congress has since extended the temporary scheduling multiple times.While proponents who point to record-breaking overdose deaths say the legislation would hold traffickers accountable, numerous advocacy groups argue the bill is under researched and risks criminal charges for those in possession of small amounts of “harmless and inert substances,” according to a letter signed by 150 organizations.Drug overdose rates in the U.S. have risen fivefold in the past two decades, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db457.htm#:~:text=Drug%20overdose%20deaths%20have%20risen,increased%20from%2017.1%20to%2019.6.">study</a>&nbsp;published in December.The study shows that deaths attributed to synthetic opioids, including fentanyl and its many analogues, have been steadily on the rise, with a staggering jump in recent years.The CDC&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2022/202205.htm">tracked</a>&nbsp;a record 107,622 overdose deaths in 2021 — 71,238 of them due to manmade, illegal fentanyl substances.The DEA&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dea.gov/fentanylawareness">attributes</a>&nbsp;more deaths to illegal fentanyl among Americans under 50 than any cause of death, including heart disease, cancer, homicide, suicide and other accidents.Of particular concern is that illicit fentanyl substances are often cut into other recreational drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin, with users unaware of its presence.“The HALT Fentanyl Act would ban fentanyl analogues and strip the drug cartels and other criminals of the incentive to create new versions of fentanyl to skirt around the law,” GOP Rep. Brett Guthrie of Kentucky said on the House floor late Wednesday. “This bill is a key step to help get these poisons off our streets and give law enforcement the tools they need to crack down on illicit fentanyl traffic trafficking.”<h2>Effect on loved ones</h2>Sunday will mark nine months since Deb and Ray Cullen, of Shippingport, Pennsylvania, lost their 23-year-old son Zachary to a drug overdose.The Shippensburg University student had traveled with two friends to Harrisburg for a birthday weekend trip.“They were having dinner, having drinks, enjoying themselves. And then at some point, the detective told us that he thinks that they were targeted by a dealer. He doesn’t think they were looking for anything but thinks somebody came up to them and offered, and they made the choice to purchase some cocaine. And the cocaine was laced with fentanyl,” Deb said.The morning they received the news, Ray and Deb say, they turned on Zachary’s laptop to find that he had left open study materials for his university course in managerial economics.“He passed away. His friend survived, but with some physical issues. So we’re here trying to just make a difference so that other families don’t have to go through this,” she said Thursday shortly after the vote while sitting in the office of GOP Rep. John Joyce, her representative and a co-sponsor of the bill.The parents said they hope to see more awareness and an end to the stigma around those with substance use disorder and those who experiment with drugs that they are unaware are laced with illicit fentanyl.“There’s a lot of recreational cocaine and drug use. There was (someone yesterday) who said that had (the users) not done something illegal, that they would still be here,” Ray said. “I’m like, ‘Well, there’s a lot of things that get done illegally that you don’t die from.’”“I think people that are dealing this drug, they need to be held accountable,” Deb added.Joyce said he has been following up with the family since they emailed his office shortly after their son’s death.“I went over to Speaker McCarthy (today) and said ‘Up there in the gallery, there are parents who have lost their son, and they’re courageous and they continue to work to spread this message and have taken time out of their busy lives to come to Washington and drive down here for this vote,’” Joyce said.“This is an initial step. We need to take additional steps to (go after) the active ingredients which are shipped from China, to Mexico to the cartels, formulated and brought through our borders to kill our family or neighbors or friends,” Joyce continued.Unlike legal fentanyl that doctors prescribe after surgery or for advanced stage cancer patients, illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances are produced in underground labs by&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10890">transnational criminal organizations</a>.<h2>Concerns over mandatory minimums</h2>More than 150 harm reduction, criminal justice and civil liberties organizations have come out against the bill, which was introduced this Congress by GOP Reps. Morgan Griffith of Virginia and Robert Latta of Ohio.In a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/05/23/more-150-groups-urge-congress-vote-no-halt-fentanyl-act">letter</a>&nbsp;Wednesday to House leadership, groups including the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Watch urged lawmakers to vote against the legislation.“The classwide scheduling policy expands the application of existing severe mandatory minimum sentencing laws enacted by Congress in the 1980s to a newly scheduled class of fentanyl-related compounds,” the letter said. “For example, just a trace amount of a fentanyl analogue in a mixture with a combined weight of 10 grams — 10 paper clips — can translate into a five-year mandatory minimum with no evidence needed that the seller even knew it contained fentanyl.”Other advocacy groups who co-signed the letter included the Association of Black Social Workers in Virginia, the Florida Harm Reduction Collective, Progressive Maryland and HEAL Ohio.Though the bill outlines registration processes for researchers to continue to test the fentanyl-related substances, the advocacy groups say that lawmakers are classifying chemical compounds before their effects are known.“… the HALT Fentanyl Act does not include an offramp to reschedule or remove (fentanyl related substances) that research has proven to be pharmacologically inactive or do not meet schedule I criteria,” the letter continues.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/">Criteria</a>&nbsp;used by the Department of Justice to classify Schedule I drugs include high abuse potential and “no currently accepted medical use in the United States.”Marijuana, LSD, ecstasy and peyote are listed as Schedule I.“In committee, Democrats offered amendments to improve the (bill),” Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey said on the House floor Wednesday. “We asked that Republicans consider additions to the bill that reflect the Biden administration’s commonsense interagency proposal.”Pallone, ranking member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Committee, which marked up the bill, said the amendments rejected by GOP leadership would have promised “a scientific and equitable approach.”<h2>Support from across the aisle</h2>Despite the opposition from many Democrats, 74 of the party members voted in favor of the HALT Fentanyl Act.“To stop this effort now is just not right. Fentanyl related substances are highly toxic and we should treat them as such with blanket permanent scheduling,” said Rep. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire.Pappas is the sponsor of a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/568/text?s=9&amp;r=3&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22fentanyl+pappas%22%5D%7D">bill</a>&nbsp;that permanently schedules fentanyl related substances but also adjusts criminal penalties and establishes a process to declassify compounds found to be safe.“This is the beginning of the legislative process. This bill … would likely come back to the House after the Senate puts its mark on it. So we’re gonna continue to advocate for those commonsense provisions,” Pappas said.The Biden administration issued a statement earlier this week supporting the HALT Fentanyl Act but said that its other recommendations to lawmakers included compelling agencies to root out which substances do not pose high potential for abuse and to study the effects of the blanket scheduling.“The Administration calls on Congress to pass all of these critical measures to improve public safety and save lives,” the statement said.

Fentanyl drugs permanently made criminal under bill passed by U.S. House

PHOENIX (AP) — Attorneys general across the U.S. joined in a lawsuit against a telecommunications company accused of making more than 7.5 billion robocalls to people on the national Do Not Call Registry.

The 141-page lawsuit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Phoenix against Avid Telecom, its owner Michael D. Lansky and company vice president Stacey S. Reeves. It seeks a jury trial to determine damages.

The lawsuit arises from the nationwide, bipartisan Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force of 51 attorneys general and the District of Columbia. It was formed last year to investigate and take legal action against telecommunications companies routing volumes of robocall traffic.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said nearly 197 million of the robocalls were made to Arizona phone numbers between December 2018 and January 2023.

“Every day, countless Arizona consumers are harassed and annoyed by a relentless barrage of unwanted robocalls — and in some instances these illegal calls threaten consumers with lawsuits and arrest,” Mayes said in a statement. “More disturbingly, many of these calls are scams designed to pressure frightened consumers, often senior citizens, into handing over their hard-earned money.”

The lawsuit said Avid Telecom used spoofed or invalid caller ID numbers, including more than 8.4 million calls that appeared to be coming from government and law enforcement agencies as well as private companies.

The company also allegedly sent or transmitted scam calls about the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Amazon and DirecTV, as well as auto warranties, employment and credit card interest rate reductions.

“Americans are sick and tired of their phones ringing off the hook with fraudulent robocalls,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. “Seniors and vulnerable consumers have been scammed out of millions because of these illegal robocalls.”

The lawsuit alleges Lansky and Reeves violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule and other federal and state telemarketing and consumer laws.

“Contrary to the allegations in the complaint, Avid Telecom operates in a manner that is compliant with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations,” said Neil Ende, the company’s outside legal counsel. “The company has never been found by any court or regulatory authority to have transmitted unlawful traffic and it is prepared to meet with the attorneys general, as it has on many occasions in the past, to further demonstrate its good faith and lawful conduct.

“In this context, the company is disappointed that the attorneys’ general chose not to communicate their concerns directly before filing the lawsuit," Ende added. “While the company always prefers to work with regulators and law enforcement to address issues of concern, as necessary, the company will defend itself vigorously and vindicate its rights and reputation through the legal process.”

Robocalls have also been an issue during elections in recent years. During the 2020 election, voters across the U.S. received anonymous robocalls in the weeks leading up to Election Day telling them to “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-investigates-robocalls-warning-voter-b93c02e5dbec291bf04566e02e87c8be">stay safe and stay home</a>.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-michigan-ohio-cleveland-california-9fd2a1c998ff26412fd53c83cb3efc09">Two conservative hoaxers</a>&nbsp;were convicted of fraud for making over 85,000 robocalls to Black voters in five states.

The calls falsely stated giving information in mail-in ballots could lead to arrest, debt collection or forced vaccination. Their sentence included spending 500 hours registering voters in low-income neighborhoods of Washington, D.C.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684936669199.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>PHOENIX (AP) — Attorneys general across the U.S. joined in a lawsuit against a telecommunications company accused of making more than 7.5 billion robocalls to people on the national Do Not Call Registry.The 141-page lawsuit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Phoenix against Avid Telecom, its owner Michael D. Lansky and company vice president Stacey S. Reeves. It seeks a jury trial to determine damages.The lawsuit arises from the nationwide, bipartisan Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force of 51 attorneys general and the District of Columbia. It was formed last year to investigate and take legal action against telecommunications companies routing volumes of robocall traffic.Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said nearly 197 million of the robocalls were made to Arizona phone numbers between December 2018 and January 2023.“Every day, countless Arizona consumers are harassed and annoyed by a relentless barrage of unwanted robocalls — and in some instances these illegal calls threaten consumers with lawsuits and arrest,” Mayes said in a statement. “More disturbingly, many of these calls are scams designed to pressure frightened consumers, often senior citizens, into handing over their hard-earned money.”The lawsuit said Avid Telecom used spoofed or invalid caller ID numbers, including more than 8.4 million calls that appeared to be coming from government and law enforcement agencies as well as private companies.The company also allegedly sent or transmitted scam calls about the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Amazon and DirecTV, as well as auto warranties, employment and credit card interest rate reductions.“Americans are sick and tired of their phones ringing off the hook with fraudulent robocalls,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. “Seniors and vulnerable consumers have been scammed out of millions because of these illegal robocalls.”The lawsuit alleges Lansky and Reeves violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule and other federal and state telemarketing and consumer laws.“Contrary to the allegations in the complaint, Avid Telecom operates in a manner that is compliant with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations,” said Neil Ende, the company’s outside legal counsel. “The company has never been found by any court or regulatory authority to have transmitted unlawful traffic and it is prepared to meet with the attorneys general, as it has on many occasions in the past, to further demonstrate its good faith and lawful conduct.“In this context, the company is disappointed that the attorneys’ general chose not to communicate their concerns directly before filing the lawsuit," Ende added. “While the company always prefers to work with regulators and law enforcement to address issues of concern, as necessary, the company will defend itself vigorously and vindicate its rights and reputation through the legal process.”Robocalls have also been an issue during elections in recent years. During the 2020 election, voters across the U.S. received anonymous robocalls in the weeks leading up to Election Day telling them to “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-investigates-robocalls-warning-voter-b93c02e5dbec291bf04566e02e87c8be">stay safe and stay home</a>.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-michigan-ohio-cleveland-california-9fd2a1c998ff26412fd53c83cb3efc09">Two conservative hoaxers</a>&nbsp;were convicted of fraud for making over 85,000 robocalls to Black voters in five states.The calls falsely stated giving information in mail-in ballots could lead to arrest, debt collection or forced vaccination. Their sentence included spending 500 hours registering voters in low-income neighborhoods of Washington, D.C.

Do not call: Nebraska joins lawsuit over billions of robocalls

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said a deal to resolve the government's debt ceiling crisis seemed “very close” late Friday, even as the deadline for a potentially catastrophic default was pushed back four days until a week from Monday.

The later “X-date” threatened to open another week of frustrating negotiation between House Republicans and the White House over the risk of a default that could throw the U.S. economy into chaos and sap world confidence in the nation's lleadership.

Yet President Joe Biden was upbeat as he left for the Memorial Day weekend at Camp David, declaring, “It's very close, and I'm optimistic.”

With Republican at the Capitol talking with Biden's team at the White House, the president said, “There’s a negotiation going on. I’m hopeful we’ll know by tonight whether we’re going to be able to have a deal.”

The new date, set out in a letter from Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, came with Americans and the world concerned about U.S. brinkmanship.

In a blunt warning, Yellen said failure to act by the new date would “cause severe hardship to American families, harm our global leadership position and raise questions about our ability to defend our national security interests.” Anxious retirees were already making contingency plans for missed checks, with the next Social Security payments due next week.

The new deadline, a week from Monday, is four days later than earlier expected. Yellen said all “extraordinary measures” Treasury has resorted to would be exhausted.

Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have seemed to be narrowing on a two-year budget-slashing deal that would also extend the debt limit past the next presidential election. After frustrating rounds of closed-door talks, a compromise had appeared to be nearing on Friday.

Republicans have made some headway in their drive for steep spending cuts that Democrats oppose. However, the sides are particularly “dug in” over McCarthy's demands for tougher work requirements on government food stamp recipients that Democrats say is a nonstarter.

Earlier Friday, McCarthy said his Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-biden-mccarthy-default-negotiations-cb0646c6301f1df97211896897df3723">debt negotiators</a>&nbsp;and the White House had hit “crunch” time, straining to wrap up an agreement with Biden as lawmakers broke for the long Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Any deal would need to be a political compromise, with support from both Democrats and Republicans to pass the divided Congress. Failure to lift the borrowing limit, now $31 trillion, to pay the nation's incurred bills, would send shockwaves through the U.S. and global economy.

But many of the hard-right Trump-aligned Republicans in Congress have long been skeptical of Treasury's projections, and they are pressing McCarthy to hold out.

The deal's within reach, it just has to be agreed to," said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., one of the negotiators.

In remarks optimistic comments earlier at the White House before Yellen's letter was released, Biden gave a shoutout to one of this&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-kevin-mccarthy-debt-limit-graves-6e39e70b683616a4b73e6bbe9e72cd08">top negotiators</a>&nbsp;saying she's “putting together a deal, hopefully.”

He was referring to Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young who attended a salute to the Louisiana State women's national basketball champions.

While the contours of the deal have been taking shape to cut spending for 2024 and impose a 1% cap on spending growth for 2025, the two sides remain stuck on various provisions. The debt ceiling, now at $31 trillion, would be lifted for two years to pay the nation’s incurred bills.

A person familiar with the talks said the two sides were “dug in” on whether or not to agree to Republican demands to impose stiffer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-work-requirements-snap-medicaid-biden-66270829cfc0009ddb5f59eb12a6ba7a">work requirements</a>&nbsp;on people who receive government food stamps, cash assistance and health care aid.

House Democrats have called such requirements for health care and food aid a nonstarter.

Asked if Republicans would relent on work requirements Graves, fumed: “Hell no, not a chance."

House Republicans had pushed the issue to the brink, displaying risky political bravado in leaving town for the Memorial Day holiday. Lawmakers are tentatively not expected back at work until Tuesday, but now their return is uncertain.

“The world is watching,” said International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva after meeting Friday with Yellen. “Let’s remember we are now in the 12th hour.”

Weeks of negotiations between Republicans and the White House have failed to produce a deal — in part because the Biden administration resisted negotiating with McCarthy over the debt limit, arguing that the country's full faith and credit should not be used as leverage to extract other partisan priorities.

“We have to spend less than we spent last year. That is the starting point,” said McCarthy.

One idea is to set the topline budget numbers but then add a “snap-back” provision to enforce cuts if Congress is unable during its annual appropriations process to meet the new goals.

On work requirements for aid recipients, the White House is particularly resisting measures that could drive more people into poverty or take their health care, said the person familiar with the talks, who was granted anonymity to describe behind-closed-door discussions.

Over the Republican demand to rescind money for the Internal Revenue Service, it's still an “open issue” whether the sides will compromise by allowing the funding to be pushed into other domestic programs, the person said.

In one potential development, Republicans may be easing their demand to boost defense spending beyond what Biden had proposed in his budget, instead offering to keep it at his proposed levels, according to another person familiar with the talks.

The teams are also eyeing a proposal to boost energy transmission line development from Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., to facilitate the buildout of an interregional power grid.

Meanwhile, McCarthy is feeling pressure from the House's right flank not to give in to any deal, even if it means blowing past the Treasury deadline.

McCarthy said Donald Trump, the former president who is again running for office, told him, “Make sure you get a good agreement.”

Watchful Democrats, though, are also pressing Biden. The top three House Democratic leaders led by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries spoke late Thursday with the White House.

McCarthy has promised lawmakers he will abide by the rule to post any bill for 72 hours before voting. The Democratic-held Senate has vowed to move quickly to send the package to Biden’s desk, right before next Thursday's possible deadline.

Meanwhile, Fitch Ratings agency placed the United States’ AAA credit on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-credit-rating-downgrade-warning-default-b906c014ed2b8124917f4a107a543964">“ratings watch negative,”</a>&nbsp;warning of a possible downgrade.

The White House has continued to argue that deficits can be reduced by ending tax breaks for wealthier households and some corporations, but McCarthy said he told the president as early as their February meeting that raising revenue from tax hikes was off the table.

While Biden has ruled out, for now,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/14th-amendment-biden-debt-ceiling-explained-92ebc0db703d49eab2c91d4d4a354cdf">invoking the 14th Amendment</a>&nbsp;to raise the debt limit on his own, Democrats in the House announced they have all signed on to a legislative “discharge” process that would force a debt ceiling vote. But they need five Republicans to break with their party and tip the majority to set the plan forward.

They are all but certain to claw back some $30 billion in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-coronavirus-relief-funds-9c60de5ad51a922bae1c2cf2fa284be3">unspent COVID-19 funds</a>&nbsp;now that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-covid19-coronavirus-national-emergency-e3a52722b57a6b4f24187426c27b3b39">pandemic emergency has officially been lifted</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685187420073.png" alt="U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, speaks with reporters about debt limit and government spending negations inside the Capitol this week photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, speaks with reporters about debt limit and government spending negations inside the Capitol this week photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said a deal to resolve the government's debt ceiling crisis seemed “very close” late Friday, even as the deadline for a potentially catastrophic default was pushed back four days until a week from Monday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685154260391.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The later “X-date” threatened to open another week of frustrating negotiation between House Republicans and the White House over the risk of a default that could throw the U.S. economy into chaos and sap world confidence in the nation's lleadership.Yet President Joe Biden was upbeat as he left for the Memorial Day weekend at Camp David, declaring, “It's very close, and I'm optimistic.”With Republican at the Capitol talking with Biden's team at the White House, the president said, “There’s a negotiation going on. I’m hopeful we’ll know by tonight whether we’re going to be able to have a deal.”The new date, set out in a letter from Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, came with Americans and the world concerned about U.S. brinkmanship.In a blunt warning, Yellen said failure to act by the new date would “cause severe hardship to American families, harm our global leadership position and raise questions about our ability to defend our national security interests.” Anxious retirees were already making contingency plans for missed checks, with the next Social Security payments due next week.The new deadline, a week from Monday, is four days later than earlier expected. Yellen said all “extraordinary measures” Treasury has resorted to would be exhausted.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden thinks we should raise taxes when the federal government has more money coming in than at any point in American history. I’ve made it perfectly clear—Washington has a spending problem, NOT a revenue problem.&mdash; Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy/status/1662216992710103040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have seemed to be narrowing on a two-year budget-slashing deal that would also extend the debt limit past the next presidential election. After frustrating rounds of closed-door talks, a compromise had appeared to be nearing on Friday.Republicans have made some headway in their drive for steep spending cuts that Democrats oppose. However, the sides are particularly “dug in” over McCarthy's demands for tougher work requirements on government food stamp recipients that Democrats say is a nonstarter.Earlier Friday, McCarthy said his Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-biden-mccarthy-default-negotiations-cb0646c6301f1df97211896897df3723">debt negotiators</a>&nbsp;and the White House had hit “crunch” time, straining to wrap up an agreement with Biden as lawmakers broke for the long Memorial Day holiday weekend.Any deal would need to be a political compromise, with support from both Democrats and Republicans to pass the divided Congress. Failure to lift the borrowing limit, now $31 trillion, to pay the nation's incurred bills, would send shockwaves through the U.S. and global economy.But many of the hard-right Trump-aligned Republicans in Congress have long been skeptical of Treasury's projections, and they are pressing McCarthy to hold out.The deal's within reach, it just has to be agreed to," said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., one of the negotiators.In remarks optimistic comments earlier at the White House before Yellen's letter was released, Biden gave a shoutout to one of this&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-kevin-mccarthy-debt-limit-graves-6e39e70b683616a4b73e6bbe9e72cd08">top negotiators</a>&nbsp;saying she's “putting together a deal, hopefully.”He was referring to Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young who attended a salute to the Louisiana State women's national basketball champions.While the contours of the deal have been taking shape to cut spending for 2024 and impose a 1% cap on spending growth for 2025, the two sides remain stuck on various provisions. The debt ceiling, now at $31 trillion, would be lifted for two years to pay the nation’s incurred bills.A person familiar with the talks said the two sides were “dug in” on whether or not to agree to Republican demands to impose stiffer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-work-requirements-snap-medicaid-biden-66270829cfc0009ddb5f59eb12a6ba7a">work requirements</a>&nbsp;on people who receive government food stamps, cash assistance and health care aid.House Democrats have called such requirements for health care and food aid a nonstarter.Asked if Republicans would relent on work requirements Graves, fumed: “Hell no, not a chance."House Republicans had pushed the issue to the brink, displaying risky political bravado in leaving town for the Memorial Day holiday. Lawmakers are tentatively not expected back at work until Tuesday, but now their return is uncertain.“The world is watching,” said International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva after meeting Friday with Yellen. “Let’s remember we are now in the 12th hour.”Weeks of negotiations between Republicans and the White House have failed to produce a deal — in part because the Biden administration resisted negotiating with McCarthy over the debt limit, arguing that the country's full faith and credit should not be used as leverage to extract other partisan priorities.“We have to spend less than we spent last year. That is the starting point,” said McCarthy.One idea is to set the topline budget numbers but then add a “snap-back” provision to enforce cuts if Congress is unable during its annual appropriations process to meet the new goals.On work requirements for aid recipients, the White House is particularly resisting measures that could drive more people into poverty or take their health care, said the person familiar with the talks, who was granted anonymity to describe behind-closed-door discussions.Over the Republican demand to rescind money for the Internal Revenue Service, it's still an “open issue” whether the sides will compromise by allowing the funding to be pushed into other domestic programs, the person said.In one potential development, Republicans may be easing their demand to boost defense spending beyond what Biden had proposed in his budget, instead offering to keep it at his proposed levels, according to another person familiar with the talks.The teams are also eyeing a proposal to boost energy transmission line development from Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., to facilitate the buildout of an interregional power grid.Meanwhile, McCarthy is feeling pressure from the House's right flank not to give in to any deal, even if it means blowing past the Treasury deadline.McCarthy said Donald Trump, the former president who is again running for office, told him, “Make sure you get a good agreement.”Watchful Democrats, though, are also pressing Biden. The top three House Democratic leaders led by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries spoke late Thursday with the White House.McCarthy has promised lawmakers he will abide by the rule to post any bill for 72 hours before voting. The Democratic-held Senate has vowed to move quickly to send the package to Biden’s desk, right before next Thursday's possible deadline.Meanwhile, Fitch Ratings agency placed the United States’ AAA credit on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-credit-rating-downgrade-warning-default-b906c014ed2b8124917f4a107a543964">“ratings watch negative,”</a>&nbsp;warning of a possible downgrade.The White House has continued to argue that deficits can be reduced by ending tax breaks for wealthier households and some corporations, but McCarthy said he told the president as early as their February meeting that raising revenue from tax hikes was off the table.While Biden has ruled out, for now,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/14th-amendment-biden-debt-ceiling-explained-92ebc0db703d49eab2c91d4d4a354cdf">invoking the 14th Amendment</a>&nbsp;to raise the debt limit on his own, Democrats in the House announced they have all signed on to a legislative “discharge” process that would force a debt ceiling vote. But they need five Republicans to break with their party and tip the majority to set the plan forward.They are all but certain to claw back some $30 billion in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-coronavirus-relief-funds-9c60de5ad51a922bae1c2cf2fa284be3">unspent COVID-19 funds</a>&nbsp;now that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-covid19-coronavirus-national-emergency-e3a52722b57a6b4f24187426c27b3b39">pandemic emergency has officially been lifted</a>.

Treasury secretary pinpoints new date for U.S. debt default

KANSAS CITY—A suicidal teen asked for his School Resource Deputy Wednesday night, who was able to talk him safely down from the Worlds of Fun water tower.

Kansas City Missouri Police responded to a call of a teen who ran away just after 9:30p.m, according to a media release from the Clay County Sheriff.

Deputies located him actively climbing the water tower at 5016 N. Bristol. He ascended close to the top, an estimated 115 feet off the ground. The teen said he wanted to speak only with Deputy Jonathan Bransfield, the School Resource Deputy at his middle school. 

Kansas City Police called Deputy Bransfield, who arrived about 10:15 p.m.

The teen told Deputy Bransfield he wanted him to come so he could say good-bye and thank him for all he’d done for him. Deputy Bransfield engaged him in conversation about his struggles, and after about 40 minutes, he was able to convince the boy to climb down safely. An ambulance then transported the teen for mental health treatment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685044709083.png" alt="Photo Clay Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Clay Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—A suicidal teen asked for his School Resource Deputy Wednesday night, who was able to talk him safely down from the Worlds of Fun water tower.Kansas City Missouri Police responded to a call of a teen who ran away just after 9:30p.m, according to a media release from the Clay County Sheriff.Deputies located him actively climbing the water tower at 5016 N. Bristol. He ascended close to the top, an estimated 115 feet off the ground. The teen said he wanted to speak only with Deputy Jonathan Bransfield, the School Resource Deputy at his middle school. Kansas City Police called Deputy Bransfield, who arrived about 10:15 p.m.The teen told Deputy Bransfield he wanted him to come so he could say good-bye and thank him for all he’d done for him. Deputy Bransfield engaged him in conversation about his struggles, and after about 40 minutes, he was able to convince the boy to climb down safely. An ambulance then transported the teen for mental health treatment.

School resource deputy talks teen down from Worlds of Fun water tower

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two Army veterans who stormed the U.S. Capitol in a military-style formation with fellow members of the Oath Keepers were sentenced Friday to prison terms, a day after the far-right extremist group's founder received&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stewart-rhodes-oath-keepers-seditious-conspiracy-sentencing-b3ed4556a3dec577539c4181639f666c">a record-setting 18-years behind bars</a>&nbsp;in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta sentenced Jessica Watkins, of Woodstock, Ohio, to eight years and six months behind bars and sentenced Kenneth Harrelson, of Titusville, Florida, to four years in prison.

A federal jury acquitted Watkins and Harrelson of the seditious conspiracy charge that Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oath-keepers-founder-guilty-of-seditious-conspiracy-42affe1614425c6820f7cbe8fd18ba96">found guilty of in November</a>. But jurors convicted Watkins and Harrelson of other Jan. 6 charges, including obstructing Congress’ certification of President Joe Biden’s victory.

Rhodes' 18-year term is the longest prison sentence that has been handed down so far in the hundreds of Capitol riot cases. The charges against leaders of the Oath Keepers and another extremist group, the Proud Boys, are among the most serious brought in the Justice Department's massive investigation of the riot.

Mehta agreed with the Justice Department that Rhodes and the other Oath Keepers' actions could be punished as “terrorism,” increasing the recommended sentence under federal guidelines.

But the judge ultimately gave Watkins and Harrelson far less time than prosecutors were seeking. The Justice Department had requested 18 years for Watkins and 15 for Harrelson.

Watkins and Harrelson marched toward the Capitol with other Oath Keepers members in “stack” formations as a mob of Trump supporters clashed with outnumbered police officers. Harrelson was the group’s “ground team lead” on Jan. 6. Watkins, who formed a separate Ohio-based militia group, recruited others to join the Oath Keepers in Washington that day.

Mehta said that while Watkins was not a top leader, like Rhodes, she was more than just a "foot soldier,” noting that at least three others charged in the riot wouldn’t have been there if she hadn’t recruited them to join.

“Your role that day was more aggressive, more assaultive, more purposeful than perhaps others," he told her.

Watkins tearfully apologized for her actions before the judge handed down her sentence. She condemned the violence by rioters who assaulted police, but conceded that her presence at the Capitol “probably inspired those people to a degree." She described herself as “just another idiot running around the Capitol” on Jan. 6.

“And today you’re going to hold this idiot responsible,” she told the judge.

The judge said Watkins' personal story of struggling for years to come to terms with her identity as a transgender woman made it especially difficult for him to understand why she has shown “a lack of empathy for those who suffered” on Jan. 6. Watkins&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-ohio-veterans-government-and-politics-20f5b6007d9363bcf70ecf3e78bd7fd4">testified at trial</a>&nbsp;about hiding her identity from her parents during a strict Christian upbringing and going AWOL in the Army after a fellow soldier found evidence of her contact with a support group for transgender people.

Harrelson told the judge he went to Washington after another Oath Keeper offered him a “security job," but said he has never voted for a president in his life and doesn’t care about politics. Some of the Oath Keepers provided security for Trump ally Roger Stone and other right-wing figures at events before the riot.

“I have totally demolished my life,” he said as he broke down in tears. “I am responsible, and my foolish actions have caused immense pain to my wife and our children.”

Mehta said he doesn’t agree with the government’s portrayal of Harrelson as a “mid-level organizer” for the Oath Keepers. Unlike many other group members charged in the attack, Harrelson didn’t send any messages “that anyone would consider extremist,” the judge said.

But the judge said he was struck by an image of Harrelson patting down a police officer on his way out of the Capitol.

“You weren’t just there that day because you got swept in,” the judge told him.

During a nearly two-month trial in Washington's federal court, lawyers for Watkins and the other Oath Keepers argued there was no plan to attack the Capitol. On the witness stand, Watkins told jurors she never intended to interfere with the certification and never heard any commands for her and other Oath Keepers to enter the building.

Evidence shown to jurors showed Watkins after the 2020 election messaging with people who expressed interest in joining her Ohio militia group about “military-style basic” training. She told one recruit, “I need you fighting fit” by the inauguration, which was Jan. 20, 2021.

On Jan. 6, Watkins and other Oath Keepers wearing helmets and other paramilitary gear were seen shouldering their way through the crowd and up the Capitol stairs in military-style stack formation. She communicated with others during the riot over a channel called “Stop the Steal J6" on the walkie-talkie app Zello, declaring, “We are in the main dome right now.”

Harrelson screamed “Treason!” — an epithet directed at members of Congress — as he entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, a prosecutor said.

One of their other co-defendants, Florida chapter leader Kelly Meggs, was sentenced Thursday to 12 years behind bars for seditious conspiracy and other charges.

Rhodes, 58, of Granbury, Texas, was the first Jan. 6 defendant convicted of seditious conspiracy to receive his punishment for what prosecutors said was a weekslong plot to forcibly block the transfer of power from former President Donald Trump to Biden.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oath-keepers-seditious-conspiracy-conviction-2b9fb724c9839524d00ee389959e0e62">Four other Oath Keepers convicted</a>&nbsp;of the sedition charge during a second trial in January will be sentenced next week.

During his sentencing Thursday, Rhodes defiantly claimed to be a “political prisoner,” criticized prosecutors and the Biden administration and tried to play down his actions on Jan. 6. The judge described Rhodes as a continued threat to the United States who clearly “wants democracy in this country to devolve into violence.”

The Oath Keepers' sentences this week could serve as a guide for prosecutors in a separate Jan. 6 case against leaders of the Proud Boys. Earlier this month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-enrique-tarrio-seditious-conspiracy-trial-f8738f17552cda21eef6d89504da2a0e">a different jury convicted former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio</a>&nbsp;and three other group leaders of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors said was another plot to keep Trump in the White House.

Before Thursday, the longest sentence in the more than 1,000 Capitol riot cases was 14 years and two months for a man with a long criminal record who attacked police officers with pepper spray and a chair as he stormed the Capitol.&nbsp;<a href="https://interactives.ap.org/jan-6-prosecutions/">Just over 500 of the defendants have been sentenced, with more than half receiving prison time.</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) — An Army veteran who stormed the U.S. Capitol in a military-style formation with fellow members of the Oath Keepers was sentenced Friday to more than eight years in prison, a day after the far-right extremist group's founder received&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stewart-rhodes-oath-keepers-seditious-conspiracy-sentencing-b3ed4556a3dec577539c4181639f666c">an 18-year prison term</a>&nbsp;in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack.

Jessica Watkins, of Woodstock, Ohio, was acquitted of the seditious conspiracy charge that Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oath-keepers-founder-guilty-of-seditious-conspiracy-42affe1614425c6820f7cbe8fd18ba96">found guilty of in November</a>, but jurors convicted her of obstruction and conspiracy to impede Congress' certification of President Joe Biden's victory.

She is the third member of the antigovernment group to receive her punishment this week in one of the most serious cases the Justice Department has brought in the riot. 

Rhodes' 18 year-term is the longest sentence that has been handed down so far in the hundreds of Capitol riot cases.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta said that while Watkins was not a top leader, like Rhodes, she was more than “just foot soldier,” noting that at least three others charged in the riot wouldn’t have been there if she hadn’t recruited them to join. He sentenced her to 8 1/2 years behind bars.

Watkins tearfully apologized for her actions before the judge handed down her sentence. She condemned the violence by rioters who assaulted police, but said she knows her presence at the Capitol “probably inspired those people to a degree." She described herself as “just another idiot running around the Capitol” on Jan. 6.

During the nearly two-month trial in Washington's federal court, lawyers for Watkins and the other Oath Keepers argued there was no plan to attack the Capitol. On the witness stand, Watkins testified she never intended to interfere with the certification and never heard any commands for her and other Oath Keepers to enter the building.

Evidence shown to jurors showed Watkins after the 2020 election messaging with people who expressed interest in joining her Ohio militia group about “military-style basic” training. She told one recruit: “I need you fighting fit” by the inauguration, which was Jan. 20, 2021.

On Jan. 6, Watkins and other Oath Keepers wearing helmets and other paramilitary gear were seen shouldering their way through the crowd and up the Capitol stairs in military-style “stack” formation. She communicated with others during the riot over a channel called “Stop the Steal J6" on the walkie-talkie app Zello, declaring “we are in the main dome right now.”

Another Oath Keeper and fellow Army veteran — Kenneth Harrelson — will be sentenced later Friday. One of their other co-defendants, Florida chapter leader Kelly Meggs, was sentenced Thursday to 12 years behind bars for seditious conspiracy and other charges.

The Oath Keepers' sentences this week could serve as a guide for prosecutors in a separate Jan. 6 case against leaders of the Proud Boys extremist group. Earlier this month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-enrique-tarrio-seditious-conspiracy-trial-f8738f17552cda21eef6d89504da2a0e">a different jury convicted former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio</a>&nbsp;and three other group leaders of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors said was another plot to keep Trump in the White House.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685119740032.png" alt="Watkins (Left) as seen on Jan. 6-photo U.S. Dept. of Justice" />
 <figcaption>Watkins (Left) as seen on Jan. 6-photo U.S. Dept. of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Two Army veterans who stormed the U.S. Capitol in a military-style formation with fellow members of the Oath Keepers were sentenced Friday to prison terms, a day after the far-right extremist group's founder received&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stewart-rhodes-oath-keepers-seditious-conspiracy-sentencing-b3ed4556a3dec577539c4181639f666c">a record-setting 18-years behind bars</a>&nbsp;in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685119703731.png" alt="Watkins-photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>Watkins-photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta sentenced Jessica Watkins, of Woodstock, Ohio, to eight years and six months behind bars and sentenced Kenneth Harrelson, of Titusville, Florida, to four years in prison.A federal jury acquitted Watkins and Harrelson of the seditious conspiracy charge that Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oath-keepers-founder-guilty-of-seditious-conspiracy-42affe1614425c6820f7cbe8fd18ba96">found guilty of in November</a>. But jurors convicted Watkins and Harrelson of other Jan. 6 charges, including obstructing Congress’ certification of President Joe Biden’s victory.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669760612209.png" alt="-Rhodes from his Jan. 2022 arrest-photo Collin County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>-Rhodes from his Jan. 2022 arrest-photo Collin County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Rhodes' 18-year term is the longest prison sentence that has been handed down so far in the hundreds of Capitol riot cases. The charges against leaders of the Oath Keepers and another extremist group, the Proud Boys, are among the most serious brought in the Justice Department's massive investigation of the riot.Mehta agreed with the Justice Department that Rhodes and the other Oath Keepers' actions could be punished as “terrorism,” increasing the recommended sentence under federal guidelines.But the judge ultimately gave Watkins and Harrelson far less time than prosecutors were seeking. The Justice Department had requested 18 years for Watkins and 15 for Harrelson.Watkins and Harrelson marched toward the Capitol with other Oath Keepers members in “stack” formations as a mob of Trump supporters clashed with outnumbered police officers. Harrelson was the group’s “ground team lead” on Jan. 6. Watkins, who formed a separate Ohio-based militia group, recruited others to join the Oath Keepers in Washington that day.Mehta said that while Watkins was not a top leader, like Rhodes, she was more than just a "foot soldier,” noting that at least three others charged in the riot wouldn’t have been there if she hadn’t recruited them to join.“Your role that day was more aggressive, more assaultive, more purposeful than perhaps others," he told her.Watkins tearfully apologized for her actions before the judge handed down her sentence. She condemned the violence by rioters who assaulted police, but conceded that her presence at the Capitol “probably inspired those people to a degree." She described herself as “just another idiot running around the Capitol” on Jan. 6.“And today you’re going to hold this idiot responsible,” she told the judge.The judge said Watkins' personal story of struggling for years to come to terms with her identity as a transgender woman made it especially difficult for him to understand why she has shown “a lack of empathy for those who suffered” on Jan. 6. Watkins&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-ohio-veterans-government-and-politics-20f5b6007d9363bcf70ecf3e78bd7fd4">testified at trial</a>&nbsp;about hiding her identity from her parents during a strict Christian upbringing and going AWOL in the Army after a fellow soldier found evidence of her contact with a support group for transgender people.Harrelson told the judge he went to Washington after another Oath Keeper offered him a “security job," but said he has never voted for a president in his life and doesn’t care about politics. Some of the Oath Keepers provided security for Trump ally Roger Stone and other right-wing figures at events before the riot.“I have totally demolished my life,” he said as he broke down in tears. “I am responsible, and my foolish actions have caused immense pain to my wife and our children.”Mehta said he doesn’t agree with the government’s portrayal of Harrelson as a “mid-level organizer” for the Oath Keepers. Unlike many other group members charged in the attack, Harrelson didn’t send any messages “that anyone would consider extremist,” the judge said.But the judge said he was struck by an image of Harrelson patting down a police officer on his way out of the Capitol.“You weren’t just there that day because you got swept in,” the judge told him.During a nearly two-month trial in Washington's federal court, lawyers for Watkins and the other Oath Keepers argued there was no plan to attack the Capitol. On the witness stand, Watkins told jurors she never intended to interfere with the certification and never heard any commands for her and other Oath Keepers to enter the building.Evidence shown to jurors showed Watkins after the 2020 election messaging with people who expressed interest in joining her Ohio militia group about “military-style basic” training. She told one recruit, “I need you fighting fit” by the inauguration, which was Jan. 20, 2021.On Jan. 6, Watkins and other Oath Keepers wearing helmets and other paramilitary gear were seen shouldering their way through the crowd and up the Capitol stairs in military-style stack formation. She communicated with others during the riot over a channel called “Stop the Steal J6" on the walkie-talkie app Zello, declaring, “We are in the main dome right now.”Harrelson screamed “Treason!” — an epithet directed at members of Congress — as he entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, a prosecutor said.One of their other co-defendants, Florida chapter leader Kelly Meggs, was sentenced Thursday to 12 years behind bars for seditious conspiracy and other charges.Rhodes, 58, of Granbury, Texas, was the first Jan. 6 defendant convicted of seditious conspiracy to receive his punishment for what prosecutors said was a weekslong plot to forcibly block the transfer of power from former President Donald Trump to Biden.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oath-keepers-seditious-conspiracy-conviction-2b9fb724c9839524d00ee389959e0e62">Four other Oath Keepers convicted</a>&nbsp;of the sedition charge during a second trial in January will be sentenced next week.During his sentencing Thursday, Rhodes defiantly claimed to be a “political prisoner,” criticized prosecutors and the Biden administration and tried to play down his actions on Jan. 6. The judge described Rhodes as a continued threat to the United States who clearly “wants democracy in this country to devolve into violence.”The Oath Keepers' sentences this week could serve as a guide for prosecutors in a separate Jan. 6 case against leaders of the Proud Boys. Earlier this month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-enrique-tarrio-seditious-conspiracy-trial-f8738f17552cda21eef6d89504da2a0e">a different jury convicted former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio</a>&nbsp;and three other group leaders of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors said was another plot to keep Trump in the White House.Before Thursday, the longest sentence in the more than 1,000 Capitol riot cases was 14 years and two months for a man with a long criminal record who attacked police officers with pepper spray and a chair as he stormed the Capitol.&nbsp;<a href="https://interactives.ap.org/jan-6-prosecutions/">Just over 500 of the defendants have been sentenced, with more than half receiving prison time.</a>---------------WASHINGTON (AP) — An Army veteran who stormed the U.S. Capitol in a military-style formation with fellow members of the Oath Keepers was sentenced Friday to more than eight years in prison, a day after the far-right extremist group's founder received&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stewart-rhodes-oath-keepers-seditious-conspiracy-sentencing-b3ed4556a3dec577539c4181639f666c">an 18-year prison term</a>&nbsp;in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack.Jessica Watkins, of Woodstock, Ohio, was acquitted of the seditious conspiracy charge that Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oath-keepers-founder-guilty-of-seditious-conspiracy-42affe1614425c6820f7cbe8fd18ba96">found guilty of in November</a>, but jurors convicted her of obstruction and conspiracy to impede Congress' certification of President Joe Biden's victory.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685119703731.png" alt="Watkins photo Montgomery County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Watkins photo Montgomery County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>She is the third member of the antigovernment group to receive her punishment this week in one of the most serious cases the Justice Department has brought in the riot. Rhodes' 18 year-term is the longest sentence that has been handed down so far in the hundreds of Capitol riot cases.U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta said that while Watkins was not a top leader, like Rhodes, she was more than “just foot soldier,” noting that at least three others charged in the riot wouldn’t have been there if she hadn’t recruited them to join. He sentenced her to 8 1/2 years behind bars.“Your role that day was more aggressive, more assaultive, more purposeful than perhaps others," he told her.Watkins tearfully apologized for her actions before the judge handed down her sentence. She condemned the violence by rioters who assaulted police, but said she knows her presence at the Capitol “probably inspired those people to a degree." She described herself as “just another idiot running around the Capitol” on Jan. 6.“And today you’re going to hold this idiot responsible,” she told the judge.During the nearly two-month trial in Washington's federal court, lawyers for Watkins and the other Oath Keepers argued there was no plan to attack the Capitol. On the witness stand, Watkins testified she never intended to interfere with the certification and never heard any commands for her and other Oath Keepers to enter the building.Evidence shown to jurors showed Watkins after the 2020 election messaging with people who expressed interest in joining her Ohio militia group about “military-style basic” training. She told one recruit: “I need you fighting fit” by the inauguration, which was Jan. 20, 2021.On Jan. 6, Watkins and other Oath Keepers wearing helmets and other paramilitary gear were seen shouldering their way through the crowd and up the Capitol stairs in military-style “stack” formation. She communicated with others during the riot over a channel called “Stop the Steal J6" on the walkie-talkie app Zello, declaring “we are in the main dome right now.”Another Oath Keeper and fellow Army veteran — Kenneth Harrelson — will be sentenced later Friday. One of their other co-defendants, Florida chapter leader Kelly Meggs, was sentenced Thursday to 12 years behind bars for seditious conspiracy and other charges.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669760612209.png" alt="-Rhodes from his Jan. 2022 arrest-photo Collin County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>-Rhodes from his Jan. 2022 arrest-photo Collin County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Rhodes, 58, of Granbury, Texas, was the first Jan. 6 defendant convicted of seditious conspiracy to receive his punishment for what prosecutors said was a weekslong plot to forcibly block the transfer of power from former President Donald Trump to Biden.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oath-keepers-seditious-conspiracy-conviction-2b9fb724c9839524d00ee389959e0e62">Four other Oath Keepers convicted</a>&nbsp;of the sedition charge during a second trial in January will be sentenced next week.During his sentencing Thursday, Rhodes defiantly claimed to be a “political prisoner,” criticized prosecutors and the Biden administration and tried to play down his actions on Jan. 6. The judge described Rhodes as a continued threat to the United States who clearly “wants democracy in this country to devolve into violence.”The Oath Keepers' sentences this week could serve as a guide for prosecutors in a separate Jan. 6 case against leaders of the Proud Boys extremist group. Earlier this month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-enrique-tarrio-seditious-conspiracy-trial-f8738f17552cda21eef6d89504da2a0e">a different jury convicted former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio</a>&nbsp;and three other group leaders of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors said was another plot to keep Trump in the White House.Before Thursday, the longest sentence in the more than 1,000 Capitol riot cases was 14 years and two months for a man with a long criminal record who attacked police officers with pepper spray and a chair as he stormed the Capitol.&nbsp;<a href="https://interactives.ap.org/jan-6-prosecutions/">Just over 500 of the defendants have been sentenced, with more than half receiving prison time.</a>

2 more Oath Keepers sentenced to prison for Jan. 6 Capitol attack

By ASHLEY MURRAY&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — Progressives are pushing hard for President Joe Biden to take the unprecedented step of invoking the 14th Amendment as a way to avoid financial calamity if the White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy do not strike a deal on the debt ceiling in the coming days.

The lawmakers and legal scholars argue that the Reconstruction-era amendment — to ensure debts were paid after the Civil War — trumps the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10292">debt limit statute</a>, or the law that sets the dollar amount of how much the U.S. government can borrow to pay its bills.

Section 4 of the amendment states: “the validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred … shall not be questioned.”

“The text of the 14th Amendment, which says that the debt of the United States ‘shall not be questioned,’ … nothing questions that more than a default, or frankly, a debt limit that may make it impossible practically to pay the debt of the United States,” Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island said Monday on a call with reporters hosted by the left-leaning Roosevelt Institute.

A unilateral action by the president to proceed as though the U.S. has not run out of borrowing authority would not bypass Congress, the chair of the Senate Committee on the Budget and others argue.&nbsp;

Rather, it would be a choice by the U.S. leader to follow the letter of the 14th Amendment and continue abiding by the numerous spending laws passed by Congress, they argue.

“It’s not ‘How can the Biden administration go around Congress?’ The problem is Congress has legislated contradictory things. They’ve said you must spend this money and also, these are the taxes that you must collect. And also, here’s the debt ceiling,” UCLA law professor Joseph Fishkin argued on the call.&nbsp;

“A lot of people seem to be assuming that if the administration is kind of stuck in that dilemma where you have to violate one of those statutes, for some reason, the one that has to be violated is the one on spending money,” he continued.

Biden and McCarthy&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2023/05/23/biden-and-mccarthy-strike-positive-tone-after-debt-limit-talks-but-no-deal-yet/">met</a>&nbsp;Monday to continue negotiations but still hadn’t reached an agreement to raise the nation’s borrowing limit.

Biden said Sunday that he’s “looking at the 14th Amendment, as to whether or not we have the authority.”

“I think we have the authority. The question is: Could it be done and invoked in time that it could not — would not be appealed and, as a consequence, pass the date in question and still default on the debt. That’s a question that I think is unresolved,” he&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?528183-1/presidential-closing-news-conference-7-summit">said</a>&nbsp;during remarks from the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen hours later on NBC’s “Meet the Press” also&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-may-21-2023-n1305244">expressed</a>&nbsp;concern about whether the administration had time to invoke the amendment as a solution.

“It doesn’t seem like something that could be appropriately used in these circumstances, given the legal uncertainty around it, and given the tight time frame we’re on. So my devout hope is that Congress will raise the debt ceiling,” she told host Chuck Todd.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2023/05/09/biden-and-congressional-leaders-fail-to-reach-a-debt-limit-deal-but-will-meet-again-friday/">Weeks earlier</a>&nbsp;at the White House, the president said he was “considering” the amendment but “the problem is, it would have to be litigated, and in the meantime without an extension, the (situation) would still end up in the same place.”

Proponents of using the amendment said they responded “quizzically” to the administration’s concern about time.

“You know, really, it doesn’t take any time. You actually just keep going with spending the money Congress has appropriated, and then there will be fights and litigation after that,” Fishkin said, adding that the quicker a decision is made, the better chances are for any “cloud” over the market to be “lifted.”

But a question remains over how the stock market would react to even a whiff of the courts being the ultimate decider on the 14th Amendment.

“Some people assume that the president’s power to issue new debt would be resolved legally by the Supreme Court, but it would be resolved, for practical purposes, by the bond markets before the courts could even act. And the resolution would not be a happy one,” Michael McConnell, director of the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School, argued in a New York Times&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/14/opinion/debt-limit-constitution.html">op-ed</a>&nbsp;this month.

McConnell wrote that the idea that the president could preempt Congress’s power of the purse as “far-fetched.”

“(Section 4) does not make it unconstitutional for the United States to run out of money. Nice idea, but impossible. Section 4 prevents the only institution of government that could deny the validity of the debt — namely, Congress — from doing so,” McConnell wrote. “For the United States to fail to pay interest or principal on its debt would be financially catastrophic, but it would not affect the validity of the debt.”

Another question proponents of the 14th Amendment are asking: Who could challenge the president in court for continuing to pay the nation’s bills?

“No one really has standing to challenge spending money that was appropriated (for) other people,” Fishkin argued.

However, he predicts a flood of lawsuits would follow a default, which would have&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/05/19/a-default-on-the-u-s-debt-would-be-far-worse-than-a-government-shutdown-heres-how/">wide-ranging consequences</a>&nbsp;for anyone who relies on the federal government for income, including Social Security recipients, disabled veterans, military contractors and so on.

The National Association of Government Employees, which represents 75,000 federal employees under the umbrella Service Employees International Union, has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.256722/gov.uscourts.mad.256722.1.0.pdf">already filed suit</a>&nbsp;in a Massachusetts federal court on behalf of members who will lose income and not be able to pay union dues as a result of a default.

The group filed suit, in part, on the grounds that allowing the Treasury to prioritize certain payments over others during a default violates the separation of powers. In other words, Congress makes the spending decisions, not the president.

A federal judge has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.law360.com/employment/articles/1680684/debt-limit-suit-races-to-hearing-as-catastrophe-looms">scheduled</a>&nbsp;a hearing for May 31.

Dozens of progressive House Democrats sent a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://progressives.house.gov/_cache/files/b/d/bd03b58a-965d-4af8-9902-9acd070ea71f/40864F2E443B71B11BE64733172C450C.cpc-letter-on-14th-amendment-and-debt-ceiling-5-19-23.pdf">letter</a>&nbsp;to Biden May 19 urging him to invoke the 14th Amendment.

“If the options are either agreeing to major cuts to domestic priorities under the Republican threat of destroying the economy and moving forward to honor America’s debts, we join prominent legal scholars, economists, former budget officials, and a former president in advocating for invoking the 14th Amendment of the Constitution,” lawmakers wrote.&nbsp;

“Not only does the debt ceiling run counter to the Constitution’s mandate that the validity of America’s public debt shall not be questioned, it contradicts the appropriations law that requires the Treasury to issue debt for the funding you are obligated to administer at Congress’s direction,” the letter continued.

Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and 10 Senate Democrats also sent a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sanders.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/POTUS-14th-Amendment-Letter.pdf">letter</a>&nbsp;to the president advocating for unilateral action. Those who signed it included Whitehouse and Tina Smith of Minnesota, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Jack Reed of Rhode Island and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.

“Republicans’ unwillingness to consider one penny in new revenue from the wealthy and large corporations, along with their diminishment of the disastrous consequences of default, have made it seemingly impossible to enact a bipartisan budget deal at this time,” wrote the senators, who sent the letter May 18. “We write to urgently request that you prepare to exercise your authority under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution.”

Discussion of invoking the 14th Amendment has entered the national conversation in prior years as Congress and previous administrations edged toward the fiscal cliff.

Following the U.S. nearly defaulting in 2011, the idea escalated when Cornell Law professor Michael Dorf and University of&nbsp; Florida Levin College of Law professor Neil Buchanan&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/facpub/591/">argued</a>&nbsp;that the president “ignoring” the debt ceiling is the “least unconstitutional” course of action.

However, previous administrations and legal scholars have&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10292">rejected</a>&nbsp;the idea.

Biden&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2023/05/09/biden-and-congressional-leaders-fail-to-reach-a-debt-limit-deal-but-will-meet-again-friday/">said</a>&nbsp;on May 9 once the current debt situation is addressed, he wants to take a look “months down the road” at what a court would say on whether a president can use those provisions to address the debt ceiling without action by Congress.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684802104463.png" alt="President Biden and Speaker McCarthy last met on Monday.- White House photo" />
 <figcaption>President Biden and Speaker McCarthy last met on Monday.- White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By ASHLEY MURRAY&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — Progressives are pushing hard for President Joe Biden to take the unprecedented step of invoking the 14th Amendment as a way to avoid financial calamity if the White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy do not strike a deal on the debt ceiling in the coming days.The lawmakers and legal scholars argue that the Reconstruction-era amendment — to ensure debts were paid after the Civil War — trumps the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10292">debt limit statute</a>, or the law that sets the dollar amount of how much the U.S. government can borrow to pay its bills.Section 4 of the amendment states: “the validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred … shall not be questioned.”“The text of the 14th Amendment, which says that the debt of the United States ‘shall not be questioned,’ … nothing questions that more than a default, or frankly, a debt limit that may make it impossible practically to pay the debt of the United States,” Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island said Monday on a call with reporters hosted by the left-leaning Roosevelt Institute.A unilateral action by the president to proceed as though the U.S. has not run out of borrowing authority would not bypass Congress, the chair of the Senate Committee on the Budget and others argue.&nbsp;Rather, it would be a choice by the U.S. leader to follow the letter of the 14th Amendment and continue abiding by the numerous spending laws passed by Congress, they argue.“It’s not ‘How can the Biden administration go around Congress?’ The problem is Congress has legislated contradictory things. They’ve said you must spend this money and also, these are the taxes that you must collect. And also, here’s the debt ceiling,” UCLA law professor Joseph Fishkin argued on the call.&nbsp;“A lot of people seem to be assuming that if the administration is kind of stuck in that dilemma where you have to violate one of those statutes, for some reason, the one that has to be violated is the one on spending money,” he continued.Biden and McCarthy&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2023/05/23/biden-and-mccarthy-strike-positive-tone-after-debt-limit-talks-but-no-deal-yet/">met</a>&nbsp;Monday to continue negotiations but still hadn’t reached an agreement to raise the nation’s borrowing limit.<h2>Administration’s stance</h2>Biden said Sunday that he’s “looking at the 14th Amendment, as to whether or not we have the authority.”“I think we have the authority. The question is: Could it be done and invoked in time that it could not — would not be appealed and, as a consequence, pass the date in question and still default on the debt. That’s a question that I think is unresolved,” he&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?528183-1/presidential-closing-news-conference-7-summit">said</a>&nbsp;during remarks from the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen hours later on NBC’s “Meet the Press” also&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-may-21-2023-n1305244">expressed</a>&nbsp;concern about whether the administration had time to invoke the amendment as a solution.“It doesn’t seem like something that could be appropriately used in these circumstances, given the legal uncertainty around it, and given the tight time frame we’re on. So my devout hope is that Congress will raise the debt ceiling,” she told host Chuck Todd.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2023/05/09/biden-and-congressional-leaders-fail-to-reach-a-debt-limit-deal-but-will-meet-again-friday/">Weeks earlier</a>&nbsp;at the White House, the president said he was “considering” the amendment but “the problem is, it would have to be litigated, and in the meantime without an extension, the (situation) would still end up in the same place.”Proponents of using the amendment said they responded “quizzically” to the administration’s concern about time.“You know, really, it doesn’t take any time. You actually just keep going with spending the money Congress has appropriated, and then there will be fights and litigation after that,” Fishkin said, adding that the quicker a decision is made, the better chances are for any “cloud” over the market to be “lifted.”<h2>Legal questions</h2>But a question remains over how the stock market would react to even a whiff of the courts being the ultimate decider on the 14th Amendment.“Some people assume that the president’s power to issue new debt would be resolved legally by the Supreme Court, but it would be resolved, for practical purposes, by the bond markets before the courts could even act. And the resolution would not be a happy one,” Michael McConnell, director of the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School, argued in a New York Times&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/14/opinion/debt-limit-constitution.html">op-ed</a>&nbsp;this month.McConnell wrote that the idea that the president could preempt Congress’s power of the purse as “far-fetched.”“(Section 4) does not make it unconstitutional for the United States to run out of money. Nice idea, but impossible. Section 4 prevents the only institution of government that could deny the validity of the debt — namely, Congress — from doing so,” McConnell wrote. “For the United States to fail to pay interest or principal on its debt would be financially catastrophic, but it would not affect the validity of the debt.”Another question proponents of the 14th Amendment are asking: Who could challenge the president in court for continuing to pay the nation’s bills?“No one really has standing to challenge spending money that was appropriated (for) other people,” Fishkin argued.However, he predicts a flood of lawsuits would follow a default, which would have&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/05/19/a-default-on-the-u-s-debt-would-be-far-worse-than-a-government-shutdown-heres-how/">wide-ranging consequences</a>&nbsp;for anyone who relies on the federal government for income, including Social Security recipients, disabled veterans, military contractors and so on.The National Association of Government Employees, which represents 75,000 federal employees under the umbrella Service Employees International Union, has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.256722/gov.uscourts.mad.256722.1.0.pdf">already filed suit</a>&nbsp;in a Massachusetts federal court on behalf of members who will lose income and not be able to pay union dues as a result of a default.The group filed suit, in part, on the grounds that allowing the Treasury to prioritize certain payments over others during a default violates the separation of powers. In other words, Congress makes the spending decisions, not the president.A federal judge has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.law360.com/employment/articles/1680684/debt-limit-suit-races-to-hearing-as-catastrophe-looms">scheduled</a>&nbsp;a hearing for May 31.<h2>Progressives’ push</h2>Dozens of progressive House Democrats sent a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://progressives.house.gov/_cache/files/b/d/bd03b58a-965d-4af8-9902-9acd070ea71f/40864F2E443B71B11BE64733172C450C.cpc-letter-on-14th-amendment-and-debt-ceiling-5-19-23.pdf">letter</a>&nbsp;to Biden May 19 urging him to invoke the 14th Amendment.“If the options are either agreeing to major cuts to domestic priorities under the Republican threat of destroying the economy and moving forward to honor America’s debts, we join prominent legal scholars, economists, former budget officials, and a former president in advocating for invoking the 14th Amendment of the Constitution,” lawmakers wrote.&nbsp;“Not only does the debt ceiling run counter to the Constitution’s mandate that the validity of America’s public debt shall not be questioned, it contradicts the appropriations law that requires the Treasury to issue debt for the funding you are obligated to administer at Congress’s direction,” the letter continued.Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and 10 Senate Democrats also sent a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sanders.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/POTUS-14th-Amendment-Letter.pdf">letter</a>&nbsp;to the president advocating for unilateral action. Those who signed it included Whitehouse and Tina Smith of Minnesota, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Jack Reed of Rhode Island and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.“Republicans’ unwillingness to consider one penny in new revenue from the wealthy and large corporations, along with their diminishment of the disastrous consequences of default, have made it seemingly impossible to enact a bipartisan budget deal at this time,” wrote the senators, who sent the letter May 18. “We write to urgently request that you prepare to exercise your authority under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution.”<h2>Not a new idea</h2>Discussion of invoking the 14th Amendment has entered the national conversation in prior years as Congress and previous administrations edged toward the fiscal cliff.Following the U.S. nearly defaulting in 2011, the idea escalated when Cornell Law professor Michael Dorf and University of&nbsp; Florida Levin College of Law professor Neil Buchanan&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/facpub/591/">argued</a>&nbsp;that the president “ignoring” the debt ceiling is the “least unconstitutional” course of action.However, previous administrations and legal scholars have&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10292">rejected</a>&nbsp;the idea.Biden&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2023/05/09/biden-and-congressional-leaders-fail-to-reach-a-debt-limit-deal-but-will-meet-again-friday/">said</a>&nbsp;on May 9 once the current debt situation is addressed, he wants to take a look “months down the road” at what a court would say on whether a president can use those provisions to address the debt ceiling without action by Congress.

Progressives want Biden to use the 14th Amendment to resolve debt crisis 

The Plainsmen exhibition game for tonight against the North Platte Nationals has been postponed due to possible weather. A new date for the exhibition game is TBD.&nbsp;

The Plainsmen exhibition game for tonight against the North Platte Nationals has been postponed due to possible weather. A new date for the exhibition game is TBD.&nbsp;<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FNorthPlattePlainsmen%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02hvjG5cn8vVm7TDLqg7HXmkndLN3H1aGnbrX9QEukpAfMLgsVR158p9p55GgzbB4pl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="629" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>

Exhibition game between Plainsmen and Nationals Postponed

KANSAS CITY —The Federal Bureau of Investigation has issued a warning about a suspect now on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten" target="_blank">Top Ten Most Wanted list&nbsp;</a>who is believed to be in Missouri.

On Thursday, Donald Eugene Fields II, 58, wanted for the alleged sex trafficking of at least one child in Missouri, was added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, according to a statement from the agency.

The crimes occurred between 2013 and 2017. A federal arrest warrant was issued for Fields on December 8, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri after he was charged with sex trafficking of children.

According to a special agent in the FBI’s St. Louis Division, “Fields has allegedly demonstrated a pattern of abusing minor females in his circle that are entrusted to his care, manipulating them to earn their trust quickly and using their own resources to take advantage of them.”

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $250,000 for information leading to Fields’ arrest. This amount reflects the FBI’s decision in May 2023 to increase the reward from up to $100,000 to up to $250,000 to aid in capturing individuals on the the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.

Fields is 58 years old and has brown hair and hazel eyes. He is between 6’0” and 6’4” tall and weighs about 235 pounds. He is a white male with scars on his chest, his groin, his left calf, both legs, and both knees. Fields has worked as a tree trimmer, a resale shop owner, and an independent used car dealer.&nbsp;

Fields was last known to reside in Missouri; he has family there and in Kentucky. He is known to visit casinos and has traveled to Florida in the past.

If you have any information concerning Fields, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, submit a tip online at&nbsp;<a href="https://tips.fbi.gov/" target="_blank">tips.fbi.gov</a>, or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us">contact your&nbsp;local FBI office</a>. If you are outside of the United States, you can contact the&nbsp;nearest American Embassy or Consulate.

<a href="https://tips.fbi.gov/" target="_blank">Submit an anonymous Tip online</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685097640185.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —The Federal Bureau of Investigation has issued a warning about a suspect now on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten" target="_blank">Top Ten Most Wanted list&nbsp;</a>who is believed to be in Missouri.On Thursday, Donald Eugene Fields II, 58, wanted for the alleged sex trafficking of at least one child in Missouri, was added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, according to a statement from the agency.The crimes occurred between 2013 and 2017. A federal arrest warrant was issued for Fields on December 8, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri after he was charged with sex trafficking of children.According to a special agent in the FBI’s St. Louis Division, “Fields has allegedly demonstrated a pattern of abusing minor females in his circle that are entrusted to his care, manipulating them to earn their trust quickly and using their own resources to take advantage of them.”The FBI is offering a reward of up to $250,000 for information leading to Fields’ arrest. This amount reflects the FBI’s decision in May 2023 to increase the reward from up to $100,000 to up to $250,000 to aid in capturing individuals on the the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685098186464.png" alt="Fields -photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>Fields -photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>Fields is 58 years old and has brown hair and hazel eyes. He is between 6’0” and 6’4” tall and weighs about 235 pounds. He is a white male with scars on his chest, his groin, his left calf, both legs, and both knees. Fields has worked as a tree trimmer, a resale shop owner, and an independent used car dealer.&nbsp;Fields was last known to reside in Missouri; he has family there and in Kentucky. He is known to visit casinos and has traveled to Florida in the past.If you have any information concerning Fields, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, submit a tip online at&nbsp;<a href="https://tips.fbi.gov/" target="_blank">tips.fbi.gov</a>, or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us">contact your&nbsp;local FBI office</a>. If you are outside of the United States, you can contact the&nbsp;nearest American Embassy or Consulate.<a href="https://tips.fbi.gov/" target="_blank">Submit an anonymous Tip online</a>

FBI warning: Top 10 most wanted fugitive believed to be in Missouri

LINCOLN, NE –&nbsp;Governor Jim Pillen&nbsp;signed LB276, the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Act into law Thursday.&nbsp;Governor Pillen was joined by&nbsp;LB276 author Senator Anna Wishart, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) CEO Dannette R. Smith, Former State Senator Annette Dubas, and CenterPointe President Topher Hansen.

The Act will allow the creation of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCHBCs) throughout Nebraska. CCBHCs are&nbsp;designed to ensure access to coordinated comprehensive behavioral health care. CCBHCs are required to serve anyone who requests care for mental health or substance use, regardless of their ability to pay, place of residence, or age.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"It is important that we offer help to Nebraskans who suffer from mental health issues and substance abuse problems," said&nbsp;Governor Pillen. "This piece of legislation will help transform mental health and substance abuse services in Nebraska. Other states that have adopted CCHBCs have called the results 'transformational,' and that is why signing this legislation is a no-brainer for Nebraska."

"This bill signed into law today will do a lot of good for a lot of people in our state," said Senator Anna Wishart. "CCBHCs will not only improve the quality of mental and behavioral health services in our state; it also is a smart investment that has the ability to reduce emergency room visits and incarcerations."

In other states that have implemented CCBHCs, data has shown substantial reductions in law enforcement involvement, hospital emergency department usage, and admissions to inpatient care. In addition, CCBHCs have shown increases in hiring and retention, including the addition of more peer support specialists, counselors, social workers, and psychiatrists.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I am extremely excited for this opportunity to co-create, along with Governor Pillen, Senator Wishart, and providers a new strategy that will utilize CCBHCs to increase access and quality of care services for those Nebraskans most in need,” said DHHS CEO Dannette R. Smith.

"One in four Nebraskans will face a mental health crisis in any given year," said former State Senator Annette Dubas. "Having access to immediate care that meets individuals treatment needs is critical. CCBHCs will collaborate with communities to expand our existing system of care and provide needed care and hope to Nebraskans experiencing a mental illness or addiction."

"Healthy minds and bodies build strong Nebraska communities," said Topher Hansen, president and CEO of CenterPointe. "Having a vital, healthy community allows it to thrive and prosper. CCBHC’s bring whole person, integrated care that communities need to maintain good mental health and physical health so they can build their communities unimpeded by treatable illnesses. Crisis response, same-day access to services, youth, family, and adult care, and many other services needed in the community are realized through this model of providing services."&nbsp;

LINCOLN, NE –&nbsp;Governor Jim Pillen&nbsp;signed LB276, the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Act into law Thursday.&nbsp;Governor Pillen was joined by&nbsp;LB276 author Senator Anna Wishart, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) CEO Dannette R. Smith, Former State Senator Annette Dubas, and CenterPointe President Topher Hansen.The Act will allow the creation of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCHBCs) throughout Nebraska. CCBHCs are&nbsp;designed to ensure access to coordinated comprehensive behavioral health care. CCBHCs are required to serve anyone who requests care for mental health or substance use, regardless of their ability to pay, place of residence, or age.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685096662648.png" alt="Today, Governor Jim Pillen signed LB276, the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Act into law." />
 <figcaption>Today, Governor Jim Pillen signed LB276, the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Act into law.</figcaption>
 </figure>"It is important that we offer help to Nebraskans who suffer from mental health issues and substance abuse problems," said&nbsp;Governor Pillen. "This piece of legislation will help transform mental health and substance abuse services in Nebraska. Other states that have adopted CCHBCs have called the results 'transformational,' and that is why signing this legislation is a no-brainer for Nebraska.""This bill signed into law today will do a lot of good for a lot of people in our state," said Senator Anna Wishart. "CCBHCs will not only improve the quality of mental and behavioral health services in our state; it also is a smart investment that has the ability to reduce emergency room visits and incarcerations."In other states that have implemented CCBHCs, data has shown substantial reductions in law enforcement involvement, hospital emergency department usage, and admissions to inpatient care. In addition, CCBHCs have shown increases in hiring and retention, including the addition of more peer support specialists, counselors, social workers, and psychiatrists.&nbsp;&nbsp;“I am extremely excited for this opportunity to co-create, along with Governor Pillen, Senator Wishart, and providers a new strategy that will utilize CCBHCs to increase access and quality of care services for those Nebraskans most in need,” said DHHS CEO Dannette R. Smith."One in four Nebraskans will face a mental health crisis in any given year," said former State Senator Annette Dubas. "Having access to immediate care that meets individuals treatment needs is critical. CCBHCs will collaborate with communities to expand our existing system of care and provide needed care and hope to Nebraskans experiencing a mental illness or addiction.""Healthy minds and bodies build strong Nebraska communities," said Topher Hansen, president and CEO of CenterPointe. "Having a vital, healthy community allows it to thrive and prosper. CCBHC’s bring whole person, integrated care that communities need to maintain good mental health and physical health so they can build their communities unimpeded by treatable illnesses. Crisis response, same-day access to services, youth, family, and adult care, and many other services needed in the community are realized through this model of providing services."&nbsp;