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House Dems face Trump tariff dilemma as major Russia sanctions bill heads to floor

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House Democrats will soon have to grapple with a decision over whether to give President Donald Trump more tariff authority or potentially block Congress from cracking down on Vladimir Putin’s bloody war in Ukraine.

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The House Rules Committee has teed up votes on several bills this week, including the Senate’s legislation aimed at sanctioning Russia and Iran.

That bill was named after the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a massive supporter of Ukraine who died unexpectedly at the age of 71 in July.

And while the majority of Democrats support action to help Ukraine against Russia’s invasion, they’ll also be forced to reckon with the legislation’s language giving Trump additional authority to punish Russia and its allies with significant tariffs.

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LINDSEY GRAHAM’S FINAL MISSION TO PUNISH PUTIN CLEARS SENATE AFTER YEARLONG FIGHT

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol building on March 27, 2026 in Washington, D.C. President of the United States Donald J. Trump during the 2026 Easter Egg Roll at the White House, Washington, D.C., on April 6, 2026. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images; Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Democrats have long been critical of Trump’s unchecked use of tariffs against U.S. allies like Canada and Mexico, which have also been subject to a slew of court battles.

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TRUMP JUST EXPANDED HIS TARIFF PLAYBOOK WITH A POWERFUL TRADE WEAPON NO PRESIDENT HAS EVER USED

It’s part of why senior House Democrats said earlier this year that they would oppose the bill.

«House Democrats are rock solid in our support for Ukraine, but the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia And Iran Act would do more harm than good. This bill would dramatically expand presidential tariff authorities while failing to mandate sanctions on Russia, both of which are unacceptable,» Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., Ranking Member of the House Committee on Ways and Means, and Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., said in a statement.

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SEN RAND PAUL: DC’S RUSSIA SANCTIONS BILL WON’T STOP PUTIN — BUT IT WILL HURT YOU

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., did not give up his position on the bill during a Monday press conference, telling reporters, «We’re going to continue to stand by the Ukrainian people and find a path forward to get a sanctions bill done while addressing the very real concerns that [Democrats] have raised about giving Donald Trump authority that the Supreme Court recently made clear he does not currently have, and should not have, because it belongs to the Congress pursuant to the Constitution.»

The bill would direct the president to hike up to 500% tariffs on Russia and up to 100% on countries buying Russian energy.

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MIKE PENCE: CONGRESS MUST FINISH LINDSEY GRAHAM’S FIGHT AGAINST PUTIN

Trump would also be directed to impose significant sanctions on Russian officials and others responsible for continuing the war on Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with Sen. Lindsey Graham in Kyiv during a March 2024 visit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, meets with Sen. Lindsey Graham in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 18, 2024. (Ukrainian Presidency/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The bill advanced through the House Rules Committee on Monday night, setting up a House-wide procedural hurdle called a «rule vote» on Tuesday afternoon.

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If passed, the full House will vote on the sanctions bill on Wednesday afternoon, according to a preliminary legislative schedule obtained by Fox News Digital.

And with an increasingly vocal isolationist wing permeating the House GOP Conference, at least some Democrats will be needed to help the bill pass.

The package, pushed by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Graham, was in purgatory for nearly two years as the lawmakers and administration went back and forth to find a compromise that Trump and Congress could stomach.

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Blumenthal defended the tariff language in the bill to Fox News Digital, «If Donald Trump wants to break this law, he will be restrained by the courts, just as when he broke the law on tariffs previously.»

And Senate Democrats largely voted in favor of giving Trump limited tariff authority in exchange for the bone-crushing sanctions against Russia, despite raging against duties for years.

Russian President Vladimir Putin

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in Moscow on September 5, 2026. (Gavriil GRIGOROV / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

Though some raised concerns, like Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., most Democratic caucus members gave a thumbs-up to the tariff power.

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EXCLUSIVE: PENCE PUSHES TO RENAME BILL FOR LINDSEY GRAHAM, RECALLS FINAL TALK: ‘BRING PUTIN TO THE TABLE’

That all came after Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., received guarantees from U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer that the tariffs baked into the sanctions package would just be limited to the top five energy trading partners with the Kremlin.

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The Hitchhiker’s Guide to why removing Ilhan Omar from Congress could be harder than Trump expects

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Republicans hope there are lots of Democrats who won’t win re-election next week and return to Capitol Hill. Republicans are imploring voters to kick them out.

But President Trump is focused on bouncing one Democrat from Congress who likely wins re-election in a solidly blue district. That’s Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). She carried her district two years ago with nearly three-quarters of the vote. But President Trump questions whether Omar is in the country legally and, therefore, qualified to sit in Congress.

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«She used a fake name to be sworn in,» said the President. «She’s a little troublemaker.»

The Department of Justice is investigating Omar for potential immigration fraud. Federal authorities raided her Washington, DC home recently and removed 17 items. That included phones, notebooks, a camera and a Somali phrase book for her kids.

President Trump suggests that her name is not «Ilhan Omar» and that it’s «an entirely different name name. Ihan Nur Sayeed Elmi. It’s close.»

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A federal filing in that inquiry lists the Congresswoman’s name as «Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar.»

That’s why the President says «she must immediately resign from Congress.»

A reporter for Fox Digital confronted the Congresswoman about her name.

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SOMALI RAP PROMISING TO ‘SCATTER’ ENEMIES UNDERSCORES OMAR’S SERENE LAKESIDE VIDEO

«Is your name Ilhan Sayed, Ilhan Nur Sayed Alami, or Ilhan Abdullahi Omar?» asked Rashid Umar Abbasi, working for Fox.

«Ilhan Abdullahi Omar. You know it,» replied Omar.

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«Ma’am?» asked Abbasi for clarification.

«It’s Ilhan Abdullahi Omar,» she confirmed.

The Clerk of the House of Representatives officially lists the Congresswoman as solely «Ilhan Omar» on 15 different financial disclosure reports dating back to 2018. That’s even before she entered Congress. The same with the Minnesota state legislature where Omar served prior to coming to Washington.

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The discrepancy is why the President wants the House to banish Omar.

«She will not be legally allowed to be a member of that august body that sits in Washington,» said President Trump.

But it’s not his call.

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However, Article I, Section 5 of the Constitution grants both bodies of Congress final authority about who it admits to its membership.

At least one House Republican is willing to explore that. But only if the facts merit it.

«The House has the prerogative to seat or not seat and to throw Members out if it so chooses,» said Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.). «There ought to be good sound reasons for it.»

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It’s a different set of rules, but Griffith had experience with this as the Virginia House of Delegates grappled with a similar issue about seating lawmakers in the Commonwealth in 1988.

But Congress is altogether different.

«It would be extraordinary. And it should be extraordinary and it should not be used except in extraordinary circumstances,» said Griffith.

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Yours truly asked what would meet that bar to block someone from serving in the House.

«It’s like the Supreme Court said about pornography. I’ll know it when I see it,» said Griffith, paraphrasing late Justice Potter Stewart from a key 1964 obscenity case.

ILHAN OMAR HIT WITH EXPULSION THREAT AS GOP LAWMAKER VOWS TO BOOT HER FROM CONGRESS OVER DOJ PROBE

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House Republicans have two options to deal with Omar if they are truly determined to take action – regardless of what is proven or not. Qualifications for the House are pretty simple. You must be a citizen and a resident of the state you are representing. And, you must be 25 years old. You could even be convicted of a crime and serving time in jail. The Constitution is silent on all other credentials. You could also have a resume which is without a blemish. It doesn’t matter. The House could still take action against you.

The first conceivable option could come now. The Constitution grants the House and Senate the right to expel Members – provided there’s a two-thirds vote. Any scenario to expel Omar seems remarkable. Especially since she hasn’t been convicted of a crime. And even if she is charged, there are lots of other issues which could emerge before a trial.

It would be strange to have the executive branch of government trying to remove a Member of the legislative branch of government. Moreover, it’s likely that the House counsel would contest any effort by federal prosecutors to procure Omar’s official House communication devices as well as documents. There’s a firewall between the legislative branch and executive branch known as the «Speech or Debate Clause.» Article I, Section 6 of the Constitution grants lawmakers privileges tied to their official duties. So getting those papers — let alone potentially deporting her as some have suggested – is a far cry. Especially since she’s a Member and this all hinges on expulsion.

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Moreover, two-thirds of the House will never vote to expel a Member under these circumstances unless there’s ironclad proof of wrongdoing. That’s why the House has only expelled six Members in its history. The last was former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) in 2023.

However, what may be an issue is whether or not there could be an objection to seating Omar when the new Congress convenes in January.

In 1968, then Rep. Adam Clayton Powell (D-NY) faced a criminal investigation. House Speaker John McCormack (D-Mass.) refused to seat Powell – even though he met all other requirements. The Supreme Court ruled in Powell v. McCormack that the House can’t exclude a Member if they meet the basic standards to serve in the House.

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TRUMP IMMIGRATION WIN COULD STRENGTHEN ADMIN’S HAND IN LOOMING SUPREME COURT FIGHT

That said, it’s possible there could be motions not to seat Omar – or even other progressive Members-elect who have said controversial things about the U.S. and Constitution. Such a motion would come right after the House chooses a Speaker. But the Speaker has not sworn-in the rest of the Members. The House would then swear-in everyone – except the Member or Members-elect who may face questions about serving. Once the House swears in the rest of the body, it can then vote on a motion not to expel those persons, table the motion, or refer the motion to a committee for investigation.

In 1985, the House did not swear-in Rep. Frank McCloskey (D-Ind.) and decided to investigate whether or not he won his seat in the Hoosier State. The House didn’t swear-in McCloskey for several months.

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Based on Powell v. McCormack, it’s hard to envision a scenario where the House declines to seat someone. But it might not do it immediately based on the McCloskey case.

Of course, it’s always probable that the House could seat someone – and then expel them. That doesn’t collide headlong with the Powell decision. But considering that the House has only expelled six members, those circumstances are doubtful, too.

What’s in a name? Especially for Ilhan Omar. Her adversaries may raise questions about her name. But it’s doubtful they can do anything about her position. 

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En plena tensión con Irán, Netanyahu disputa una elección que puede terminar con su carrera política

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(Desde Tel Aviv, Israel) Apoyado por Donald Trump, y con la sociedad israelí fracturada en dos, Benjamín Netanyahu enfrenta hoy una compleja elección que puede significar su epílogo político.

Las elecciones en Israel son para elegir 120 bancas del Parlamento (Knesset), y se necesitan 61 para designar al próximo primer ministro de Israel.

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Hasta anoche, el oficialismo y la oposición aseguraban a Infobae que la fragmentación política no permitiría anunciar rápidamente a un triunfador.

Se aguarda, entonces, una etapa de difícil negociación con final abierto.

Netanyahu lidera el Likud, y sus socios políticos son Itamar Ben Gvir -partido Otzma Yehudit-, y Bezalel Smotrich -partido Hazionut Hadatit, que integran el actual gobierno y llevaron al primer ministro a extremas posiciones de derecha.

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Al otro lado, la oposición israelí se mueve de derecha a izquierda con un objetivo básico: bloquear la reelección de Netanyahu y revisar su responsabilidad política antes y después del ataque terrorista de Hamas, ocurrido el 7 de octubre de 2023.

El líder de la oposición es Gadi Eisenkot, un prestigioso general que encabeza el partido Yashar!. Junto a Eisenkot se alinea la coalición Beyachad, que conducen Naftali Bennett y Yair Lapid.

Es un bloque por derecha, que compite por el electorado que apoyaba a Netanyahu antes del ataque terrorista avalado por Irán.

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Y para exhibir la fragmentación actual de la sociedad israelí, la coalición socialdemócrata que responde a Yair Golan está dispuesta a acompañar al general Eisenkot, aunque tambien sea respaldado por Avigdor Lieberman, que controla al partido nacionalista Ysrael Beyteinu.

Gadi Eisenkot, principal candidato de la oposición en Israel

Los bloques que lideran Netanyahu y Eisenkot se diferencian respecto a la estrategia que Israel debe asumir ante Irán, frente a los graves errores cometidos por la actual administración que permitieron a Hamas ejecutar su masacre, y ante los crímenes de guerra cometidos en Gaza.

“Creo que hemos liderado una de las victorias más importantes de nuestros tiempos, y cuando lo miras con una perspectiva amplia, esta guerra, comparada con la Segunda Guerra del Líbano, con la Operación Margen Protector, o incluso con la Primera Guerra del Líbano, es una gran victoria contra Irán y sus aliados (proxies), contra Hezbolá, contra Hamás”, aseguró Amichai Chikli, ministro de Asuntos de la Diáspora, durante un encuentro realizado por la Organización no Gubernamental Fuente Latina.

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Y añadió respecto a Irán y su proyecto nuclear:

“Las capacidades de Irán retrocedieron. Pero eso no significa que la amenaza se haya eliminado por completo. Por lo tanto, debemos prepararnos tanto para la opción de que intenten renovar la producción de armas nucleares como, basándonos en la estrategia de Mojtaba Khamenei, para la posibilidad de que inicien ataques contra Israel”.

Amichai Chikli, ministro de Asuntos de la Diáspora

La posición del ministro Chikli contrasta con todos los referentes de la oposición que tienen experiencia militar y son muy críticos respecto a la administración Netanyahu.

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El primer ministro israelí aun no dio explicaciones respecto al ataque sorpresa de Hamas, y a la ejecución del plan bélico en Gaza y sus consecuencias humanitarias.

“Estamos a tres años de la masacre del 7 de octubre, el día más horrendo para el pueblo judío desde el Holocausto. Cada alto mando de seguridad ha asumido su responsabilidad y ha dejado sus cargos. Los únicos que no han asumido ninguna responsabilidad son el actual gobierno de Israel y Benjamin Netanyahu. Desafortunadamente, desde el 7 de octubre, él ha hecho todo lo que ha estado en su mano para evitar la creación de la comisión estatal de investigación, y él sabe por qué. Él sabe por qué. La primerísima decisión que vamos a tomar tras formar el nuevo gobierno liderado por Gadi Eisenkot es establecer la comisión estatal de investigación para investigar la masacre del 7 de octubre, para entender verdaderamente qué ocurrió, para averiguar dónde estuvo el fallo sistemático, cuáles fueron los orígenes de este fallo”, Lianne Pollack-David, asesora de estrategia internacional de Eisenkot, durante una exposición convocada por la Organización no Gubernamental Fuente Latina.

Y concluyó:

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“Nos vamos a basar en el plan de Trump que se ha estancado en su implementación por varias razones. Una de esas razones es el actual gobierno israelí. Así que hay mucho en lo que hay que avanzar, acelerar el progreso para desarmar a Hamas, para crear una nueva realidad en Gaza donde Hamas no controle Gaza, para que la comunidad internacional y los socios regionales hagan su trabajo, y para que nosotros hagamos nuestra parte donde sea necesario. Vamos a usar cada herramienta que tengamos para garantizar la seguridad del Estado de Israel y de su gente, para que las personas puedan regresar a los alrededores de Gaza y a todas sus comunidades. Si hay una forma de que la gente vuelva, es a través de la seguridad. Queremos garantizar su seguridad y apuntar hacia fuera bajo el plan político utilizando todas las herramientas tenemos para gestionar el entorno”.

Lianne Pollack-David, asesora de estrategia internacional del candidato Eisenkot

Donald Trump apoya a Netanyahu, y aguarda su triunfo para lanzar una nueva ofensiva contra Irán. En menos de una semana, el presidente de Estados Unidos respaldó dos veces al primer ministro israelí a través de su cuenta oficial en Truth Social.

“Cuando vayan a las urnas, por favor recuerden que ¡Bibi ha sido un Primer Ministro Guerrero extraordinario! ¡Voten por Bibi Netanyahu para Primer Ministro; tenemos que terminar el trabajo que empezamos!”, señaló Trump.

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El respaldo del líder republicano tuvo escasa influencia en las correlación de fuerzas para designar al próximo primer ministro de Israel. Están llegando desde el exterior miles de israelíes que quieren votar hoy, y la mayoría ellos soslayaría la posición pública de Trump.

Un cartel colgado en Tel Aviv muestra el respaldo explícito de Trump a Netanyahu en las elecciones convocadas para hoy en Israel

Netanyahu y Eisenkot tienen sus bloques de apoyo definidos, y esperan conocer las bancas que reunirán los partidos ultra ortodoxos y árabes, por su probable rol como árbitros de esta elección histórica.

El partido Shas representa a la comunidad sefaradí y es liderado por Aryeh Deri, mientras que Judaísmo Unido de la Torá es una alianza de partidos de raíz asquenazi.

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En un principio, estos partidos apoyarán a Netanyahu y sus socios electorales.

Mientras tanto, en la antípoda ideológica, se encuentra la Lista Árabe Unida –Ra’am-, que dirige Mansour Abbas y La Lista Conjunta (Hadash / Ta’al / Balad), que es una Alianza de partidos de ciudadanos árabes-israelíes.

Ra’am y La Lista Conjunta respaldarán a Eisenkot.

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Isaac Herzog, presidente de Israel

Cerca de la medianoche, (hora de Israel), habría una tendencia respecto al resultado de los comicios. Pero es poco probable que Netanyahu y Eisenkot alcancen las 61 bancas de la Knesset que les permitiría formar un gobierno de coalición.

Será el turno de Isaac Herzog -como presidente de Israel-, que deberá convocar al triunfador de las elecciones y encargar que forme gobierno.

Ese será un momento histórico para Israel.

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El papa León XIV confirmó su viaje a la Argentina: “Me llena de alegría regresar al continente”

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El papa León XIV confirmó su viaje a la Argentina, donde permanecerá entre el 8 y el 11 de noviembre, con actividades previstas en Buenos Aires, Córdoba y Luján. La visita formará parte de una gira por América Latina que también incluirá Uruguay y Perú, entre el 6 y el 17 de noviembre.

“Me llena de alegría regresar al continente en el que he vivido tantos momentos de mi vida. Que este viaje sea una ocasión para abrir nuestros corazones los unos a los otros, fortalecer nuestra comunión como hermanos y hermanas, y renovar nuestro compromiso de anunciar el Evangelio con alegría”, expresó el Pontífice en un mensaje publicado en sus redes sociales, acompañado por las etiquetas #Uruguay, #Argentina y #Perú.

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En paralelo, el Vaticano difundió un comunicado sobre la evolución de su estado de salud, a dos semanas de la operación a la que fue sometido. La Oficina de Prensa de la Santa Sede ratificó que el viaje se realizará según el programa publicado anteriormente y que los últimos controles médicos no detectaron impedimentos para que el Papa cumpla con sus compromisos.

El papa León XIV vendrá al país en noviembre. (Foto: Reuters)

El programa oficial del Vaticano establece que León XIV llegará a Buenos Aires el domingo 8 de noviembre, procedente de Uruguay, y partirá rumbo a Lima el miércoles 11. Durante esos cuatro días tendrá actividades religiosas, encuentros institucionales y reuniones con distintos sectores de la sociedad.

Tras la publicación del mensaje de León XIV, la Oficina de Prensa de la Santa Sede difundió un comunicado sobre su recuperación posoperatoria. El texto destacó que el proceso evoluciona favorablemente y que los estudios médicos no indican la necesidad de tratamientos oncológicos adicionales.

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