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Shri <keyword id="6912912" type="AGENCY" weightage="20" keywordseo="THANEDAR">Thanedar</keyword>, an Indian-origin millionaire businessman who ran for Governor two years ago, has been elected to the House of Representatives in Michigan with 93 per cent votes. Thanedar, 65, also a scientist, raised a record-breaking USD 438,620, primarily from his own wealth, in the state House primary against six other opponents of the Democratic Party. The former gubernatorial hopeful cashed in on his high name familiarity after he moved from Ann Arbor to Detroit after losing the 2018 primary. His campaign two years ago featured a heavy dose of "Shri for We" television ads. He won from the 3rd District of Michigan with 93 per cent of the total votes. Thanedar had spent almost USD 10 million of his own fortune to finish third behind Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Abdul El Sayed in the 2018 gubernatorial primary, but he won the most votes in Detroit. Originally from Karnataka's Belgaum, he earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry at 18 and master's degree from University of Bombay. Later, he migrated to the US in 1979 to pursue higher studies from University of Akron and later University of Michigan. Thanedar told the media in a recent interview that he began campaigning last fall prior to the pandemic and has spent time during the outbreak passing out masks, hand sanitiser and door knockers. He said that he wants to tackle a long list of challenges plaguing his district, including blight, water shutoffs, foreclosures, crime and unemployment. "I'm seeing people have no hope. Conditions are really bad and nothing has changed in years. People are disenfranchised. I've slept and ate on the floor, with no running water," Thanedar said, referring to his upbringing in India. "I understand the pain of poverty," he said.

Thanedar, an Indian-origin millionaire businessman, gets elected to Michigan state legislature in US

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Rep. Shri Thanedar's face is splashed across several billboards in the Detroit area.</li><li>They're funded with at least $45,460 in taxpayer dollars via a practice known as "franking."</li></ul>If you're driving down a highway in the Detroit metro area, you're likely to come across at least one of them: a shiny billboard featuring Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar's smiling face."REACH CONGRESSMAN SHRI 24/7," the tower advertisement typically blares alongside a link to Thanedar's official House website.But while the billboards are likely to boost Thanedar's profile and name recognition as he faces a competitive primary in Michigan's 13th congressional district, they're not paid for by his campaign.They're paid for by Thanedar's congressional office — which is funded via <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/which-lawmakers-spend-taxpayer-dollars-twitter-2023-9">taxpayer dollars</a>.It's unclear exactly how much of his office budget is going toward billboards. The congressman did not provide an exact figure to Business Insider, and records filed with the House of Representatives covering 2023 aren't entirely clear.But those records show that Thanedar's office spent nearly $327,000 on advertising in 2023, $45,460 of which went directly to two billboard companies: Lamar and Outfront Media.<div type="image" title="One of Thanedar's billboards in the Chadsey Condon neighborhood of Detroit." height="1500" width="2000" msid="108687667" hostid="261" sizebytes="728556"></div>Lawmakers have to communicate with their constituents, and that does cost money. But Thanedar's spending habits highlight the gray area that's long existed when it comes to so-called "franking" — an antiquated term that once referred to a lawmaker's signature on a piece of mail but now refers to all forms of taxpayer-funded mass communication by congressional offices.In a statement to Business Insider, Thanedar attributed the billboards and other mass communications to the state's 2022 redistricting, noting that his current district includes portions of previous districts represented by Democratic Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Debbie Dingell, as well as former Democratic Rep. Brenda Lawrence."My office received calls from constituents of neighboring congresswomen and vice versa," said Thanedar. "To address this, we significantly ramped up our outreach efforts through various media."Daniel Schuman, the director of governance at the POPVOX Foundation, said that the appropriateness of such spending comes down to factors like timing and the particular circumstances of the district's geography."Is it appropriate for a member to buy a billboard?" said Schuman. "The answer, I think, is that it depends."House records show that Thanedar's taxpayer-funded payments to billboard companies began in October, after it had <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/09/14/congress/house-dems-michigan-primary-challenge-thanedar-00115738">become clear</a> that he would face a challenge from State Sen. Adam Hollier, who Thanedar defeated in the crowded 2022 Democratic primary.<h2>The rules around 'franking'</h2>"Franking" has long been a gray area within American politics. The practice dates back to the country's founding, when government officials could use their signatures to disseminate information via the postal system without having to pay for stamps.Lawmakers still <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mike-garcia-earmarks-omnibus-government-spending-2024-1">send mail to their constituents</a>, but that's not all they can do with taxpayer money. They can also send texts and emails, cut radio ads, and even create billboards and TV ads.There are <a target="_blank" href="https://cha.house.gov/_cache/files/0/0/007fab34-97cc-419b-b063-70b9299445e7/0F8965C39CA29112125299E43FDF595C.communications-standards-manual---updated-9.21.23-34-.pdf">clear rules</a> barring members of Congress from using franking for overt political or campaign purposes, which are enforced by the House Communications Standards Commission and the Senate Ethics Committee.In other words, lawmakers can't use taxpayer money to create materials asking voters to support them in an upcoming election.Furthermore, lawmakers are prohibited from sending unsolicited mass communications for 60 days before any primary or general election — meaning Thanedar's billboards will have to come down by June 7, which is 60 days before Michigan's August 6 primary elections.<div type="image" title="Thanedar's billboard in Lincoln Park, Michigan." height="1500" width="2000" msid="108687668" hostid="261" sizebytes="252968"></div>There are currently no strict guidelines around the amount of money that members of Congress can spend on advertising — they just have to balance it against other expenses, including staff compensation, in their office budgets, which average roughly $1.9 million in the House and $4.1 million in the Senate.The Michigan congressman is by no means the only member of Congress to blur the lines when it comes to franking.Republican Rep. Bill Timmons of South Carolina has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.postandcourier.com/greenville/politics/william-timmons-adam-morgan-congress-sc-billboard-ads-mailers-franking/article_843e6928-db17-11ee-8faf-e7cfdff45251.html">reportedly increased</a> his own congressional office spending as he's faced a primary challenge from the right, and Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is facing a House Ethics Committee probe that may relate to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insideelections.com/news/article/the-congresswoman-cherfilus-mccormick-the-taxpayer-funded-tv-ads">taxpayer-funded TV ads</a> that closely resemble her campaign ads.But Thanedar's office appears to spend way more than the average House office on "franking." And there's little doubt the billboards help boost his profile."If it's just a billboard with your name and the URL… maybe that's a way of encouraging people to contact the office," said Schuman. "Does that work? I don't know. It could be just about name recognition."<h2>'Money spent on this takes away from other things'</h2>According to data from Legistorm, the average House office spent almost 78% of its budget on staffer compensation in 2023 — which accounted for just 38% of Thanedar's budget. On the other hand, the Michigan congressman spent 31.4% of his budget on printing and reproduction, nearly 10 times more than the average of 3.4%."My perspective is that there should be limits for the amount of money that you can spend on [franking]," said Schuman. "Money spent on this takes away from other things, like staff salaries."<div type="image" title="A chart comparing Rep. Shri Thanedar's office expenses to the average House member in 2023." height="810" width="1906" msid="108687669" hostid="261" sizebytes="44956"></div>HuffPost previously reported that Thanedar has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/shri-thanedar-detroit-congress-controversy_n_6580a94fe4b08e9b410b881d">faced scrutiny</a> over the large amounts of money he puts towards advertising, with sources telling the outlet that the billboards felt "more like campaign self-promotion than official communication."Thanedar now faces a primary challenge from Hollier, who's been endorsed by Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, former Rep. Brenda Lawrence, and a bevy of state lawmakers and local officials.The congressman has faced allegations from neighboring Rep. Rashida Tlaib of providing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rashida-tlaib-shri-thanedar-busy-posting-memes-israel-hamas-2023-10">poor constituent services</a>, and detractors of the congressman argue that the majority-Black district Detroit district should be represented by a member of that community."While he is busy posting memes, his residents are calling my office asking for my assistance because he is absent from doing his job," Tlaib told the Detroit News in October.Thanedar countered that in a statement to Business Insider on Thursday, saying his office has "quadrupled constituent calls" in the last year and resolved 84% of the more than 1,400 constituent cases his office has received."We are proud of our communications to our constituents, and in recent surveys, over 70% of our constituents rated our service fair to excellent," said Thanedar.

The questionable way lawmakers get taxpayers to fund borderline-political ads 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The conflict in Israel is having repercussions in Michigan, putting two progressive Democrats at odds.</li><li>Rep. Rashida Tlaib is accusing Rep. Shri Thanedar of being too "busy posting memes" to do his job.</li></ul>Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Shri Thanedar — two progressive Democrats who represent neighboring Detroit-area districts in Michigan — are in a war of words over not just Israel, but about their jobs as lawmakers."While he is busy posting memes, his residents are calling my office asking for my assistance because he is absent from doing his job," Tlaib <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2023/10/12/israel-hamas-war-leads-to-rift-between-detroits-reps-in-congress/71155323007/">told the Detroit News</a> in a statement on Thursday. "He isn't putting in the work of a public servant and is leaving his working-class communities across his district with no real advocate."It came after Thanedar <a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2023/10/rep-shri-thanedar-rep-rashida-tlaib/">told Jewish Insider</a> that Tlaib's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rep-rashida-tlaib-palestine-israel-statement-instagram-2023-10">use of the word "resistance"</a> in a statement on Hamas's attack on Israel was "dehumanizing" and was "denying the suffering of ordinary people, innocent people that had nothing to do with any of this."Thanedar also said he would <a href="https://twitter.com/RepShriThanedar/status/1712181950176186851">renounce his membership</a> in the Democratic Socialists of America over the organization's response to the conflict of Israel — though the organization's local Metro Detroit chapter says it already overwhelmingly voted to expel Thanedar last month over his support for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Thanedar, a freshman congressman, is indeed known for his social media presence. In response to Tlaib's comments, Thanedar told the Detroit News that his office had resolved "hundreds" of constituent cases and is "open every day in our downtown office and are also open for walk-ins."But Tlaib's not the only one making that claim. State Sen. Darrin Camilleri, the chamber's assistant Majority Leader, <a href="https://twitter.com/darrincamilleri/status/1712630596378272154">wrote on X</a> that he prefers to contact Tlaib or Rep. Debbie Dingell when it comes to federal issues. And Thanedar's former communications director, Adam Abusalah, wrote a <a href="https://twitter.com/adam_abusalah/status/1712665409466372471">lengthy thread on X</a> that the Michigan congressman is disengaged from his job, is fixated on his re-election, had trouble retaining staff, had a "hard time trusting black women," and has sought to be "popular like" Tlaib.Patrick Malone, Thanedar's chief of staff, told Insider in a statement that the allegations were "untrue" and were "clearly a direct response to Congressman Thanedar's principled stance in support of Israel's right to self-defense and against the brutal terrorist attacks by Hamas,"Malone pointed to <a href="https://x.com/adam_abusalah/status/1710655107975536938?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prior tweets</a> from Abusalah that seemingly sympathized with the Hamas attack.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib accuses fellow Detroit-area congressman of being too 'busy posting memes' and being 'absent from doing his job' after he denounced her comments on Israel

<ul class="summary-list"><li>MTG's bid to oust Speaker Mike Johnson failed, thanks in large part to Democrats.</li><li>Democratic leadership previously said they would oppose her effort in order to avoid chaos.</li></ul>House Speaker Mike Johnson survived an effort to oust him from the speaker's chair — thanks in large part to the support of House Democrats.On Wednesday, the House voted to table <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-motion-to-vacate-threat-republicans-2024-3">Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's motion to vacate</a>, with a majority of Republicans and Democrats voting in favor. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/which-house-republicans-vote-table-marjorie-taylor-greene-motion-vacate-2024-5">11 Republicans</a> voted to advance the motion.Overall, the vote tally was 359-43, with seven Democrats voting "present."The vote came as something of a surprise — Greene had <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-motion-vacate-stalled-mike-johnson-2024-5">seemingly backed off</a> from the threat on Tuesday, only to make a surprise bid to oust Johnson on Thursday.Greene's effort had long been expected to fail after <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/house-democrats-official-save-mike-johnson-marjorie-taylor-greene-vacate-2024-4">House Democratic leaders announced</a> that they would vote to table her motion to vacate, arguing that they were protecting the House from chaos.While most Democrats sided with their leadership, several of them did not, arguing that Johnson's brand of politics <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/progressive-democrats-motion-vacate-speaker-johson-marjorie-taylor-greene-2024-5">should not be affirmed</a> and that their party should have extracted more concessions in exchange."It's important to send a very clear message that Mike Johnson is an extremist," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York told reporters on Tuesday. "This is not a decision that is just an easy giveaway."It is unclear whether Greene will continue to force votes on ousting Johnson.Here are the 163 Democrats who voted to protect Johnson:<table style="minWidth: 75px"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">AdamsAguilarAllredAmoAuchinclossBalintBeattyBeraBeyerBishop (GA)BlumenauerBlunt RochesterBonamiciBoyle (PA)BrownBrownleyBudzinskiCaraveoCarbajalCárdenasCarter (LA)CartwrightCaseCastenCastor (FL)Cherfilus-McCormickClark (MA)ClyburnCohenCorreaCostaCourtneyCraigCrockettCrowCuellarDavids (KS)Davis (IL)Davis (NC)Dean (PA)DeLauroDelBeneDeluzioDeSaulnierDingellEshooEspaillatEvansFletcherFosterFrankel, LoisGallegoGolden (ME)Goldman (NY)Gonzalez, Vicente</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">GottheimerGreen, Al (TX)HayesHimesHorsfordHoulahanHoyerHoyle (OR)HuffmanIveyJackson (NC)JeffriesJohnson (GA)KapturKeatingKelly (IL)KennedyKhannaKildeeKilmerKim (NJ)KrishnamoorthiKusterLarsen (WA)Larson (CT)Lee (NV)Leger FernandezLevinLieuLofgrenLynchManningMatsuiMcBathMcClellanMcCollumMcGarveyMcGovernMeeksMengMfumeMoore (WI)MorelleMoskowitzMoultonMrvanNadlerNapolitanoNealNeguseNickelNorcrossPallone</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">PanettaPappasPascrellPelosiPeltolaPerezPetersPettersenPhillipsPingreePorterQuigleyRaskinRossRuizRuppersbergerSalinasSánchezSarbanesSchiffSchneiderScholtenSchrierScott (VA)Scott, DavidSewellShermanSherrillSlotkinSmith (WA)SorensenSotoSpanbergerStansburyStantonStevensStricklandSuozziSwalwellSykesThanedarThompson (CA)TitusTonkoTorres (NY)TrahanTroneUnderwoodVargasVasquezVeaseyWasserman SchultzWextonWildWilson (FL)</td></tr></tbody></table>Here are the 32 Democrats who voted to advance Greene's ouster effort:<table style="minWidth: 75px"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Barragán Bowman Bush Casar Castro (TX) Clarke (NY) Connolly DeGette Doggett Escobar Frost</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Garamendi Garcia (TX) Garcia, Robert Gomez Harder (CA) Jackson (IL) Jayapal Kamlager-Dove Lee (CA) Lee (PA) Menendez</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Ocasio-Cortez Pressley Ramirez Ryan Scanlon Tlaib Velázquez Waters Watson Coleman Williams (GA)</td></tr></tbody></table>And here are the 7 Democrats who voted "present."<ul><li> Judy Chu of California</li><li>Chuy García of Illinois</li><li>Ilhan Omar of Minnesota</li><li>Mark Pocan of Wisconsin</li><li>Jan Schakowsky of Illinois</li><li>Mark Takano of California</li><li>Norma Torres of California</li></ul>

These 163 House Democrats voted to protect Mike Johnson from MTG's ouster effort

The Indian-American lawmakers of the 'Samosa Caucus' have welcomed Shri Thanedar's addition to the exclusive group of Democratic leaders representing the community in the US <keyword id="7173" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="house" source="Orion">House</keyword> of Representatives. Entrepreneur-turned-politician and Democrat Thanedar became the fifth Indian-American to be elected to the US House of Representatives in November last year. His victory had come after all four Indian-American Democratic lawmakers - Dr. Ami <keyword id="1666405" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bera" source="Orion">Bera</keyword>, Pramila Jayapal, <keyword id="302868" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ro-khanna" source="Orion">Ro Khanna</keyword> and Raja Krishnamoorthi - were re-elected to the US House of Representatives. The 'Samosa Caucus' is an informal grouping of Indian-American lawmakers who are either part of the House of Representatives or the Senate. The term was coined by <keyword id="1575" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="congress" source="Orion">Congress</keyword>man Krishnamoorthi to give credence to the growing number of "desi" lawmakers in the US Congress. "When I first took office in 2013, I was the only Indian American Member of Congress and the third ever in history. Since that day, I have been committed to ensuring we grow our representation in Congress," said Congressman Bera. "In the past decade, I am proud to be joined by incredible Indian-American colleagues from around the country - Representatives Jayapal, Khanna, and Krishnamoorthi. With the swearing-in of the 118th Congress, our coalition has grown to a record number with the election of Representative Thanedar," he said. The Indian-American community has emerged as a force to reckon with in the US presidential elections. In the last election, both the Democrat and the Republican campaigns initiated several measures to woo the approximately 1.8 million members of the community who have emerged as a critical voting bloc in the battleground states of Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas. "It's important that we reflect on the historic progress our country is making. I look forward to welcoming even more Indian American Members of Congress in the future!" Bera said. "As we enter the most diverse Congress ever, I am reminded how much representation matters, for every community and culture across our country. I am a proud naturalised citizen, the first South Asian American woman elected to the House, and an immigrant woman of colour," Jayapal said. She said serving in Congress was a "distinct honour", not only because she was able to deliver for her constituents, but also to show other South Asians that if she can make it into the halls of Congress, so can they. "I am so grateful to serve with such an inspiring cohort of fellow Indian Americans and I look forward to seeing our numbers continue to grow!" she said. "I'm so proud to serve in this diverse Congress alongside a record number of Indian Americans. Representation is crucial to serving Indian American communities and working to strengthen America's defense and strategic partnership with India. I look forward to continuing our work together in the 118th Congress," said Ro Khanna. Indian-Americans have made countless contributions to American society, including in tech, science, medicine, and the military. Indian-Americans currently serve as the CEOs of major companies including Microsoft (<keyword id="276564" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="satya-nadella" source="Orion">Satya Nadella</keyword>), Google (Sundar Pichai), IMB (Arvind Krishna), and MasterCard (Ajay Banga). According to the 2010 census, 70 per cent of Indian Americans over the age of 25 had college degrees, 2.5 times higher than the national average. "As the Indian-American community remains one of our nation's fastest-growing, with a population of more than four million, I am excited to see our representation expanding in Congress as well," said Krishnamoorthi. "I look forward to working with Reps. Bera, Jayapal, Khanna, and now Thanedar to continue to address the key issues facing our community, including high-skilled immigration reform and strengthening the partnership between the US and India," he said. "As a new member of Congress and the latest addition to an incredible group of Indian-American lawmakers, I look forward to getting to work for the American people," said Thanedar. The American dream is alive when an immigrant from India can come to this country, earn a degree, become a citizen, start a business, and be elected by the people to represent them in the Michigan State House and the United States House of Representatives, he said. "I hope to join Representatives Bera, Jayapal, Khanna, and Krishnamoorthi in growing our historic representation in Congress by inspiring future generations," Thanedar said. The first Asian-American and Indian-American Member of Congress was Dalip Singh Saund, who served in the US House of Representatives from 1957 to 1963. In the 66 years between Representative Saund's election and the 2012 election of Bera, Piyush "Bobby" Jindal was the only other member of Indian American descent elected to the legislative branch of the federal government. Following the 2016 election, Kamala Harris made history as the first Indian-American to be sworn into the United States Senate. Harris continued to make history in 2020 when she was elected as the first woman and first person of colour in history to serve as Vice President of the United States of America, said a joint statement issue by the five lawmakers. Harris' historic success opened a door with Indian-Americans across the country running for office at every level of government to ensure the community's voice continues to be at the decision-making table. In the past decade, the number of Indian-American voices in government has grown rapidly, with signs that the next decade will see the representation grow even further, it said. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/nine-in-10-adults-from-india-us-admit-to-cyberbullying-royal-melbourne-institute-study/articleshow/96933109.cms">Nine in 10 adults from India, US admit to cyberbullying: Royal Melbourne Institute study</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/world-is-in-a-state-of-crisis-difficult-to-predict-how-long-it-will-last-modi/articleshow/96934401.cms">World is in a state of crisis, difficult to predict how long it will last: Modi</a>

Indian-American lawmakers of 'Samosa Caucus' welcome a new member into their fold

<ul class="summary-list"><li>House Republicans refused to raise the debt ceiling unless Democrats agreed to cut spending.</li><li>The threat of a default and ensuing economic crisis forced Democrats to the bargaining table.</li></ul>Many House Democrats voted to raise the debt ceiling, but a number of them want to get rid of it.On Wednesday night, House Republicans and Democrats came together to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/house-pass-mccarthy-biden-debt-ceiling-agreement-fiscal-responsibility-2023-5">avert a default</a> on the US debt and sent a hard-fought compromise bill to the Senate. A debt-ceiling breach could wreck the economic recovery from the pandemic, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/will-there-be-a-recession-debt-ceiling-increase-job-losses-2023-3">put 2.6 million Americans out of a job</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-lose-retirement-savings-student-debt-loads-surge-debt-ceiling-2023-3">take $20,000 from the typical American's retirement savings</a>, and hike payments on everything from student loans to mortgages.Republicans, who control the House, used the potential economic crisis as a bargaining chip to extract policy concessions from Democrats. Still just days away from a possible default that could start June 5, House Democrats don't want to let this brinkmanship happen again. For many, that means repealing the debt ceiling."For many, many, many years, people recognized that Republicans and Democrats worked together to pass a clean debt ceiling. But this hostage-taking cannot continue," Rep. Pramila Jayapal, who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said after the vote. "We should get rid of the debt ceiling," the Washington State congresswoman told Insider. After Republicans <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/will-congress-raise-the-debt-ceiling-mccarthy-rejects-short-term-2023-5">refused to raise the debt ceiling without spending cuts</a>, even just to buy Congress time to negotiate, the Republican Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, and President Joe Biden <a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-deal-food-aid-student-loans-3c284b01d95f8e193bca8d873386400e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made a deal</a> that would suspend the debt limit while capping spending, increase work requirements to receive food stamps, force student-loan payments to resume, and claw back funding for the IRS and state pandemic relief.Put in place when the US entered World War I to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-debt-ceiling-default-became-partisan-weapon-democrats-republicans-2023-5#2022-democrats-failed-to-use-their-control-of-congress-and-white-house-to-raise-the-debt-ceiling-13">check the power of the president over military spending</a>, the debt ceiling has been <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-markets-financial-institutions-and-fiscal-service/debt-limit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised 78 times</a>, one way or another, since 1960. That has allowed Congress to keep borrowing money to fund the government when it routinely spends more than it brings in through revenue.However, in the past few decades, Republicans have threatened not to raise the debt ceiling and let the US default on the debt unless Democrats agreed to their policy demands like cutting spending. To be fair, Democrats used these tactics to increase funding for various programs in 2006, but Republicans remain the only party to have held out long enough to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-debt-ceiling-default-became-partisan-weapon-democrats-republicans-2023-5#2006-biden-obama-and-other-senate-democrats-voted-against-raising-the-debt-ceiling-7">induce government shutdowns and a downgrade of the US credit rating</a>. "We need to remember that the only two times we've had this kind of hostage-taking crisis have been when Republicans have been in charge of the House with a Democrat president," Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández told Insider."We need to eliminate the possibility of taking hostages in the future," the New Mexico congresswoman went on. "We need to pass the bill to eliminate the debt-ceiling limit.""We cannot allow this to become regular operating procedure," Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland told Insider. "You can't stick up the government of the United States and shake it down for your legislative program that otherwise you couldn't pass just because you think you can plunge the whole country into economic crisis."Raskin reiterated an argument that the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/debt-ceiling-solution-14th-amendment-social-security-medicare-jamie-raskin-2023-5">14th Amendment could be used to eliminate the debt ceiling</a>. "Constitutionally, we never had the power to repudiate and dishonor the debts of the United States," the former constitutional law professor said. "It allows one party faction to threaten to repudiate and nullify the debts of the country," and Section 4 of the 14th Amendment was designed "precisely to prevent that kind of manipulation," like when the South wanted to repudiate the debts Lincoln accumulated in the Civil War."It's clear that the debt-ceiling statute such as it is has outlived whatever utility it once had, and we gotta get rid of it at the first available opportunity," Raskin added."We should get rid of it," Rep. Shri Thanedar of Michigan agreed. "United States and Denmark are the only two countries I believe have a debt ceiling," he said, noting Denmark's many safeguards that make a default nearly impossible and cheaper borrowing rates that make US debt easier to pay down.<h2>The crisis has roused support for repeal</h2>Though opposed to the bill's provisions that would fall on welfare recipients and other aspects of the deal, Jayapal said, "The one good thing about this is I think we have more support than ever probably to get rid of the debt ceiling and give the authority to the Treasury secretary.""There's a lot more support because clearly Republicans have shown that they cannot uphold their constitutional duty and just pass the debt ceiling to implement what Congress has already negotiated past and spent," she explained.Jayapal was among 46 Democratic votes against the debt ceiling deal, <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023243" target="_blank" rel="noopener">though it passed handily </a>with 315 votes out of the House's 435, including 165 from Democrats.Rep. Dan Kildee, who voted for the bill and is a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, supported ending the debt ceiling. "I would think we would have to be committed to regular order in the appropriations process, but I think this would help solve that," the Michigan Democrat told Insider."What the Republicans have proven is that the utility of the debt ceiling is dangerous in the hands of irresponsible people and has very little otherwise utility," Kildee said. "The one time that it has utility is when it threatens the global economy."Rep. Jeff Jackson of North Carolina, who's part of the more fiscally moderate New Democrat Coalition, voted for the bill but didn't say he'd support repealing the debt ceiling. "There will be a lengthy conversation about how we can make sure that we don't go through a process like this again, because it's deeply unhealthy," he said. Correction: June 2, 2023 — An earlier version of this story misidentified the state Rep. Shri Thanedar represents. He represents Michigan, not California.

Several top House Democrats want to get rid of the debt ceiling and economic 'hostage taking'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Mehmet Oz spent nearly $27 million on his failed US Senate run.</li><li>The Pennsylvanian Republican is far from the only self-funder to have lost his midterm race.</li></ul>Republican Mehmet Oz spent nearly $27 million of his reality TV fortune on his failed effort to win the crucial US Senate race in Pennsylvania.But the TV doctor-turned-political-aspirant is far from the only wealthy American to end the year with less in his or her bank account because of big-time electoral ambitions that fell flat.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dr-oz-jb-pritzker-wealthy-senate-house-congress-elections-2022-11">According to an Insider review of federal and state campaign spending,</a> 16 out of the 22 top-spending candidates in the midterm elections lost their races.Combined, the 16 also-rans spent over $223 million of their own money — just over half of the nearly $443 the top self-funding candidates spent this cycle.This overall poor midterm showing illustrates a long-term trend in US politics: only a small fraction of candidates who fill their campaign coffers with their own money actually win office.Most of these 16 losers never made it to the 2022 general election, losing in their primaries. Oz, whom <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/results-john-fetterman-mehmet-oz-pennsylvania-us-senate-election-2022-11">Democrat John Fetterman defeated last week</a>, was one of just three major self-funders to emerge from a primary before losing anyway in the general election.The other two are Tim Michels, who co-owns Wisconsin's largest construction company, and Trudy Busch Valentine, an heir to the Anheuser-Busch brewing fortune.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/results-tony-evers-tim-michels-wisconsin-governor-race-2022-11">Michels was unable to knock off Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers</a> in a key midterm win for Democrats. Busch-Valentine contributed more than $16.3 million to her own campaign, even cutting a $2 million check to herself on October 31 days before Republican state Attorney General Eric Schmitt <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/results-eric-schmitt-trudy-busch-valentine-missouri-election-senate-race-candidates-2022">delivered a double-digit drubbing in Missouri's US Senate race.</a>As for the primary losers in Election 2022, Karrin Taylor Robson spent the most, at nearly $18.5 million. Robson, who was endorsed by retiring Gov. Doug Ducey in her bid for Arizona's governorship, lost the Republican nomination to Trump-backed Kari Lake. (The race remains too close to call.)There are certainly exceptions to the rule.Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois remains far and away the largest spender of the 2022 midterms — and he easily won re-election. An heir to the vast Hyatt hotel fortune, Pritzker will easily go down in history as one of the most successful self-funders in US history having already spent more than $300 million on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/results-jb-pritzker-darren-bailey-illinois-governor-election-2022">his two successful gubernatorial runs.</a>Beyond Pritzker's $152 million, the next largest successful self-funder is yet another Democratic governor. In a battle of the self-funders, Gov. Ned Lamont of Connecticut spent about $22 million <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/results-ned-lamont-bob-stefanowski-connecticut-governor-election-2022-11">to fend off businessman Bob Stefanowski in a rematch</a> that saw Stefanowski spend $12 million of his own money.Of the other major self-funders in the election, only Democrats were successful. They are Rep. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/results-david-trone-neil-parrott-maryland-6th-district-house-election-2022-11">David Trone of Maryland</a> (roughly $12.6 million); <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/result-jared-polis-heidi-ganahl-colorado-election-gubernatorial-race-candidates-2022">Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado</a> ($12.1 million); Rep.-elect Shri Thanedar of Michigan ($6.1 million) and Rep.-elect Dan Goldman of New York (roughly $4.9 million).<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dr-oz-jb-pritzker-wealthy-senate-house-congress-elections-2022-11">Read Insider's entire list of the 22 largest self-funders in the 2022 midterm elections.</a>Note: The final list of self-funders could change as the final election reports are filed for state and federal races in the weeks to come.

Mehmet Oz and 15 other candidates together spent over $223 million of their own money — and lost their 2022 midterm races anyway

Michigan, a key Midwestern swing state, held highly-watched primaries on Tuesday. Polls in most of the state closed at 8 p.m. ET.<h2>The races and the stakes: </h2> <h3>Governor</h3>Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is seeking a second term, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, and former conservative media personality Tudor Dixon won the Republican gubernatorial primary.The GOP primary saw its share of tumult over the past year after former Detroit police chief James Craig — who had long been viewed as a frontrunner in the race — was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/michigan-gop-gubernatorial-candidates-blocked-ballot-supreme-court-signatures-2022-6">disqualified</a> from the ballot. Like Craig, four other candidates were also removed from the ballot after multiple forged signatures were found on the nominating petitions that candidates are required to submit to run for office in Michigan.The result? Five lesser-known candidates were on the ballot in one of the nation's most competitive swing states, as the GOP seeks to unseat Whitmer, who was roundly criticized by conservatives for enacting COVID-19 restrictions earlier in the pandemic than other states.In addition to Dixon, GOP candidates who appeared on Tuesday's ballot included pastor Ralph Rebandt; real estate broker Ryan Kelley; businessman Kevin Rinke; and chiropractor Garrett Soldano.Former President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-endorses-tudor-dixon-michigan-governor-republican-primary-petition-signatures-2022-7">endorsed</a> Dixon last week, and polling conducted before the primary reflected a surge in support for her. <h3>Key US House races</h3>3rd DistrictWhen Rep. Peter Meijer was elected to Congress in 2020, he fit the mold of moderate Republicanism that has long been successful in this Grand Rapids-anchored district in Western Michigan. He was also one of 10 House Republicans who <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/republicans-voting-to-impeach-trump-capitol-insurrection-2021-1">voted</a> to impeach Trump for his role on January 6, 2021, which divided many within the party.Meijer, who cast that vote only days after being sworn in to his first term, faces former Housing and Urban Development official John Gibbs, who has been endorsed by Trump.Hillary Scholten, a former Department of Justice attorney, is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.National Democrats have faced <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/01/democrats-risky-meddling-gop-primaries-00048962">criticism</a> for wading into the GOP primary to prop up Gibbs, whom they'd prefer to face in the fall as they feel he is too conservative for the district.8th DistrictRep. Dan Kildee is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination in this Flint-area district that was made more competitive in the last redistricting process.The Republican candidates are Paul Junge, Candice Miller (who shares the same name as a former GOP congresswoman from Michigan), and Matthew Seely.10th DistrictRepublican John James, who was the party's nominee for Senate contests in 2018 and 2020, is the frontrunner for the GOP nomination in this newly-configured suburban Detroit district. He faces Tony Marcinkewciz in the GOP primary.The Democratic candidates include Huwaida Arraf, Carl Marlinga, Rhonda Powell, Angela Rogensues, and Henry Yanez.11th DistrictDemocratic Rep. Haley Stevens defeated fellow Rep. Andy Levin in an intraparty contest in the Detroit suburbs that was set off by redistricting.The Republican primary candidates are Mark Ambrose and Matthew DenOtter.12th DistrictDemocratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib faces several candidates in this blue Detroit-area district — Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey, Lathrup Village Mayor Kelly Garrett, and former state Rep. Shanelle Jackson.The Republican candidates include Steven Elliott, James Hooper, and Hassan Nehme.13th DistrictThis heavily Democratic district anchored in Detroit and several of its adjacent suburbs is an open-seat contest. Candidates include state Sen. Adam Hollier, state Rep. Shri Thanedar, former Detroit council member Sharon McPhail, former state Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo, Michigan Civil Rights commissioner Portia Roberson, civil rights attorney Michael Griffie, radio host Sam Riddle, small business owner Lorrie Rutledge.John Conyers III, the son of the late congressman John Conyers Jr., who represented Detroit from 1965 to 2017, is also running in the Democratic primary.Martell Bivings is the sole candidate running in the Republican primary.<h2>Michigan state legislative primaries</h2>

Tudor Dixon wins the Michigan GOP gubernatorial primary: Live Results

<ul><li>The three-time National Award winner was not keeping well for some time. She was admitted to Guru Nanak Hospital in Bandra last Saturday after she complained of breathing issues. She had tested negative for Covid-19.</li><li>Khan is survived by son Raju Khan and daughter Sukaina Khan. Her funeral was held on Friday morning at a cemetery in suburban Malad. </li><li>Mourning her death, superstar Akshay Kumar said Khan made dance look easy and accessible. </li></ul> Renowned choreographer <keyword id="4861" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Saroj-Khan">Saroj Khan</keyword>, the name behind some of the most famous songs in Bollywood such as Dhak Dhak and Ek Do Teen , died of cardiac arrest early on Friday morning. She was 71. The three-time National Award winner was not keeping well for some time. She was admitted to Guru Nanak Hospital in Bandra last Saturday after she complained of breathing issues. She had tested negative for Covid-19. "She passed away due to cardiac arrest at around 2.30 am at the hospital," Khan's nephew Manish Jagwani told PTI. Khan is survived by son Raju Khan and daughter Sukaina Khan. Her funeral was held on Friday morning at a cemetery in suburban Malad. "We buried her at around 7 am. The prayer meeting will be held after three days," Sukaina told PTI. Mourning her death, superstar Akshay Kumar said Khan made dance look easy and accessible. "Woke up to the sad news that legendary choreographer #SarojKhan ji is no more. She made dance look easy, almost like anybody can dance, a huge loss for the industry. May her soul rest in peace," Akshay tweeted. Director Kunal Kohli, who worked with the choreographer on "Fanaa", remembered Khan as someone who stood up for people's rights. "She stood up for the rights of people. Never bothered who was a star or not. She said her bit unadulterated and from the heart. Brought biryani on every song and fed the whole crew so lovingly.We gossiped, we worked. Thankyou for the memories masterji. Saroj Khan love you always," he tweeted. In a career spanning over four decades, Khan, who was known as Masterji, choreographed more than 2,000 songs. Khan's best work was with actors Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit, the prominent dancing stars of the 80s and 90s. Her parents migrated to India after the Partition. She started her career in the film industry as a child artiste at the age of three and later started working as a background dancer. The choreographer, who was born as Nirmala and later converted to Islam, learnt dance while working under film choreographer B Sohanlal. They got married when she was 13 and he was 41. It was Sohanlal's second marriage. Khan got her first break as an independent choreographer with Geeta Mera Naam in 1974 but it took Sridevi's Hawa Hawai song in 1987 film Mr India for her to receive acclaim as a dance choreographer of repute. There was no looking back for Khan after the success of the song. She choreographed Sridevi in films such as Nagina and Chandni . But it was her work with Madhuri Dixit that made her famous. Starting with Ek Do Teen in Tezaab , she choreographed Madhuri in Tamma Tamma Loge in Thanedar and Dhak Dhak Karne Laga in Beta and "Dola Re Dola" from Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Devdas". She also choreographed Kareena Kapoor in "Ye Ishq Haaye". She last choreographed for "Tabaah Hogaye", featuring Madhuri from filmmaker Karan Johar's production "Kalank" in 2019.

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Thanedar, an Indian-origin millionaire businessman, gets elected to Michigan state legislature in US

PTI

The questionable way lawmakers get taxpayers to fund borderline-political ads

Bryan Metzger

Rep. Rashida Tlaib accuses fellow Detroit-area congressman of being too 'busy posting memes' and being 'absent from doing his job' after he denounced her comments on Israel

Bryan Metzger

These 163 House Democrats voted to protect Mike Johnson from MTG's ouster effort

Bryan Metzger

Indian-American lawmakers of 'Samosa Caucus' welcome a new member into their fold

PTI

Several top House Democrats want to get rid of the debt ceiling and economic 'hostage taking'

Ethan Dodd

Mehmet Oz and 15 other candidates together spent over $223 million of their own money — and lost their 2022 midterm races anyway

Brent D. Griffiths

Tudor Dixon wins the Michigan GOP gubernatorial primary: Live Results

John L. Dorman

Saroj Khan passes away at 71

PTI

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