<ul class="summary-list"><li>Richard Christian Dillard, 55, killed himself outside the home in <keyword id="157833" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="IRVING">Irving</keyword>, <keyword id="15710" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="texas">Texas</keyword>.</li><li>Rep. Van Duyne heard gunshots, went outside and found the body before calling 911.</li><li>Investigators and the FBI will look into the motive and how Dillard got into the gated community. </li></ul>An ex-staffer died by <keyword id="6356238" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="suicide">suicide</keyword> outside Republican congresswoman <keyword id="9842882" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="beth-van-duyne">Beth Van Duyne</keyword>'s home in Irving, Texas, on Wednesday afternoon. Richard Christian Dillard, 55, killed himself outside the home of the first-term Texas representative while she was inside with others who all heard the gunshots, the <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/van-duyne-staffer-suicide-texas-b1801190.html">Independent</a> reported.They went outside and found the body before <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-house-24th-district-election-beth-van-duyne-candace-valenzuela-2020?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">Rep. Van Duyne</a> called 911. Police responded to the call at 3.45pm, Robert Reeves, Public Information Officer at <a href="https://www.cityofirving.org/662/Police">Irving Police Department,</a> told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-dies-suicide-outside-u-s-rep-beth-van-duyne-n1257447">NBC News</a>.Dillard was the congresswoman's Campaign Communications Director from November 2019 to April 2020 and formerly worked as a public affairs officer for the <a href="https://tmd.texas.gov/state-guard">Texas State Guard</a>, <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/2021/02/11/us-rep-van-duyne-shocked-after-man-killed-himself-outside-of-her-irving-house/">The Dallas Morning News</a> noted.Read More: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-move-texas-why-tesla-maturing-as-a-company-2020-12?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">Elon Musk's move to Texas is a publicity stunt that reveals how Tesla is maturing as an automaker</a>In a statement read by her spokesperson Andrea Coker on Thursday, Rep. Van Duyne said Dillard was a longtime friend who had been in her home numerous times for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/state-department-plans-massive-holiday-parties-despite-covid-19-wapo-2020-12?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">holiday parties</a>, <a href="https://www.insider.com/fantasy-football-tips-for-success-in-fantasy-premier-league-game-2020-9">fantasy football</a> drafts, and other occasions, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/campaigns-texas-a0bd06ea48baa619890c74539e8cbad5">Associated Press</a>.She continued: "I am still shocked and grieving that Chris would take his life. I've spoken with Chris's mother to offer my condolences and asked her how to support her during this difficult time."I'm devastated for her, his <a href="https://www.insider.com/video-tom-brady-trophy-throw-daughter-dad-no-2021-2">daughter</a>, and grandchildren, we are praying for Chris's family and loved ones and ask that everyone please respect their privacy," the former Mayor of Irving added.Texas State Representative Matthew Krause also <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MattKrauseforTexas/posts/10164776729235858">posted</a> a tribute to the former staffer on his own Facebook page: "Very saddened to learn of the passing of Chris Dillard," he continued, "RIP Chris. May your memory be a blessing for family and loved ones left behind."Investigators will look into the motive and how Dillard got into the gated community. The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/accused-capitol-rioter-told-fbi-officers-helped-us-enter-building-2021-2?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">FBI</a> is assisting in the investigation.Police say there is no reason to believe there is a further threat to Rep. Van Duyne.

Ex-staffer died by suicide outside Republican congresswoman Beth Van Duyne's home in Texas

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Republican <keyword id="9842882" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="beth-van-duyne">Beth Van Duyne</keyword> defeated Candace Valenzuela to claim the open seat in <keyword id="15710" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="texas">Texas</keyword>' 24th congressional district, Decision Desk HQ has projected.</li><li>The district is home to portions of Denton, Dallas, and Tarrant counties. </li><li>Van Duyne was endorsed by President Donald Trump in a February 2020 tweet. Valenzuela received an endorsement from President Barack Obama in early August.</li><li>See the live coverage and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/2020-house-elections-results">full results from all US House elections</a>.</li></ul>Republican Beth Van Duyne defeated Democrat Candace Valenzuela to represent Texas' 24th Congressional District after incumbent Rep. Kenny Marchant announced his plans for retirement, according to Decision Desk HQ.<h2>The candidates</h2>Van Duyne is the former mayor of Irving, Texas. In 2017, she was appointed by President Donald Trump as a regional administrator for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development where she served until stepping down in 2019 to run for office."It's time we had a Congress that works as hard as our president to deliver solutions for the American people to stop drug cartels and human traffickers, lower the costs and expand the options for health care, and grow our economy so more Americans have better job opportunities with higher wages," Van Duyne said in a statement to <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/02/12/trump-endorses-former-irving-mayor-beth-van-duyne-in-heated-texas-congressional-primary/">The Dallas Morning News.</a>Van Duyne was <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1227703488869736449">endorsed by President Trump</a> in a February tweet where he said that she "did Great things as Mayor of Irving, Texas, with my Administration. She is a Strong Conservative who supports Border Security, Loves our Military, Vets, and supports your <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/2A?src=hashtag_click">#2A</a>. Beth has my Full Endorsement for Congress!"Valenzuela is an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/candace-valenzuela-texas-congress-black-latina-2020-8">educator and member of her local school board.</a> In an interview with Business Insider Today, she said the ongoing pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests helped her win the Democratic primary."A lot of the issues that we have in our income disparities, in our inequities, are in our unequal application of justice," she said. "All of those things did play a role in the win here. And I think they're going to continue to play a role going forward in November."In early August 2020, Valenzuela was <a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/1290301921673134082">endorsed by President Barack Obama</a> in his first wave of 2020 endorsements. If elected, she would be the first Afro-Latina woman to serve in Congress. <h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/2020-election-results">See live coverage and full results for the US presidential election</a></h3><h2>The district</h2>Texas' 24th Congressional District is located in between Fort Worth and Dallas, and includes some of the suburban areas of Denton, Dallas, and Tarrant counties. This suburban district is racially diverse and has been both gaining population and trending favorably for Democrats over the past several election cycles. Out of the district's population, nearly 25% identify as Hispanic or Latino of any race, 14% identify as Asian, and 13% identify as Black, <a href="https://www.census.gov/mycd/?st=48&amp;cd=24d=24">according to the US Census Bureau.</a>Mitt Romney carried the district by a margin of nearly 22 percentage points in 2012, but Trump won it by just over six percentage points in 2016, <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2012/11/19/1163009/-Daily-Kos-Elections-presidential-results-by-congressional-district-for-the-2012-2008-elections">according to the Daily Kos</a>. In <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1W_GTNylAZfboZkDeMsJPGlir3aQB64SzlVHjY9Xdnkk/edit#gid=562073942">Texas's 2018 US Senate race</a>, Democratic candidate Beto O'Rourke carried the district by 3.5 points over GOP Sen. Ted Cruz. <h2>The money race</h2>According to the <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary?cycle=2020&amp;id=TX24TX24">Center for Responsive Politics</a> and <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/H0TX24175/">Federal Election Commission filings</a>, Valenzuela has raised $4 million, spent $3.7 million, and has around $354,000 in cash on hand as of October 14. Van Duyne <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/H0TX24209/">has raised</a> $2.8 million, spent $2.4 million, and has $370,000 in cash on hand. <h2>What experts say</h2>The race between Valenzuela and Van Duyne was rated as "tilts Democratic," <a href="https://insideelections.com/ratings/house">by Inside Elections</a> and "leans Democratic" by <a href="http://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/2020-house/">Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics</a> and <a href="https://cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratings">The Cook Political Report.</a>Expanded Coverage Module: insider-voter-guide

Republican Beth Van Duyne defeats Democrat Candace Valenzuela in Texas' 24th Congressional District House race

<ul class="summary-list"><li>83 House Republicans voted against a bill to fund large portions of the federal government.</li><li>40 did so despite securing millions of dollars in funding for their districts.</li></ul>On Wednesday, 83 House Republicans voted against a roughly $460 billion package of bills to fund large swaths of the federal government.Forty of them did so despite requesting — and securing — millions of dollars in federal funding for a variety of projects in their districts.Take Rep. Lauren Boebert for example. The Colorado Republican announced on Wednesday that she would vote against what she dubbed the "Swamp Omnibus," slamming the bill as a "monstrosity" that "funds the Green New Deal."<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SwampOmnibus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SwampOmnibus</a> maintains COVID spending levels, funds the Green New Deal, and excludes nearly all conservative policy riders we fought for. No wonder Democrats are ramming this monstrosity through before Sleepy Joe takes the stage tomorrow. The real question is: why are…— Rep. Lauren Boebert (@RepBoebert) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepBoebert/status/1765438916969034088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2024</a></blockquote>That's despite the bill including more than $20 million that she herself had requested for projects across the state's 3rd congressional district, which she <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lauren-boebert-district-switch-carpet-bagging-2023-12">recently abandoned</a> to seek reelection in a safer district on the other side of the state.That included $5 million to develop a water reservoir in Wolf Creek, $2.2 million for water infrastructure in Craig, and millions more for highway improvements in the district that she jointly requested with Democratic Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper.Boebert's office did not respond to a request for comment.There's also Republican Rep. Tim Burchett, who secured more than $12 million in earmark funding for his East Tennessee district."Everything that we've asked for, I could defend," Burchett told Business Insider after the vote. "I don't think you can defend some of that stuff that's in there. It's just too much."That included more than $2.3 million for a health screening program for the University of Tennessee Medical Center, $2 million for an affordable housing project in Knoxville, and more than $2 million to establish a Healthcare Supply Chain Data Engineering Center at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, a small town on the Kentucky border.Yet Burchett was among the Republicans who voted against the bill, which included the entirety of his earmarks. He cited both the cost of the bill and the fact that it was a package of six appropriation bills, which he said he'd prefer to vote on individually."There are things that are in there that I can't support," said Burchett. "And I just made that commitment to the folks back home."Through a process known as congressionally directed spending — colloquially known as "earmarks" — members of Congress can request federal funding for individual projects in their districts.<div type="image" title="Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee also voted against the bill, despite securing more than $12 million for his district." height="1500" width="2000" msid="108279690" hostid="261"></div>The idea behind the practice, which Democrats brought back in 2021 after Republicans banned the practice 10 years earlier, is to give lawmakers a more personal stake in government funding legislation, inspire bipartisanship, and grease the wheels of the legislative process.Yet Wednesday's vote shows that logic only goes so far and that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mike-garcia-earmarks-omnibus-government-spending-2024-1">plenty of Republicans</a> are willing — in the words of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — to "vote no and take the dough."It's a practice that's landed some Republicans in hot water recently, including Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida.After Business Insider <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/maria-elvira-salazar-650000-federal-funding-small-business-voted-against-2023-12">first reported</a> on the congresswoman touting $650,000 that she secured in a December 2022 government funding bill, she was pressed on it by a local journalist, and the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-maria-elvira-salazar-forgets-how-voted-chips-science-funding-2024-1">interview did not go well.</a>In another instance from last year, Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tommy-tuberville-federal-broadband-funding-voting-against-bipartisan-infrastructure-2023-6">celebrated billions in broadband funding</a> that the federal government was providing for his state, despite voting against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that provided it.But Republicans weren't the only ones to vote against the bill on Wednesday, despite securing earmark funding. Democratic Reps. Maxwell Frost of Florida and Mark Takano of California both voted against the legislation over gun policy changes in the bill.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The appropriations bill that we just voted on has a lot of good in it. Some might be wondering why I voted NO. It’s quite simple.. Tucked away in this bill is the greatest rollback of the background check system since it was created.— Maxwell Alejandro Frost (@MaxwellFrostFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaxwellFrostFL/status/1765487823346336223?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2024</a></blockquote>Wednesday's bill, which still has to pass the Senate, will only partially fund the government, though it contains the vast majority of the earmarks.Congress has until March 22 to pass another package of bills that will fund the rest of the government.Here are the 40 Republicans who voted against the bill, despite securing earmark funding:<ul><li>Jodey Arrington of Texas</li><li>Jack Bergman of Michigan</li><li>Gus Bilirakis of Florida</li><li>Lauren Boebert of Colorado</li><li>Mike Bost of Illinois</li><li>Tim Burchett of Tennessee</li><li>Ben Cline of Virginia</li><li>Mike Collins of Georgia</li><li>James Comer of Kentucky</li><li>Dan Crenshaw of Florida</li><li>John Curtis of Utah</li><li>Scott DesJarlais of Tennessee</li><li>Byron Donalds of Florida</li><li>Brad Finstad of Minnesota</li><li>Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota</li><li>Matt Gaetz of Florida</li><li>Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia</li><li>Morgan Griffith of Virginia</li><li>Harriet Hageman of Wyoming</li><li>Andy Harris of Maryland</li><li>Diana Harshbarger of Tennessee</li><li>Clay Higgins of Louisiana</li><li>Wesley Hunt of Texas</li><li>Darin LaHood of Illinois</li><li>Barry Loudermilk of Georgia</li><li>Anna Paulina Luna of Florida</li><li>Brian Mast of Florida</li><li>Cory Mills of Florida</li><li>Greg Murphy of North Carolina</li><li>Troy Nehls of Texas</li><li>Bill Posey of Florida</li><li>Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington</li><li>John Rose of Tennessee</li><li>Keith Self of Texas</li><li>Greg Steube of Florida</li><li>Claudia Tenney of New York</li><li>Jeff Van Drew of New Jerey</li><li>Beth Van Duyne of Texas</li><li>Mike Waltz of Florida</li><li>Randy Weber of Florida</li></ul>

These 40 House Republicans voted against millions of dollars in federal funding that they secured for their districts 

<h2></h2><ul class="summary-list"><li>Rep. Beth Van Duyne had a joint committee with George Santos in 2022 and raised more than $11,000.</li><li>But the Texas congresswoman's campaign says she hasn't received her share of the funds from Santos.</li></ul>Republican Rep. Beth Van Duyne of Texas has not received the cash she helped raise through a joint fundraising committee with embattled Rep. George Santos in 2022, according to a report from <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/04/17/van-duyne-camp-says-cash-from-joint-fundraising-committee-with-george-santos-never-arrived/">The Dallas Morning News</a>.As a pair, the group raised $11,600 in August 2022, a few months before the midterm elections, Federal Election Commission <a href="https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00821660/1641910/sa/ALL">records show.</a> A month later after paying the venue and other fees, the joint fundraising committee — whose finances were overseen by Santos' treasurer — reported that it sent $4,783.33 each to Santos' and Van Duyne's campaign committees. Despite the moderate amount of cash brought in by Santos and Van Duyne, it's unlikely the two will fundraise together once again using the joint fundraising committee, Van Duyne's campaign spokesman Chris Homan told The Dallas Morning News. "The Beth Van Duyne campaign did not receive a distribution of funds following the New York trip," Homan told the northern Texas news outlet. <h2>A background in question</h2>Shortly after taking office at the beginning of 2023, news reports began to surface revealing that Santos had lied about much of his background while on the campaign. Santos, who's Catholic, said on several occasions he was Jewish and lied about the circumstances of his mother's death. He also falsely stated he attended Baruch College and New York University, but both institutions said they didn't have records of a student with his name.Santos said on the campaign trail that he previously worked for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup. Similar to his fib about his education, both groups said he's never worked for them. He's since apologized for the lies, referring to them as an "embellishment.""If I disappointed anyone by my résumé embellishment, I'm sorry," Santos previously told WABC radio.<h2>Santos 2024</h2>Amidst the turmoil, Santos announced to Twitter on Monday that he's running for a second term in office.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—George Santos (@Santos4Congress) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1648042407907192863?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2023</a></blockquote>For Santos, running a campaign for office in 2023-24 will be a much bigger hurdle than before, as seen by his recent financial filings, which showed his campaign refunded more than it actually brought in in the first quarter of 2023.Santos also has faced calls to resign from many members of Congress — <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/11/nyregion/george-santos-nassau-resign.html">including some Republicans</a> — since his previous campaign lies were unearthed.One additional factor making it more difficult for Santos to run this go-around is his lack of committee assignments. While he was initially placed on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee and House Small Business Committee, he formally asked Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/george-santos-says-hell-step-down-from-committees-amid-scandals-2023-1">temporarily remove him</a> from the assignments."With the ongoing attention surrounding both my personal and campaign financial investigations, I have submitted a request to Speaker McCarthy that I be temporarily recused from my committee assignments until I am cleared," Santos said in a statement at the time.And since being taken off his committee assignments, the House Ethics Committee has announced that it's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/house-ethics-committee-investigating-george-santos-sexual-misconduct-2023-3">investigating Santos</a> because of sexual misconduct allegations, campaign activity, and his financial disclosures.

Texas GOP congresswoman who fundraised with George Santos never got her share of the money, campaign says

George Santos' first House race took days to call in 2020. So he came to DC for new member orientation and had a blast before finding out he lost.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Biden slammed GOP lawmakers who have touted his <keyword id="10601442" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="american-rescue-plan">American Rescue Plan</keyword> but voted against it.</li><li>"I mean, some people have no shame," he said in a speech on Thursday.</li><li>"They're bragging about the Rescue Plan," he added.</li></ul>President <keyword id="99719" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Joe-Biden">Joe Biden</keyword> on Thursday scolded Republican lawmakers who are touting popular measures of his American Rescue Plan to their constituents after they voted against the bill."I mean, some people have no shame," Biden said with a laugh during a speech on the state of the economy in Cleveland, Ohio.The president's $1.9 trillion <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> stimulus package passed the House and Senate in March without any GOP support. However, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/republicans-covid-19-relief-bill-benefits-opposition-2021-4">some Republicans have</a> since praised provisions included in the legislation."Even my Republican friends in <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword>, not a single one of them voted for the Rescue Plan. I'm not going to embarrass any one of them, but I have - here - a list of how back in their districts, they're bragging about the Rescue Plan," Biden said Thursday, met with laughter from the audience.At least a dozen <keyword id="66537" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Republicans">Republicans</keyword> were on the list, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Reps. Elise Stefanik of New York, Beth Van Duyne of Texas, Greg Pence of Indiana, Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington, Troy Balderson of Ohio, Anthony Gonzales of Ohio, Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina, Alex Mooney of West Virginia, Lee Zeldin of New York, Andrew Garbarino of New York and Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, according to a photo captured by the New York Times' Doug Mills. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1397993741965795331?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2021</a></blockquote>Some of the benefits that GOP members have boasted about include federal aid for restaurants and community health centers, Biden said. Key elements of the bill included $1,400 direct stimulus payments for individuals, funding for state and local governments and an expansion of the child tax credit. The president said he's "happy" that Republicans are aware the stimulus package benefited voters in their home states, but urged them not to get in the way of delivering more help to the American people. "If you're going to try to take credit for what you've done, don't get in the way of what we still need to do. The bottom line is this: The Biden economic plan is working," he said.Biden's remarks come as the <keyword id="6356037" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="white-house">White House</keyword> is trying to push its infrastructure package through Congress, where it has been met with Republican opposition.

Biden slams Republicans for 'bragging' about his coronavirus stimulus plan they voted against: 'Some people have no shame'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Several Republican House members are openly defying mask-wearing rules on the House floor. </li><li>Most of these members won't say whether they've received a <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> vaccine.</li><li>The Capitol physician said House members must continue wearing <keyword id="9418" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="masks">masks</keyword> until all members and floor staffers are fully vaccinated. </li></ul>Republican Rep. <keyword id="9740457" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="marjorie-taylor-greene">Marjorie Taylor Greene</keyword> of Georgia refused to wear a face mask on the House floor on Wednesday, continuing her protest against mask-wearing requirements.Greene isn't alone. Several other Republican lawmakers also openly defied House rules on Tuesday evening, appearing maskless while casting votes on the floor, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/emrwilkins/status/1394827160595148805?s=20">C-SPAN footage</a>. The Capitol physician, Brian Monahan, decided last week that House members must continue wearing masks on the House floor until all members and floor staffers are fully vaccinated. Because <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/18/politics/list-house-vaccinations-lawmakers/index.html">at least 100 GOP House members</a> haven't said whether they've been vaccinated against COVID-19, it's unclear whether they are violating the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-says-fully-vaccinated-people-can-drop-masks-most-places-2021-5">new guidance</a> that fully vaccinated people don't need to wear masks indoors. Nine of the 10 GOP lawmakers cited for violating the rules haven't said whether they've been vaccinated, according to a recent CNN survey. Greene refuses to reveal whether she's gotten the shot. In accordance with House rules, Greene will receive a warning for her first violation, along with <keyword id="10543170" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lauren-boebert">Lauren Boebert</keyword> of Colorado, Chip Roy of Texas, Louie Gohmert of Texas, Bob Good of Virginia, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Mary Miller of Illinois, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/05/18/joe-biden-live-updates/#link-WHCKR4MOV5EMLHV7SDZYRHCEYQ">multiple</a> <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/republicans-rebel-mask-requirement-house-chamber-77784422">news</a> <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/18/politics/house-gop-mask-fines/index.html">outlets</a> reported.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1395082220365303810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2021</a></blockquote>GOP Reps. <keyword id="9075954" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="brian-mast">Brian Mast</keyword> of Florida, Beth Van Duyne of Texas, and Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, who also flouted the rules and had already received their first warnings, will face a $500 fine, per the reports. Additional offenses would result in a $2,500 fine.Under current rules, all House lawmakers must wear a face-covering on the floor except for when speaking, debating, or presiding over House proceedings. Fines for refusing to wear a mask were established by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the wake of the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, when several members sheltered-in-place together and many were maskless. At least a handful of lawmakers later tested positive for COVID-19.Although the fine will be deducted from the member's congressional salary, some lawmakers are calling on their supporters to make donations. Mast asked voters in an email to contribute to his "fight against Pelosi and the Washington Lockdown Cheerleading Squad" which is "going to get expensive FAST," <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1395076316114870276?s=20">Punchbowl News reported</a> on Wednesday. The Iowa Republican Party, on behalf of Miller-Meeks, also <a href="https://twitter.com/IowaGOP/status/1395040664845488130">tweeted</a> a donation link "to help us fight back and retire Pelosi in 2022."<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-Rep. Brian Mast (@RepBrianMast) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1395031494360322048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2021</a></blockquote>The GOP mask protest comes after the <keyword id="6379474" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="cdc">CDC</keyword> last Thursday announced fully vaccinated people no longer needed to wear masks indoors or outdoors at gatherings of any size, except in healthcare settings, on public transportation, at homeless shelters, and at airports. Private companies may still enforce mask mandates as they see fit.Pelosi said last Thursday the House rule <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nancy-pelosi-to-keep-mask-mandate-house-floor-cdc-guidance-2021-5">would stay in place</a> despite the CDC's guidance, noting not all lawmakers had been fully vaccinated yet. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-The Hill (@thehill) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1395114788846333953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2021</a></blockquote>But House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is expected to force a vote on a resolution to revise the mask guidelines on Wednesday night. But the resolution is expected to be tabled by Democrats. "The continued House mask mandate sends the erroneous message that the efficacy of the vaccines cannot be trusted," <a href="https://republicanleader.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/HRes414.pdf">the GOP resolution</a> says. "Members of the House of Representatives have a responsibility to send a message to the American people that we can trust the safety and efficacy of the available COVID-19 vaccines."

Republican lawmakers face fines for defying mask rules on the House floor and haven't revealed whether they're vaccinated

Here are all of the Republican elected officials backing Trump's 2024 campaign

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="15710" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="texas">Texas</keyword> is holding runoffs in the Democratic primary for US <keyword id="6355284" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="senate">Senate</keyword> and several key US House of Representatives districts on Tuesday, July 14.</li><li>2018 House candidate MJ Hegar defeated State Senator Royce West in the runoff to face GOP Sen. John Cornyn in November. </li><li>Texas' runoffs are taking place amid a particularly bad outbreak of COVID-19 in the state. While Texas has several days of early voting, the state fought in court against expanding vote by mail options.</li></ul>Polls in most of Texas closed at 7 p.m. Central Time and 8 p.m. Eastern Time. <h2>The stakes:</h2>Texas voters are picking nominees for several U.S. congressional races in Tuesday's runoff elections as the state battles a rampant surge in coronavirus cases.No candidate passed the 50 percent threshold required to appear on the November ballot in the state's March 3 Democratic primary, resulting in runoffs that were initially scheduled for May 26 but were postponed to Tuesday because of the pandemic.Texas, unlike many other states that have held elections during the public health crisis, did not expand access to mail-in ballots. Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who believes <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/ag-paxton-files-brief-seeking-prevent-voter-fraud-through-unlawful-expansion-mail-voting">widespread vote-by-mail</a> would lead to increased voter fraud <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/false-narrative-vote-mail-fraud">despite ample research showing mail ballot fraud is extremely rare</a>, managed to ward off local Democrats' legal challenges that aimed to provide absentee ballots for those who do not wish to risk their health by showing up at the polls.The US Supreme Court also denied the Texas Democratic Party's initial request in court to grant expanded access to the state's more than 16 million registered voters, a decision which President Donald Trump celebrated.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1276629230617604096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2020</a></blockquote>Some poll workers walked off the job prior to Tuesday due to concerns over Gov. Greg Abbott's refusal to mandate mask-wearing for voters, resulting in a handful of polling locations being shuttered, according to reporting <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/07/09/texas-voting-coronavirus/">from the Texas Tribune</a>. The state's highest one-day count since the outbreak began was on July 11 with 10,351 confirmed cases. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/texas-coronavirus-cases.html"></a><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/texas-coronavirus-cases.html">As of Tuesday,</a> Texas reported nearly 275,000 cases and 3,331 deaths from the virus with a seven-day average of 9,195 new confirmed cases and 84 deaths per day, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/texas-coronavirus-cases.html">according to The New York Times.</a><h2>The races: </h2>Air Force veteran MJ Hegar defeated state senator and lawyer Royce West in the runoff to face Republican Sen. John Cornyn this November. Hegar has promoted her military service and life as a working mom to garner support, and has emerged as the leading candidate with roughly <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-us-senate-democratic-primary-live-updates-vote-counts-2020-3">22 percent of the vote in March's primary</a>. The former helicopter pilot, who also ran for U.S. House in 2018 but was narrowly defeated, has raised more than $6.5 million <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary?cycle=2020&amp;id=TXS1&amp;spec=Np;spec=N">according to the Center for Responsive Politics</a> — three times more than West's estimated $1.7 million. <div type="image" title="AP_mj_hegar_jpg" height="773" width="1160" msid="76964776" hostid="261"></div>Hegar has received major endorsements from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the super PAC EMILY's List. West, on the other hand, has backing from local leaders in the state legislature, where he has represented Dallas for 27 years.Though their platforms align on many issues, from advocating for criminal justice reform to addressing health care inequities, the competition has turned increasingly bitter in its final weeks.One heated exchange unfolded <a href="https://www.kvue.com/article/news/politics/vote-texas/texas-vote-senate-royce-west-mj-hegar-debate-recap/269-07659be8-a3f7-4319-baf0-0cccf7ce93cb">on local television station KVUE</a> when Royce questioned Hegar's history as a Democrat after rumors surfaced that she voted in the 2016 Republican primary and made a monetary contribution to Cornyn's campaign in 2011.Hegar admitted on air that she had indeed made a $25 dollar donation to Cornyn to "get a meeting" with him, wielding the move as an example of the corrupt influence of money in <keyword id="6358883" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="politics">politics</keyword>. She then attacked Royce for playing a role in the "broken system" by implying he became a millionaire while in office. Hegar also defended her vote for Carly Fiorina in 2016, which she said was an effort to stop the candidacy of Donald Trump, <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/06/29/mj-hegar-royce-west-debate/">according to the Texas Tribune. </a><div type="image" title="AP_royce_west" height="580" width="1160" msid="76964780" hostid="261"></div>Royce suggested in an email to supporters that Hegar's remarks on his financial success were racially motivated, to which she then denied in a Zoom call with reporters, <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/07/07/mj-hegar-denies-royce-west-claim-shes-not-a-real-democrat-possibly-racist-hits-him-as-sexist-cozy-with-corruption/">as reported by the Dallas Morning News</a>. Royce has recently homed in on anti-racism protests around the country as a new pathway to support his bid. If elected, he will become the first Black senator to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate. Hegar will face three-term GOP incumbent Cornyn, who has the largest war chest with $18.7 million raised and $12.8 million cash on hand. His reelection would help retain the upper chamber's Republican majority. No Democrat has won a statewide election since 1994, though political analysts argue the field in Texas <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-suburban-voters-fleeing-trumps-gop-democrats-could-win-big-2019-8">has shifted toward more purple territory in recent years. </a>Former local school board member Candance Valenzuela defeated former Air Force pilot looking to snag a Democratic nomination is Kim Olson in the Democratic primary for Texas' 24th Congressional District, a suburban seat spread between Fort Worth and Dallas. Valenzuela, a progressive who has shared her childhood experiences of homelessness on the campaign trail, would be the first Black Latina woman in Congress if elected. She has received endorsements from Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, former HUD Secretary Julián Castro and the Black, Hispanic and Asian congressional caucuses.Olson's campaign was bruised by her controversial history as an administrator for the Dallas Independent School District and past charges of war profiteering in Iraq, which she has called inaccurate, <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/04/23/kim-olson-air-force-exit-congress/">according to the Texas Tribune</a>. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OLtxLWJgHZo" frameborder="0"></iframe>Valenzuela will face former Irving Mayor Republican Beth Van Duyne, who also served in the Trump administration, in a chance to flip the seat currently held by retiring Rep. Kenny Marchant. When Rep. Pete Olson announced his retirement, 15 candidates entered the primary for the 22nd Congressional District, which includes Fort Bend County, located south of Houston.The crowded field ultimately narrowed to county sheriff Troy Nehls and longtime Republican donor Kathaleen Wall. On Tuesday, Nehls defeated Wall by a large margin in the runoff. Wall had broken state records in self-funding — a total of $8.3 million — to support her campaign, <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/No-Texan-running-for-U-S-House-has-ever-spent-15391812.php">according to the Houston Chronicle.</a> Nehls, meanwhile, had raised less than $500,000 but carried 41 percent of the vote and was recently endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Congress. The contest has not been without drama. Wall released a slew of campaign ads, including one commercial that mimics Trump's blaming of China for the coronavirus, a move Democrats have denounced as racist, <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/07/01/tx-22-runoff-troy-nehls-kathaleen-wall/">as reported by the Texas Tribune</a>. She has also received blowback from her rival after she released two ads that accused the sheriff's office of mishandling sex trafficking cases. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5F4yT-gpl78" frameborder="0"></iframe>"To suggest we ignore cases or turn a blind eye is an ABSOLUTE LIE," Nehls <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SheriffTNehls/posts/2592437487675666">wrote in a Facebook post.</a> "I am the only candidate in this race who has done something to combat human trafficking."Nehls will run against Democrat Sri Preston Kulkarni, who is hoping to flip the GOP seat after losing to Olson in 2018 by just five points.Here's the status of the other big runoff races to watch on Tuesday:<ul><li><a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2020/07/in-texas-former-presidential-doctor-ronny-jackson-seeks-a-seat-in-congress/">Controversial former White House physician</a> Ronny Jackson beat Josh Winegarner to win the Republican runoff in Texas' deep red 13th congressional district.</li><li>Mike Seigel defeated Dr. Pritesh Gandhi to face Rep. Michael McCaul in the Democratic runoff for Texas' 10th congressional district, which occupies a large swath of the suburbs between Houston and Austin. </li><li>The Republican runoff between Tony Gonzalez and Raul Reyes to face Democratic nominee Gina Ortiz-Jones is still too close to call in Texas' 23rd district, a Democratic-trending district which is being vacated by retiring Rep. Will Hurd. </li></ul>

You Searched For "beth van duyne" and got 10 results

Ex-staffer died by suicide outside Republican congresswoman Beth Van Duyne's home in Texas

Naina Bhardwaj

Republican Beth Van Duyne defeats Democrat Candace Valenzuela in Texas' 24th Congressional District House race

Grace Panetta

These 40 House Republicans voted against millions of dollars in federal funding that they secured for their districts

Bryan Metzger

Texas GOP congresswoman who fundraised with George Santos never got her share of the money, campaign says

Madison Hall,Bryan Metzger

George Santos' first House race took days to call in 2020. So he came to DC for new member orientation and had a blast before finding out he lost.

Bryan Metzger

Biden slams Republicans for 'bragging' about his coronavirus stimulus plan they voted against: 'Some people have no shame'

Oma Seddiq

Republican lawmakers face fines for defying mask rules on the House floor and haven't revealed whether they're vaccinated

Oma Seddiq,Eliza Relman

Here are all of the Republican elected officials backing Trump's 2024 campaign

Bryan Metzger,Oma Seddiq

MJ Hegar clinches the Democratic nomination to face GOP Sen. John Cornyn in Texas

Grace Panetta,Oma Seddiq

Democrats projected to retain their House majority but lose key seats to Republicans

Grace Panetta