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House Democrats Attend White House Ball as Colleagues Worked on Impeaching Trump: Reports

US Should Recognize American Samoans as Citizens, Judge Says

SALT LAKE CITY—People born in the territory of American Samoa should be recognized as U.S. citizens, a federal judge in Utah decided Thursday in a case filed amid more than a century of legal limbo but whose eventual impact remains to be seen. The cluster of Pacific islands southwest of Hawaii is the only place in the country without an automatic claim to citizenship. People born there are labeled U.S. nationals, meaning they pay taxes but cannot vote, run for office, or apply for certain government jobs. U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups sided with three people from American Samoa who sued to be recognized as citizens. He ruled that the Utah residents are entitled to birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution and ordered the government to issue…

House Democrats Attend White House Ball as Colleagues Worked on Impeaching Trump: Reports

Several House Democrats attended a White House party as their colleagues in the Judiciary Committee worked to vote on articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

According to a report from Axios, Reps. Antonio Delgado (D-N.Y.), Susie Lee (D-Nev.), Elaine Luria (D-Va.), Josh Harder (D-Calif.), Gil Cisneros (D-Calif.), and Jim Costa (D-Calif.) attended the White House Congressional Ball on Thursday evening.

Delgado, Lee, and Luria represent districts Trump carried in 2016.

On the same evening, members of the Judiciary Committee held a lengthy debate before Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) postponed the vote until Friday morning, where articles of impeachment passed the panel in a party-line vote.

A Lee representative told the political website that her attendance at the ball suggests “she’s committed to being a bipartisan problem solver through and through.” Lee said in a statement on Friday that she will vote to impeach Trump

In statements to the press, Delgado has said that “articles of impeachment are warranted,” while Luria also may vote in favor of impeachment. “I think that I made the right decision. I don’t care if that means I don’t get reelected in 2020,” she told PBS last month.

Cisneros’s chief of staff Nic Jordan told Axios that he didn’t deny his boss was at the party. He said that Cisneros has previously said he would support impeachment.

Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.), who left the Republican party earlier this year, also attended the party. Amash had previously said he would vote to impeach Trump.

“Rep. Amash has celebrated Christmas at the White House with his colleagues every year he has served in Congress,” Amash’s chief of staff Poppy Nelson told Axios.

The other representatives didn’t issue comments in the report.

A White House official, who was not named, told Axios that it’s unusual that members of Congress who support impeachment would attend the event.

“It’s kind of odd to be voting to say the guy is a clear and present danger to the globe, but I’m going to come and hang out at the White House for a black-tie affair,” the person remarked.

The report also said Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) was at the Congressional Ball, and spokesman John Kraus said there’s no connection between her attendance and what she might do if impeachment reaches the Senate.

During the ball, President Trump again touted the U.S. economy.

“We have the best economy we’ve ever had in the history of our country. And the stock market, as you probably have heard—all those 401(k)s and all of those jobs out there—the stock market just hit a brand-new high. That will be 129 records that we have in, really, fairly much — substantially less than three years. So, that’s something,” he said to applause. “Our country is doing really great. I want to thank everybody for being here.”

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Congressman Suggests National Guard Could Enforce Gun Laws in Virginia

A member of Congress suggested that Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam could activate the state’s National Guard and use it to enforce recent gun control measures after a number of counties declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries. As reported by WCYB, a local station, Virginia’s Wise County is the latest to make the Second Amendment sanctuary declaration on Thursday. More than 70 cities and counties have said they would oppose any state legislation they think would infringe on gun rights. Rep. Donald McEachin (D-Va.) suggested cutting off state funds to counties that don’t comply with any gun control measures that pass in the state capitol. “They certainly risk funding, because if the sheriff’s department is not going to enforce the law, they’re going to lose money. The counties’ attorneys offices are not…