US House chaplain criticises lawmakers in prayer for “failing” to unite around pandemic relief
Washington DC, USRNS The chaplain to the US House of Representatives chastised lawmakers during a prayer on Wednesday, asking God to “forgive them” for failing to unite around pandemic relief legislation. Rear Admiral Margaret Grun Kibben, an ordained Presbyterian Church (USA) minister who assumed the role of House chaplain in January, included the criticism in her […]
What’s in store for the US Equality Act, and why do some religions want a revision?
RNS On Thursday, the Democratic-controlled US House of Representatives passed a sweeping LGBTQ rights bill called the Equality Act. Republicans for the most part objected, with some of them now advocating for a rival bill called Fairness for All, introduced by Representative Chris Stewart of Utah on Friday with 20 Republican co-sponsors. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of […]
Private bill seeks freedom for man living in church in US state of Missouri
O’Fallon, Missouri, USAP US Representative Cori Bush introduced legislation to Congress on Monday to grant permanent residency to Alex Garcia, a Honduran immigrant who has spent more than three years inside a Missouri church to avoid deportation. Bush, a freshman Democrat from St Louis, announced a private bill that would allow the married father of five […]
In the US, Democrats barreling toward impeaching Trump in wake of Capitol siege
Washington DC, USReuters Democrats in the US House of Representatives plan to impeach Donald Trump on Wednesday unless he steps down or is removed before then, after drawing up charges accusing him of inciting insurrection ahead of last week’s siege of the Capitol. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told his fellow Democrats the chamber would […]
Faith in a crisis: How House chaplain calmed tense hours in besieged US Capitol with prayers for “God’s covering”
JACK JENKINS, of Religion News Service, speaks to Rear Admiral Margaret Grun Kibben, chaplain to the US House of Representatives, about those tumultuous hours in the US Capitol last week…
US House Democrats to pursue impeachment if Trump not removed
Washington DC, USReuters US House of Representatives Democrats plan a vote on Monday to urge Vice President Mike Pence to take steps to remove President Donald Trump from office after his supporters’ deadly storming of the Capitol, before attempting to impeach him again. The plan, spelled out by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a letter […]
117th US Congress, like the old, is overwhelmingly Christian, heavily Protestant
RNS The 117th session of Congress got off to a testy start on Sunday, including an opening prayer from an ordained member whose pairing of “A-woman” with the traditional “Amen” raised both hackles and questions about the meaning of the word. But what is rarely at question is the religious composition of Congress, as the […]
In historic moment, US House impeaches Donald Trump for abuse of power, obstruction
Updated 2.10pm (AEST)Washington DC, USReuters Donald Trump on Wednesday became the third US president to be impeached as the House of Representatives formally charged him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in a historic step that will inflame partisan tensions across a deeply divided America. The Democratic-led House’s passage of two articles of […]
“Defend democracy”: Pelosi calls Trump “ongoing threat” in impeachment debate
Washington DC, USReuters US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday called Donald Trump an ongoing threat to American democracy who left Congress no choice but to impeach him as bitterly divided lawmakers debated before historic votes on charges accusing the Republican president of abusing his power and obstructing Congress. With billowing partisan differences on full […]
Explainer – How does impeachment of a US President work?
Washington DC, USReuters The US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee was scheduled to hold its first impeachment hearing on 4th December, starting a new phase of the inquiry that could lead to formal charges against President Donald Trump within weeks. The following explains the basics of impeachment, what happens next, and why Trump is unlikely […]