Daily Digest for December 9, 2020 Posted at 7:45 a.m. by Michael Olson |
Good morning. DFL Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon warned lawmakers Tuesday against spreading “politically-inspired lies” about election integrity.
Simon testified before the Senate elections committee during a remote hearing called by a former Republican secretary of state to review issues raised about the 2020 election.
Simon said he would gladly talk about the success of the election and its record turnout amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but he refused to discuss any of the conspiracy theories circulating about the election, because he believes they are dangerous.
“Members of my own family have been the targets of harassment by people who seem truly to actually believe this stuff,” Simon said. “They seem truly to believe these corrosive fantasies that are out there being fed to them by people with large megaphones.”
Simon went further. He cautioned lawmakers and other participants not to even bring up any disinformation during the meeting.
“Any member, regardless of party or any testifier regardless of viewpoint who indulges that kind of recklessness, who tolerates it, who encourages it or even hints at it is, I must say, coating themselves in a shame that will never, ever wash off,” he said.
The House approved the defense bill by an overwhelming majority, despite a potential presidential veto threatening to derail the annual legislation's enactment for the first time in 60 years.
House lawmakers passed the National Defense Authorization Act by a vote of 335 to 78. Backers had hoped the plan would win by a supermajority in the House support to send a message to President Trump to not veto the plan as he has repeatedly threatened.
It also signals the House could have the votes to override the move should Trump follow through with his veto threats, if lawmakers don't change their positions. Sponsors of the bill had urged a strong bipartisan vote under the cloud of Trump's threats, and as members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus fell in line with his demands.
President-elect Joe Biden is expected to name Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack to the U.S. Department of Agriculture,a source familiar with the transition discussions said on Tuesday. The source spoke on condition of anonymity about private conversations.
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