WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is considering a plan that would allow states to require certain food stamp recipients to undergo drug testing, handing a win to conservatives who’ve long sought ways to curb the safety net program.
The proposal under review would be narrowly targeted, applying mostly to people who are able-bodied, without dependents and applying for some specialized jobs, according to an administration official briefed on the plan.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said roughly 5 percent of participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could be affected.
The drug testing proposal is another step in the Trump administration’s push to allow states more flexibility in how they implement federal programs that serve the poor, unemployed or uninsured.
It also wants to allow states to tighten work requirements for food stamp recipients and has found support among GOP governors who argue greater state control saves money and reduces dependency.
Internal emails obtained by The Associated Press indicated that Agriculture Department officials in February were awaiting word from the White House about the timing of a possible drug testing announcement.
“I think we just have to be ready because my guess is we may get an hour’s notice instead of a day’s notice,” wrote Jessica Shahin, associate administrator of SNAP.
WASHINGTON — Outgoing CIA Director Mike Pompeo will tell senators weighing his confirmation as secretary of state that years of soft U.S. policy toward Russia are “now over.”
That’s according to excerpts of his opening statement obtained by The Associated Press ahead of his Senate hearing Thursday.
Pompeo will emphasize that the Trump administration considers Russia “a danger to our country.” He’ll say diplomatic efforts with Moscow are “challenging” but “must continue.”
Pompeo also plans to tell senators that if confirmed, he’ll work immediately to try to negotiate a “fix” to the Iran nuclear deal.
He’ll draw a sharp contrast with the tenure of former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Pompeo will say rampant vacancies in top State Department roles were “demoralizing” and will vow to work to fill those jobs.
MONTPELIER, Vt. — Vermont on Wednesday raised the age to buy firearms, banned high-capacity magazines and made it easier to take guns from people who pose a threat — the first significant gun ownership restrictions in state history, signed into law by the Republican governor.
It’s a remarkable turnaround for the largely rural state that traditionally has refused to impose restrictions on gun ownership.
Standing on the Statehouse steps before a noisy crowd of hundreds gun rights activists and supporters, Gov. Phil Scott signed the bills into law. Supporters shouted “thank you,” while opponents, many wearing hunter orange, shouted “traitor!” and booed the governor.
“This is not the time to do what’s easy, it’s time to do what’s right,” said Scott, who continued to speak despite loud chants from the two sides.
Scott, a gun owner, had urged the Legislature to pass gun restrictions in the aftermath of what police called a narrowly averted high school shooting in Fair Haven. Authorities said they learned a teen from Poultney was planning to kill as many people possible. He was arrested and charged Feb. 15, the day after a high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Jerry Brown agreed Wednesday to deploy 400 National Guard troops at President Donald Trump’s request, but not all will head to the U.S.-Mexico border as Trump wants and none will enforce federal immigration enforcement.
“This will not be a mission to build a new wall. It will not be a mission to round up women and children or detain people escaping violence and seeking a better life,” Brown, a Democrat, wrote in a letter to the Trump administration.
Trump wants up to 4,000 troops sent to the border to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking and has already won commitments for about 1,600 from the Republican governors of the other states that border Mexico — Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
The White House praised Brown’s decision and made no mention of his comments about not participating in immigration enforcement activities.
“We’re also glad to see California Gov. Jerry Brown work with the administration and send members of the National Guard to help secure the southern border,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.
WASHINGTON — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged Wednesday that regulation of social media is “inevitable” and disclosed that his own personal information has been compromised by malicious outsiders. But after two days of congressional testimony, what seemed clear was how little Congress seems to know about Facebook, much less what to do about it.
Statements from representatives facing re-election this year ranged from complaints of anti-conservative bias to questions about whether Facebook could improve broadband speeds in their state.
Facebook shares rose more than 1 percent after climbing 4.5 percent on Monday. Rather than putting a dent in his well-prepared armor, two days of unfocused questioning helped Zuckerberg restore more than $25 billion in market value that the company has lost since the Cambridge Analytica scandal broke in mid-March.
Facebook’s stock remains 10 percent below where it stood before the scandal, a decline that has wiped out about $50 billion in shareholder wealth.
Wrapping up his four-minutes of questioning, Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida commended the platform, saying “it’s wonderful for us seniors to connect with our relatives.”
From Associated Press