Here Are the main events that occurred in Politics this week
1.Amy Coney Barrett Addresses Various Constitutional Issues, Obamacare Lawsuit In Confirmation Hearings
President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, said on October 14 it was an “open question” whether President Donald Trump could pardon himself and added that the top US judicial body “can’t control” whether a president obeys its decisions. She also sought to allay Democratic fears that she would be an automatic vote to strike down the Obamacare healthcare law in a case due to be argued November 10, promising an “open mind.” Barrett wrapped up about eight hours of questioning on the third day of her four-day Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing. The committee will hear on October 15 from witnesses both for and against her confirmation, but Barrett herself will not be present.
2. Ethics Groups Calls For The Impeachment Of Attorney General William Barr
Two private groups focused on US government ethics on October 12 accused Attorney General William Barr of misusing his office to support President Donald Trump’s political goals and called on the House of Representatives to begin impeachment proceedings against him. The University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law and Washington-based Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said Barr could not be trusted to represent his department’s work accurately and that there were problems with the truthfulness of Barr’s public statements. Justice Department officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
3. US Imposes Sweeping New Sanctions On Iranian Financial Sector
The Trump Administration unilaterally imposed sweeping Sanctions on Iran’s financial sector in a move that critics say could have unintended consequences, including a detrimental impact on the ability of the Iranian people to access humanitarian resources. October 8th’s tranche of sanctions, coming less than a month before the US presidential election, are the latest in the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign that they say is aimed at causing the Iranian government to change its policies. In a press release, the Treasury Department said it sanctioned 16 banks “for operating in Iran’s financial sector,” one bank “for being owned or controlled by a sanctioned Iranian bank,” and another bank affiliated with the Iranian military. Under the new sanctions, “all property and interests in property of designated targets that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to” the Office of Foreign Assets Control. “In addition, financial institutions and other persons that engage in certain transactions or activities with the sanctioned entities after a 45-day wind-down period may expose themselves to secondary sanctions or be subject to enforcement action,” the Treasury Department said.”Today’s action to identify the financial sector and sanction eighteen major Iranian banks reflects our commitment to stop illicit access to U.S. dollars,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. “Our sanctions programs will continue until Iran stops its support of terrorist activities and ends its nuclear programs.
4. In Major Victory For Pro-Choice Advocates, Supreme Court Reject South Carolina’s Bid To Cut Public Funding For Planned Parenthood
The US Supreme Court on October 13 turned away South Carolina’s bid to cut off public funding to Planned Parenthood, the latest case involving a conservative state seeking to deprive the women’s healthcare and abortion provider of government money. The justices declined to hear South Carolina’s appeal of a lower court ruling that prevented the state from blocking funding under the Medicaid program to Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, the organization’s regional affiliate. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic operates clinics in Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina, where it provides physical exams, cancer, and other health screenings, as well as abortions. Each year the clinics serve hundreds of patients who receive Medicaid, a government health insurance program for low-income Americans.
