News Roundup: Graham, Lee Personally Vetted Trump’s Election Fraud ‘Evidence’ and Were Unconvinced

BY JACK CROWE

September 20, 2021

Good morning and welcome to the News Editor's Roundup, a weekly newsletter that will ensure you're up to date on the developments in politics, business, and culture that will shape the week's news cycle — as well as those that might escape mainstream attention.

Graham, Lee Personally Vetted Trump's Election Fraud 'Evidence' and Were Unconvinced

Senators Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) and Mike Lee (R., Utah) personally investigated some of former president Trump's claims of election fraud and concluded they were meritless, according to the book Peril by Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Robert Costa.

Graham viewed the arguments backing up the election fraud narrative as suitable for "third grade," the authors wrote. The South Carolina senator reportedly complained to Trump about his continued voter fraud allegations in a phone call this summer, saying "you f***ed your presidency up."

Pfizer Announces COVID Vaccine Safe for Children

Pfizer and BioNTech announced Monday that the companies' coronavirus vaccine is safe for children ages 5 to 11, generating a strong immune response to the illness.

The announcement comes after a large trial of the vaccine involving 4,500 subjects, with two-thirds receiving the vaccine in two doses, although each dose is smaller than that prescribed for adults. The companies said the vaccine generated antibody levels similar to those found in young adults with about one-third of the dose administered to the general population.

"We are eager to extend the protection afforded by the vaccine to this younger population, subject to regulatory authorization, especially as we track the spread of the Delta variant and the substantial threat it poses to children," Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement to the media.

Blinken Deletes Tweet Saying 'We Stand with the People of Hong Kong' in Favor of Milder Message

Secretary of State Antony Blinken deleted a tweet accusing Chinese leaders of weakening Hong Kong's long-term political and social stability and affirming the United States's commitment to "stand with the people of Hong Kong."

"Beijing should let the voices of all Hong Kongers be heard," Blinken wrote in the September 16 tweet. "The PRC's disqualification of district councillors only weakens Hong Kong's long-term political and social stability. We stand with the people of Hong Kong & continue to support their human rights & fundamental freedoms."

The tweet came after seven pro-democracy district councilors were disqualified this week when authorities said the oaths they took were invalid.

McCarthy Urges Biden to Deploy National Guard to Migrant Camp under Texas Bridge

House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy on Friday called on President Biden to deploy the National Guard to Del Rio, Texas, where Border Patrol agents have been overwhelmed by thousands of migrants streaming across the border and camping out under a bridge.

"The Biden Administration must recognize this for what it is: A National Security Crisis," McCarthy said in a statement. "As such he must fully deploy the National Guard to the southern border to help our Border Patrol agents with more resources to control the situation."

McCarthy's call to action comes as new video footage captured by Fox News shows hundreds of migrants illegally streaming into the U.S. across the Rio Grande, joining thousands of migrants who are already camped out under the international bridge.

Congressional Progressive Caucus Prepares to Block Infrastructure Bill if Reconciliation Budget Fails

The Congressional Progressive Caucus is deliberating whether to deploy its members to kill the $1 trillion Biden-backed infrastructure bill if the accompanying massive social spending plan House Democrats spearheaded fails to advance.

Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal told Politico that the majority of her coalition, which comprises 96 members, has privately shared it is prepared to thwart the infrastructure bill in protest unless it is a package deal with their $3.5 trillion spending bill.

"Even if there were Republicans that come along" to support the infrastructure bill in the House, Jayapal said, "we will have more individuals, more Democrats who are going to vote it down without the reconciliation bill."

"I feel very confident in our numbers, and it is far beyond 20," she added.

Mass of Migrants Crosses Rio Grande, Enters U.S. Illegally as Border Crisis Worsens

Taking advantage of an apparent lapse in border security at the junction of Del Rio, Texas and Mexico, hundreds of migrants crossed the Rio Grande River and illegally entered the United States.

Video footage recorded by Fox News depicts masses of people wading into the water to reach the other side.

Within the last day, an estimated 11,000 migrants have congregated under the Del Rio international bridge, waiting to be apprehended by U.S. border patrol for processing. Many of the migrants have set up encampments and shelters, according to photos Fox News captured.

Texas Congressman on Visit to Del Rio Migrant Camp: 'Worse Than You Could Imagine'

Representative August Pfluger (R., Texas) is sounding alarms after visiting Del Rio, Texas, where Border Patrol agents have been overwhelmed by thousands of mostly Haitian migrants streaming across the border and camping out under a bridge.

Pfluger said in a tweet that there were nearly 15,000 migrants gathered at the port of entry — which he noted was up from 12,000 just the day before — with "hundreds more gathering every hour."

"Speaking to Border Patrol agents, the worst is yet to come, they're worried about what is behind here, they're worried about co-ordination with Mexico," he told Fox News.

"It's worse than you could imagine," he added.

Mississippi Governor: Biden Using Vaccine Mandates to Distract from Afghanistan Disaster

Mississippi governor Tate Reeves (R.) on Sunday called President Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandates an "attack" on "hard-working Americans" that the president is using to distract from a number of issues that are "driving his poll numbers into the ground."

"The question here is not about what we do in Mississippi, it's about what this president is trying to impose on the American worker," Reeves said during an appearance on CNN's State of the Union.

Bill Cassidy Warns GOP Will Lose in 2024 if It Keeps Relitigating 2020

Senator Bill Cassidy (R., La.) on Sunday warned his fellow Republicans that the party will lose again in 2024 if they continue to relitigate 2020.

"If we relitigate 2020 over and over again, it won't change the result in 2020, but we are sure to lose in 2024," Cassidy said during an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press.

Cassidy's comments came amid a conversation about Representative Anthony Gonzalez's (R., Ohio) announcement that he is retiring from politics.