Cross-Examination

• House Dems block GOP oversight of Ukraine aid: The House Foreign Affairs Committee, currently led by Democrats, blocked a resolution from Republican committee members to audit the billions of dollars in military and economic aid being sent to Ukraine. Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks disingenuously called the GOP’s proposed resolution an “extremist” ploy to “undermine strong bipartisan support for Ukrainian freedom and sovereignty.” Meeks added, “This measure plays straight, directly, to [Russian President] Vladimir Putin’s hands.” Republicans were quick to reject the smear. Ukrainian-born Republican Representative Victoria Spartz (IN) responded, “It’s unfortunate and irresponsible that Democrats in Congress are not performing one of their main functions: oversight of the executive branch regardless of who is in charge.” Thus far, the U.S. has sent over $66 billion in military, economic, and humanitarian aid to Ukraine since the Russian invasion. “The majority of those funds, $39.7 billion, have been allocated for security assistance,” The Washington Times reports. “The sum represents the largest obligation of U.S. security assistance to a single country in a single year since 1949, according to an analysis by the Center for International Policy, outpacing U.S. support at the height of the wars in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.” Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, who introduced the measure, argued that there’s nothing in the resolution “about being pro-Ukrainian war or anti-Ukrainian war.” Her interest, she says, is “simply asking for an audit, which I believe the American people deserve.”

• Sinema leaves the Dems: Conveniently timed for after Democrats secured a 51-seat majority in the Senate with the reelection of Senator Raphael Warnock in Georgia, Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema announced Thursday that she is leaving the Democrat Party and registering as an independent. “I’ve never fit neatly into any party box,” Sinema explained, adding that she was leaving “the partisan structure” in order to “provide a place of belonging for many folks across the state and the country who also are tired of the partisanship.” Sinema won’t caucus with Republicans, and, like the other two registered independents, Senators Bernie Sanders (VT) and Angus King (ME), it’s likely she’ll continue partnering with the Democrats. She also plans on maintaining her current committee assignments. While Sinema’s sentiments eschewing partisanship are likely genuine, her decision may also be a politically calculated move. She’s up for reelection in 2024, and some Democrats have soured on her for refusing to get behind their Senate filibuster removal push and Joe Biden’s Build Back Better boondoggle. Don’t expect this decision to change any of the current power dynamics within the Senate.

• New York Times staffers strike: Some 1,100 New York Times staffers walked off the job on Thursday in their preplanned one-day strike over labor disputes with the Leftmedia outlet bosses. After walking off the job, employees stood outside the NYT building holding signs and chanting, “We make the paper, we make the profits.” The paper’s union, the New York Times Guild, which represents approximately 1,400 workers, noted that the one-day strike was the result of frustration built up after months of unresolved contract disputes between the union and the media company. “This is not a decision we take lightly,” the union explained. “We know you count on us all for vital news and information.” Well, we’re not sure the vast majority of the American public sees it that way, as the Gray Lady is merely a leftist rag dispensing Democrat propaganda. Indeed, we would encourage these employees to continue their strike for weeks if not months, as the silence would be golden. The primary dispute has to do with employees wanting a bigger piece of the paper’s profits. The union wants a 5.5% increase in average employee pay, while the company has countered with a 3% increase. The inflation caused by their man Joe Biden is still well over 7%.

Headlines

• Paul Whelan “greatly disappointed” in Biden administration, was led to believe deal would happen (Washington Times)

• Latest “Twitter Files” release shows secret “blacklist” label on conservative accounts (Washington Examiner)

• House passes defense bill scrapping COVID vaccine mandate (AP)

• Biden grants historic federal bailout to union pension fund struggling in his economy (Free Beacon)

• TSA plans to take facial recognition technology nationwide (Fox Business)

• Arizona GOP seeks investigation of Katie Hobbs for pushing Twitter censorship (Daily Signal)

• How demographic shifts fueled by COVID delivered midterm wins for Democrats (Politico)

• Second electrical substation — this one near Camp Lejeune — was attacked in November (RedState)

• Felony arrest warrant issued for Biden official Sam Brinton for another alleged theft (Daily Wire)

• American Girl doubles down on transgenderism advocacy (Washington Examiner)

• Price of wholesale goods jumps more than expected as inflation persists (Free Beacon)

• Humor: Disinformation down 92% as New York Times writers go on strike (Babylon Bee)

For more editors’ choice headlines, click here.