Senator says hackers gained access to dozens of email accounts at the Treasury Department
Hackers believed to be working on behalf of the Russian government were able to access dozens of email accounts at the U.S. Treasury Department, including those belonging to the agency s most senior officials, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said Monday night.
Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said committee staffers learned during a briefing on Monday that according to Microsoft, hackers were able to penetrate the systems at the Treasury s Departmental Offices division, home to the the department s top officials. While the Treasury Department still does not know all of the actions taken by hackers, or precisely what information was stolen, there is no evidence the Internal Revenue Service was compromised, Wyden said in his statement.
House passes COVID-19 relief package and government funding plan
The House on Monday night passed a $900 billion coronavirus relief bill and $1.4 trillion spending package that funds the government through next September.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said there is more work to do, and it will cost money, but the coronavirus stimulus package will protect jobs and, most importantly, it will meet the needs of the American people â to crush this virus and to do so in a way that brings us all into the future in a very safe way.
The bipartisan package includes $600 stimulus checks and extends unemployment benefits of up to $300 per week. It also extends the moratorium on evictions until Jan. 31, provides $25 billion in emergency assistance to renters, and covers $13 billion in increased food stamps and nutrition benefits. Earlier Monday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the stimulus checks could go out as soon as next week.
Sponsored by:
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, with Rep. Andy Barr (left) and Breeders Cup president Drew Fleming unveil Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act at Keeneland news conference in September
The following was issued by the office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) led the Senate Monday night in passing the
Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, which was included in the year-end government funding bill. The legislation now goes to President Trump s desk to become law. Senator McConnell introduced the bipartisan legislation in September, only days after the 146
th Kentucky Derby, to recognize a uniform, national standard for Thoroughbred racing.
Report: Federal prosecutors have discussed obtaining Rudy Giuliani s emails
Federal prosecutors for the Southern District of New York have been discussing with Justice Department officials in Washington whether to make a legal request for Rudy Giuliani s emails, two people with knowledge of the matter told NBC News.
Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, is President Trump s personal lawyer. Under Justice Department policy, prosecutors must get approval from Washington before asking a judge to sign a search warrant for items that might be protected by attorney-client privilege; NBC News notes that it is not known if the approval was granted.
Senate clears $2.3 trillion government spending, COVID-19 relief package, sending it to Trump s desk
The Senate overwhelmingly passed the combined $1.4 trillion government spending and $900 billion COVID-19 relief package Monday night, sending the bipartisan legislation to President Trump s desk. Trump is expected to sign the bill, which passed in the House, 359-53, earlier Monday evening. The Senate cleared the bill on a 91-7 vote. It is the last piece of legislation Congress is expected to vote on this year, unless Trump vetoes the National Defense Authorization Act.
The $1.4 trillion part of the bill funds the government through Sept. 30, 2021, and the COVID-19 stimulus package authorizes $600 direct payments to most Americans, replenishes a loan program for small businesses, extends augmented federal unemployment benefits and a moratorium on evictions, and provides money for renters, schools, and food stamps, among other things. The package also creates Smithsonian museums focu