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U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, R-11th, has become the second member of Pennsylvania's GOP Congressional delegation to endorse billionaire Donald Trump's presidential candidacy. Trump has already received the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Tom Marino, R-10th, whose district borders Barletta's. This is the full text of the statement the Hazleton Republican released this afternoon: "Like millions of Americans, I want our next president to be a leader who fights for the American people and gets things done, not a politician who tries to say all the right things but will never be able to deliver on more broken promises. "Throughout his campaign,...

With voters in the winner-take-all state of Arizona set to vote next Tuesday, presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) picked up a big endorsement out of the Grand Canyon State. U.S. Rep. David Schweikert, a fellow Republican, represents Arizona's Sixth Congressional District and was first elected to Congress. He is a recognized reform leader in Washington, D.C. "My top priority in Congress has always been to do what the Washington insiders simply refuse to do, and that is to reduce the size and cost of government and save our nation from the crushing debt that the Washington politicians have...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former House Speaker John Boehner says he'd support his successor, Wisconsin's Paul Ryan for president if Republicans cannot nominate any candidate at their national convention this summer. Boehner, who has endorsed John Kasich, tells the Futures Industry Association that if Republicans can't agree on the first ballot to nominate Donald Trump, Kasich or Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, he's "for none of the above."(continued)

U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, a Republican from the Town of Glenbeulah in Sheboygan County, announced Friday that he has endorsed U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in the Republican presidential race. "I think Ted Cruz is the one," Grothman said during an interview with Charlie Sykes on WTMJ (AM-620). . Grothman said the Texas Senator "has the track record in the Senate. You know he's going to put a stop to this huge amount of illegal immigration in this country." "He stands up to the idea, he's not for anchor babies," Grothman said. "Some people don't like that phrase but the idea...

Missouri Rep. Ann Wagner on Friday endorsed Ted Cruz's presidential campaign, hailing the Texas senator as a constitutional conservative Republicans should unite behind. Wagner's support comes a day after Cruz got his first Senate endorsement from Mike Lee and just a few days ahead of Missouri's primary. "I am proud to endorse Senator Ted Cruz ahead of the GOP Primary on March 15th," Wagner said in a statement released by the Cruz campaign. "Republicans must unite to win behind a strong, constitutional conservative like Ted Cruz." Cruz will campaign in suburban St. Louis on Saturday at a rally with Carly...

State Sen. Kyle McCarter has challenged incumbent U.S. Rep. John Shimkus to a series of town hall debates that have already been scheduled, but the longtime congressman’s campaign said it was not contacted. McCarter, R-Lebanon, is holding a series of town halls in the 15th Congressional District whether or not Shimkus, R-Collinsville, attends, he said. “The voters deserve to see us and hear us together, so they can look us in the eye, ask their questions, voice their concerns and get straightforward answers — no spin,” McCarter said. He challenged Shimkus to commit to “unfiltered and transparent” debates, adding that...

Link only due to copyright issues: http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2016/03/03/donald-trump-president-rep-tom-marino-editorials-debates/81277746/

Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle announced his candidacy for the U.S. Congress Thursday morning. Angelle, who came in third in last fall’s governor’s race, had been widely rumored to be interested in running this fall for the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate seat. Congressman Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette, already entered the race to replace U.S. Sen. David Vitter, who is stepping down at the end of his term. Angelle is running for Boustany’s Third U.S. Congressional District seat, which covers nine Acadiana parishes and includes Lafayette and Lake Charles.

An Open Letter to Virginia Republicans: Trump Victory Catastrophic for our Republican Party Never before have I grabbed a word like catastrophic to make a political point. It's like pulling a fire alarm; if you do it, there had better be a fire. There is a fire and it's raging within our Republican party. I am convinced that if Donald Trump becomes our nominee, the harm done to our party would be nothing short of catastrophic. I reject Trump as our nominee based on his judgment, temperament and character, all of which point to a reckless, embarrassing and ultimately dangerous...

After winning his third consecutive GOP primary contest Tuesday in Nevada, Donald Trump has landed his first congressional endorsements, the latest sign members of the Republican political establishment are coming to terms with the New York businessman securing the GOP presidential nomination. Rep. Chris Collins, R-New York, a wealthy former businessman from upstate New York, said in a statement this morning that Trump "understands the importance of American exceptionalism, and has the unique qualifications to make America great again." Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-California, told Politico this morning that he will support Trump's bid for the GOP nomination for president, a...

One of Marco Rubio's newest congressional endorsers struggled to point to one specific thing he has seen over the course of the last year from the Florida senator that, as MSNBC's Thomas Roberts asked, "demonstrates presidential character." Not only that, but he also called some of the Rubio's past actions "frustrating." At the end of his interview, freshman Rep. Cresent Hardy (R-Nev.) was asked the question about what he has seen from Rubio over the course of his last year in Congress. Hardy took office in January 2015, a little more than three months before Rubio announced his candidacy. "On...

We have a marvelous opportunity to "remove the rascal." In Lebanon is Kyle McCarter, a conservative Illinois state Senator, worthy of your trust. He is a successful businessman, successful in the Illinois state legislature, has fiercely defended the American family, unborn life, gun rights and traditional marriage, is committed to the conservative philosophy of limited government, national sovereignty and traditional values, and pledged to oppose any tax increases Congress proposes and to support economic freedom by working to decrease the tax burden of taxpayers.

Texans start voting in the presidential election in eight days....

Former FBI Supervisory Special Agent and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Fitzpatrick, standing outside the Bucks County Courthouse in Doylestown on Thursday, announced his candidacy for Pennsylvania’s Eighth Congressional District in the House of Representatives. “The time is now to restore integrity and honor to our nation’s capital. Our government is broken. People have lost faith in the system: Corruption is rampant in our nation’s capital and Harrisburg. And all the while, too many politicians prefer to be political ideologues, rather than the problem solvers we need,” said Fitzpatrick surrounded by supporters. “I believe I have the experience and background...

Delegate Patrick L. McDonough, a staunchly conservative Republican, will announce Friday that he will try to unseat Democratic Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger in November, saying he hopes to be part of a conservative revolution in this deep-blue state. Mr. McDonough, who has represented Harford and Baltimore counties in the House of Delegates for 17 years, said that he’s grown tired of what he derisively calls the “Maryland General Asylum” and that he’s ready to try to make an impact at the national level. A fan of GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump’s immigration policy, Mr. McDonough said he wants to use...

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has been under investigation by the FBI for several months, and former U.S. House Majority leader Tom DeLay said Monday that the FBI is "ready to indict" her for using a private email server to conduct government business. During an interview on "The Steve Malzberg Show," DeLay, a Republican from Texas, said he has friends in the FBI who tell him "they're ready to indict" the former Secretary of State. "They're ready to recommend an indictment and they also say that if the attorney general does not indict, they're going public," DeLay said. Clinton's use...

Civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) used a pair of appearances in Los Angeles on Saturday to urge young student activists to continue to fight for equality in the United States, warning that Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump could set the country back with his divisive rhetoric aimed at immigrants and Muslims. "I've been around a while and Trump reminds me so much of a lot of the things that George Wallace said and did," Lewis said in an interview with The Times after speaking at Cal State L.A. "I think demagogues are pretty dangerous, really. ... We shouldn't...

Link only due to copyright issues: http://www.rgj.com/story/news/politics/2016/01/13/nevadas-adam-laxalt-endorses-ted-cruz/78744608/?from=global&sessionKey=&autologin=

This is really damn amazing. I mean really amazing. I told you guys the Republican Establishment was coming to terms with Donald Trump because they hate Ted Cruz so much. This is another data point.Follow this story from the Politico. A leading Republican pollster privately told Speaker Paul Ryan and his leadership team Sen. Ted Cruz would be the biggest drag on House Republicans should he win his party's nomination, according to multiple sources who attended a small meeting of senior GOP lawmakers earlier this month.During the gathering in Annapolis, Maryland, Dave Sackett of the Tarrance Group reviewed a recent...

WASHINGTON -- A New Jersey imam will be sitting Tuesday in the same place where House members last year voted to restrict Syrian refugees from coming to the U.S. Imam Hamad Ahmad Chebli of the Islamic Society of Central Jersey in Monmouth Junction will be watching President Barack Obama's State of the Union address in person as the guest of Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-12th Dist.). The speech traditionally is given in the chambers of the U.S. House. "We will be, all of us, under the roof of the Congress," Chebli said by telephone. "Who can say, 'So-and-so is better...