Free Republic

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan group of six senators on Sunday called for President Donald Trump’s administration to “immediately reverse course” on a plan to purchase diesel from Russia as part of an effort to lower high fuel prices. Trump shocked lawmakers when he announced on social media Friday that he struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call. He said Russia will immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel to the American and global market, followed by an additional 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons “immediately thereafter.” Russia will deliver an additional...

More Republicans are speaking out against President Donald Trump’s decision to let Vladimir Putin’s Russia temporarily export diesel fuel on the global market, expanding the bipartisan blowback over the deal. Six GOP senators joined six of their Democratic colleagues in a letter Tuesday urging Trump to cancel the arrangement allowing Russia to supply 4.8 million metric tons, or nearly 36 million barrels, of diesel through mid-April. “This deal is a gift to our adversary and a betrayal of our Allies; it should be rescinded,” the lawmakers wrote. Republican Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, Oklahoma’s Alan...

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is expected to appoint Alan Armstrong, chairman of Williams Companies, to the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Markwayne Mullin, according to sources familiar with the process. The move comes as Mullin advances in the confirmation process to replace Kristi Noem as Department of Homeland Security under President Donald Trump. On Thursday, The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced Sen. Mullin’s nomination in an 8 to 7 vote, setting up a vote before the full chamber as early as this week. If appointed, Armstrong would serve until the next election, when Oklahoma voters...