NEWS AND OPINION:
Here are some issues of note to be addressed on Capitol Hill on Tuesday — and we thank the office of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise for sending them along to Inside the Beltway. Here’s what’s happening, verbatim from the source:
The Homeland Security subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology will hold a hearing titled “Given the Green Light: Open Border Policies and Threats to Law Enforcement.”
The Committee on Oversight and Accountability will hold a full committee hearing called “Oversight of the U.S. Postal Service.”
The Homeland Security subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence and the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security will hold a joint hearing titled “Safeguarding the Homeland from Unmanned Aerial Systems.”
The Natural Resources subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold an oversight hearing called “Desecrating Old Glory: Investigating How the Pro-Hamas Protests Turned National Park Service Land into a Violent Disgrace.”
NOT OVERLOOKED
Here’s one more event to consider on Tuesday: House Speaker Mike Johnson will host a ceremony commemorating Marquis de Lafayette’s address to the 18th Congress.
“The address was delivered 200 years ago on December 10, 1824. Marquis de Lafayette, an honorary American citizen, served as a major general in the Revolutionary War and was a close confidant of George Washington. His portrait hangs in the Chamber of the House of Representatives,” according to a description of the event released by Mr. Johnson’s office.
The event will take place at 3 p.m. in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol.
Joining Mr. Johnson will be House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries; Sen. Chris Coons, Delaware Democrat; Rep. Joe Wilson, South Carolina Republican; and Laurent Bili, the French ambassador to the U.S.
If you are curious about Lafayette, visit Mount Vernon online, the George Washington website that abounds with Revolutionary War history. Go to mountvernon.org, click on the search icon in the upper right corner of the main page and search for the word Lafayette.
MEANWHILE ON THE AIRWAVES
Salem Media Group Inc. is changing the on-air lineups of both Salem Radio Network and Salem News Channel.
“Longtime SRN/SNC host Hugh Hewitt will be moving his popular morning program to afternoons, 3 to 6 p.m, ET, replacing Sebastian Gorka, who is joining the Trump team at the White House. Gorka will be finishing up a 6-year stint in afternoons, to become President Trump’s new deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism. President Trump lauded Dr. Gorka as ’a tireless advocate for the America First Agenda and the MAGA Movement,’” Salem Media Group said in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.
“Hewitt will be replaced in the mornings, 6-9 a.m. ET, with Chris Stigall, the morning host in Philadelphia on AM 990 The Answer. Stigall has been a local morning host on radio stations from Kansas City to Philadelphia since 2006,” Salem said.
Mr. Stigall is ready to roll.
“Salem has become a national leader in conservative media and free speech at a time of great consequences. God put it on my heart from a very young age to work in broadcasting. It feels so good to know this extraordinary professional opportunity comes from a management team of God-honoring men and women in Salem,” he said, also in a written statement.
The new programming will be syndicated on the Salem Radio Network and simulcast on Salem News Channel — a 24/7 streaming news and opinion television network available in 56 markets and on “dozens of connected TV streaming platforms,” including Pluto TV, Samsung TV Plus and Sling TV.
“While we are sorry to lose a great host in Sebastian Gorka, we are delighted to provide these opportunities to Hugh and Chris. This is an exciting time to be doing conservative news and talk programming. Our listeners are enthused about the new Trump administration, and these two shows will be all over this transition,” said Phil Boyce, Salem senior vice president of spoken word formats.
MEANWHILE IN TEXAS
The border war continues in the Lone Star State.
“As illegal aliens continue to enter the country ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next month, Texas aims to outpace the invasion by continuous construction of border walls. Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham posted on X that the construction of a border wall on state land acquired by the General Land Office is making strong headway,” said Will Biagini, a writer with Texas Scorecard, a news organization based in Austin.
“Since Buckingham offered 1,402 acres of land in Starr County to Trump for the construction of deportation facilities late last month, 4,544 feet of the border wall has already been raised in the area,” Mr. Biagini wrote.
Ms. Buckingham told Texas Scorecard that “as Texas Land Commissioner, it’s my duty to put Texans first. With the construction of this 1.5-mile section of our Texas border wall on newly acquired state land in Starr County. I’m doing just that.”
“Due to the Biden Administration’s refusal to secure our border, Texans have suffered,” she continued. “I’m using every tool at my disposal at the Texas General Land Office to protect and defend our communities. Too many of our sons and daughters have lost their lives due to this unprecedented criminality along our southern border, it must end now!”
POLL DU JOUR
• 62% of U.S. adults say it is a “government responsibility” to provide health care coverage in the U.S.
• 90% of Democrats, 66% of independents and 32% of Republicans agree; 68% of women and 54% of men also agree.
• 36% overall say it is not a government responsibility to provide health care coverage.
• 7% of Democrats, 32% of independents and 67% of Republicans agree; 29% of women and 44% of men also agree.
• 2% don’t know or did not provide their opinion.
• 3% of Democrats, 2% of independents and 1% of Republicans agree; 3% of women and 2% of men also agree.
SOURCE: A Gallup Poll of 1,001 U.S. adults conducted by telephone Nov. 6-20 and released Monday.
• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin and on Facebook @HarperUniverse. Contact her at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.