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Jennifer Harper

Jennifer Harper

jharper@washingtontimes.com

Jennifer Harper wrote the daily Inside the Beltway column for The Washington Times.

Articles by Jennifer Harper

President Biden rides a bicycle along the beach at Kiawah Island, S.C., Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022. Biden is in Kiawah Island with his family on vacation. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

RNC has the numbers on Biden’s time on vacation

"President Biden requires a lot of vacation. In 2023, Biden spent 142 days -- 38.9% of the year -- on vacation. That includes at least 30 trips to Delaware, 10 trips to Camp David, portions of two visits to the U.S. Virgin Islands, and vacations in Nantucket and Lake Tahoe," said Jake Schneider, director of rapid response for the Republican National Committee.

January 3, 2024
This June 15, 2018, file photo shows U.S. currency on a counter in East Derry, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

Debt monster grows, now matching America’s annual GDP

"The national debt is headed towards record levels," warns the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan group committed in its mission statement to educating the public on fiscal policy. They've got the numbers.

December 28, 2023
The sun shines through American flags flying in front of the New York Stock Exchange at the corner of Wall and Broad Streets in New York City on Nov. 14, 2023. Inflation has cooled enough to get investors looking ahead to a 2024 where interest rates may be on the way down instead of up. (AP Photo/J. David Ake, File)

Year-end news stories focusing on nervous stock market

The news media are brimming with those proverbial year-end stories that recap the highs, lows, challenges, victories and defeats across a wide spectrum of subjects. At the moment, the favorite theme of the coverage appears to be the state of the stock market -- and things appear a little jittery.

December 27, 2023
Former President Donald Trump speaks during a commit to caucus rally, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Waterloo, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Trump holds ‘commanding lead’ in latest poll of GOP primary voters

Year-end surveys continue to be released by the nation's ever-vigilant pollsters. One has some promising news for former President Donald Trump. "Trump holds a commanding lead in the GOP primary," declared Rasmussen Reports, offering some new numbers in a brief report released Tuesday.

December 26, 2023
A U.S. Air Force pilot flies a C-130J Super Hercules for Operation Christmas Drop over the Federated States of Micronesia, Dec. 3, 2023. This is OCD’s 72nd year delivering supplies such as clothes, toiletries, toys, fishing gear, and more across different islands of the Federated States of Micronesia. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Audree Campbell)

Like Santa’s reindeer, C-130 cargo planes spread Christmas joy across the Pacific

"Operation Christmas Drop is the Department of Defense's longest-running humanitarian airlift operation. The tradition began during the Christmas season in 1952 when a B-29 Superfortress aircrew saw islanders waving at them from the island of Kapingamarangi, 3,500 miles southwest of Hawaii. In the spirit of Christmas the aircrew dropped a bundle of supplies attached to a parachute to the islanders below, giving the operation its name. Today, air drop operations include more than 50 islands throughout the Pacific," notes a written report from Andersen Air Force B ase on Guam.

December 24, 2023
In this Dec. 18, 2010 photo, shoppers are photographed on 34th Street, in New York. For retailers, the last-minute rush caps a "back-to-normal" holiday season. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

American Heart Association: ‘Holidays more stressful than doing taxes’

The American Heart Association has some news for us. "The holidays are more stressful than doing taxes, causing people to overlook their own health during 'the most wonderful time of the year.' The survey suggests that adults of all ages have trouble prioritizing their mental and physical health at this time of year," the organization reports.

December 21, 2023
Shoppers and sightseers walk on 5th Avenue, Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, in New York. On Thursday, the Commerce Department releases U.S. retail sales data for November. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Bidenomics makes Joe Biden the real Christmas Grinch

"This holiday season, Bidenomics has made everything from Christmas trees to gifts unaffordable for middle-class families. While Americans struggle to stay afloat, we're reminding them who the real Grinch is this Christmas: President Joe Biden," Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a written statement.

December 19, 2023
Republican presidential candidates former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis talk during a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by NBC News, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) ** FILE **

Term ‘out-MAGA’ takes center stage in Democratic attacks on GOP

Political terms come and go when elections are afoot. This week, we shall consider the term "out-MAGA," which more or less entered the political lexicon when President Biden predicted in August that Republican presidential hopefuls would try to "out-MAGA" one another in the first GOP debate.

December 18, 2023
The non-profit, nonpartisan Alliance for American Manufacturing is offering its 10th anniversary edition of the Made in America Holiday Gift Guide, a helpful and charming annual list of American-made gift ideas from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. (Image courtesy of Alliance for American Manufacturing)

Holiday gift catalog lets shoppers buy ‘Made in America’

Yes, the clock is ticking on the Christmas and holiday shopping rush. Here's one possibility that could offer some quick insight and a little help to the nation as well. The nonprofit, nonpartisan Alliance for American Manufacturing is offering its 10th anniversary edition of the Made in America Holiday Gift Guide, a helpful and charming annual list of American-made gift ideas from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

December 14, 2023
Former U.S. Senator Scott Brown and his classic rock band will provide the entertainment a First in the National Primary Party in January, organized by the New Hampshire Republican Party. (Image courtesy of the New Hampshire Republican Party).

New Hampshire Republican Party knows how to party

Things will be rocking of the musical sort in the Granite State very soon. The New Hampshire Republican Party is hosting a First in the National Primary Party in January, according to a friendly invitation shared with Inside the Beltway.

December 13, 2023
Al Gore, former U.S. vice president, speaks at the COP28 U.N. Climate Summit, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Gore’s attitude toward Climate Change Conference gets cooler

Former Vice President Al Gore is not happy with the United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties -- that's COP28 for short. The massive event in Dubai came to a close on Tuesday, leaving Mr. Gore concerned over the global climate deal that emerged but did not call for phasing out the use of fossil fuels.

December 12, 2023
A meticulous study by C-SPAN has revealed which lawmakers had the most to say during their time on the job at the U.S. Capitol . (AP Photo)

C-SPAN tallies up the biggest talkers on the floor of the Congress

"Who has spoken the greatest number of days on the floor of Congress? As of December 8th, here are the top ten U.S. House members who have spoken the most in 2023," the network said in a straightforward written report which names the lawmaker, plus the number of days that each stepped forward to speak on the floor this year. Here are the results.

December 11, 2023
Caption: The New York Young Republicans Club — established in 1911 — has a full social calendar annually that includes Halloween, Election Night and other events, including its annual December gala. (Courtesy of the New York Young Republicans Club)

New York Young Republicans Club plans significant party

Leave it to the New York Young Republicans Club -- founded in 1856 and incorporated in 1911 -- to be the relative force behind what used to be known as a "very swell affair." The organization will host its 111th annual Gala on Saturday -- a black-tie event which features "a night of dinner, drinking, and love of country with President Trump," the organization noted in its public description of the event.

December 7, 2023
A nurse prepares a syringe of a COVID-19 vaccine at an inoculation station in Jackson, Miss., July 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Senators seek to reinstate pilots banned over COVID mandates

Two Republican lawmakers are looking out for those who fly our aircraft. Sens. Mike Braun of Indiana and Roger Marshall of Kansas have introduced legislation to reinstate pilots who lost their jobs based on their COVID-19 vaccination status.

December 6, 2023
President Trump speaks with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley before a meeting during the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters, Sept. 18, 2017. In early 2016, the then-South Carolina governor said she was “embarrassed” by candidate Donald Trump and decried his reluctance to condemn white supremacists. Nine months later, she agreed to join his Cabinet, serving as a key validator as Trump sought to win over skeptical world leaders and voters at home. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Haley leads the talk about who should be GOP’s vice presidential candidate

Pollsters and news organizations are already fixated on the 2024 presidential election, examining the public's preference for president. But who could end up second in command? "If Donald Trump wins the Republican nomination for president, most voters want him to pick Nikki Haley as his running mate," a Deseret News/HarrisX poll released Tuesday said.

December 5, 2023
Grasses grow under a grove of trees at the May Prairie State Natural Area on Aug. 20, 2020, in Manchester, Tenn. Grasslands come in various forms — wetland bogs, rocky barrens, lush prairies, even woodlands — anywhere the tree cover is sparse enough to allow grasses, flowers and other small plants to flourish. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Letter from governors’ group warns: Hands off American land

Watchful Republican governors are out to protect American soil in no uncertain terms. A group of 17 of them have sent a letter to both the Biden administration and U.S. House and Senate leadership calling for action "to protect the United States from the imminent national security threat directly related to the Communist Party of China's efforts to amass U.S. land."

December 4, 2023
In this April 30, 2016, file photograph, Jake Driskell, a Laurel police officer and owner of Gun Guy Tactical, helps Crestview Baptist Church member and first time shooter Katherine Huffman, line up her sights with her husband's revolver during the live fire portion of a enhanced concealed carry class sponsored by the church for in Petal, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Historic Remington gun factory to close, New York’s hostility to 2nd Amendment blamed

"Due to New York State's radical anti-Second Amendment policies and disastrous business climate, they have run Remington Arms, the country's oldest gun manufacturer, out of New York State. The Ilion Remington plant opened its doors in 1828 and is one of the largest employers in Herkimer County in NY-21," said Rep. Elise Stefanik in a written statement shared with the Beltway.

December 3, 2023