Democrats retain 1-seat majority control of the Pennsylvania House

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Democrats retain 1-seat majority control of the Pennsylvania House

2024-11-08 23:22 Last Updated At：23:30

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democrats retained majority control of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Friday by holding onto a Johnstown area district, giving them just enough votes to keep the speakership and determine the chamber's voting agenda.

The win by incumbent Rep. Frank Burns is the final House race to be called in a year when none of the 203 districts are changing hands. It gave Democrats a 102-101 margin and dashed Republican hopes of returning to control after two years in the minority.

Burns beat Republican Amy Bradley, chief executive of the Cambria Regional Chamber of Commerce and a former television news anchor and reporter.

Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams said retaining the House majority was “one of the most challenging yet important priorities of the cycle,” and that her party will be “a critical check on Republican extremism.”

Burns, a conservative Democrat who supports gun rights and opposes abortion, has regularly found himself voting against his fellow House Democrats. He has long been an electoral target of Republicans, while many other similarly situated western Pennsylvania districts long ago flipped to the GOP.

The district includes Johnstown and a wide swath of Cambria County.

Burns' win is some consolation to Democrats in what has otherwise been a banner electoral year in Pennsylvania for the Republican Party. Former President Donald Trump won in the state, Dave McCormick beat Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, two Democratic congressional seat were flipped and Republican candidates won all three of the state row offices.

In the state Senate, where half of the 50 seats were up this year, Democrats and Republicans both flipped a single seat, leaving the chamber with the same 28-22 Republican majority it’s had for the 2023-24 session.

South Korea's ruling party head supports suspending Yoon's powers, boosting chances of impeachment

2024-12-06 10:07 Last Updated At：10:10

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s ruling party chief showed support Friday for suspending the constitutional powers of President Yoon Suk Yeol for imposing martial law this week, in a bombshell reversal that makes Yoon's impeachment more likely.

Opposition parties parties are pushing for a parliamentary vote on Yoon's impeachment on Saturday, calling his short-lived martial law declaration “unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or coup.” But they need support from some ruling party members to get the two-thirds majority needed to pass the impeachment motion.

During a party meeting, People Power Party leader Han Dong-hun stressed the need to suspend Yoon's presidential duties and power swiftly, saying he poses a “significant risk of extreme actions, like reattempting to impose martial law, which could potentially put the Republic of Korea and its citizens in great danger.”

Han said he had received intelligence that Yoon had ordered the country’s defense counterintelligence commander to arrest and detain unspecified key politicians based on accusations of “anti-state activities” during martial law.

"It's my judgment that an immediate suspension of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s official duties is necessary to protect the Republic of Korea and its people,” Han said.

Han on Thursday had said he would work to defeat the impeachment motion even though he criticized Yoon’s martial law declaration as “unconstitutional.” Han said there was a need to “prevent damage to citizens and supporters caused by unprepared chaos.”

Impeaching Yoon would require support from 200 of its 300 members. The opposition parties who jointly brought the impeachment motion have 192 seats combined. PPP has 108 lawmakers.

Han was previously regarded as a close associate of Yoon as they spent years working together as prosecutors and he served as Yoon’s first justice minister. But after Han entered party politics and became PPP leader, their ties soured badly as they differ over how to handle scandals involving Yoon and his wife.

Han leads a minority faction within the ruling party, and 18 lawmakers in his faction voted with opposition lawmakers to overturn Yoon’s martial law decree. Martial law ultimately lasted about six hours, after the quick overrule by the National Assembly forced Yoon's Cabinet to lift it before daybreak Wednesday.

If Yoon is impeached, he would be suspended until the Constitutional Court rules on whether to remove him from office or restore his presidential power. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the country's No. 2 official, would take over presidential responsibilities.

The main liberal opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung said in a televised speech Friday that it was crucial to suspend Yoon as “quickly as possible."

Lee said Yoon's martial law enforcement amounted to “rebellion and also a self-coup.” He said Yoon’s move caused serious damage to the country’s image and paralyzed foreign policy, pointing to criticism coming out of the Biden administration and foreign leaders canceling their visits to South Korea.

Yoon has made no immediate response to Han's comments. He hasn't made public appearances since he made a televised announcement that his martial law decree was lifted. But his office said Thursday that Yoon accepted the resignation offer of Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who opposition parties and Han alleged recommended the martial law imposition to the president.

Prosecutor General Shim Woo Jung told reporters Friday that the prosecution plans to investigate rebellion charges against Yoon following complaints filed by the opposition, which claims his stunt amounted to a “self-coup.” While the president mostly enjoys immunity from prosecution while in office, the protection does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason. It wasn’t immediately clear how the prosecution plans to proceed with an investigation on Yoon.

The prosecution on Thursday placed an overseas travel ban on Kim Yong Hyun.

Democratic Party spokesperson Jo Seoung-lae said Friday the party is considering filing a legal complaint against People Power Party floor leader Choo Kyung-ho, whom they accuse of attempting to facilitate Yoon’s martial law enforcement.