Congress

خلاصہ: ‘He got tired of me winning’: How Thomas Massie outmaneuvered Trump on EpsteinPresident Donald Trump's call for House Republicans to support releasing Jeffrey Epstein-related documents was a stunning capitulation after a months-long campaign to block the vote. It was also a specific defeat for Trump at the hands of a despised GOP opponent: Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky. “He got tired of me winning,” Massie said of Trump’s U-turn in an interview Monday morning. Insisting “I DON’T CARE!” in a late-night Truth Social post, Trump was bowing to the inevitable — a broad House Republican mutiny on a vote that was only scheduled because Massie forced it. It was the result of Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) launching a discharge petition aimed at sidestepping senior GOP leaders who desperately wanted to avoid bringing the issue to the House floor. The campaign to avoid the vote got remarkably ugly in the days before Trump finally conceded, with the president personally attacking Massie for recently remarrying after the sudden death in June 2024 of his wife of more than 30 years. Just hours before Trump’s reversal, one of his top political advisers called him “garbage” in an X post. That adviser, Chris LaCivita, is carrying out a Trump-ordered effort to unseat Massie from the rural northern Kentucky seat he has held since 2012. Trump recently endorsed a challenger, former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, in the GOP primary. Massie has not flinched from the threats. Politically, he has seen the best fundraising of his congressional career, entering October with more than $2 million in his campaign coffers. As for the personal attacks, Massie said Monday he and his wife were laughing them off. “She said, ‘I told you we should have invited him to the wedding!’” Massie said. Massie’s efforts around Epstein have been no laughing matter for the White House, with top aides and legislative affairs staff furiously scrambling late last week to head off the completion of the discharge petition. That included pulling Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) into the White House Situation Room in the final hours to try to persuade her to remove her name from the petition she had signed alongside GOP Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Nancy Mace of South Carolina, a survivor of sexual assault. All three have cast their support for the petition as an effort to protect women. Trump's pressure campaign failed. The three female House Republicans held firm, and the petition notched its final and 218th signature Wednesday moments after Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) was sworn in following her September special election win.Despite a final barrage of attacks from the president over the weekend — which included Trump calling his once-close ally Greene a “traitor” and threatening a GOP primary against her — backers of the Massie-Khanna discharge effort knew they had the president beat. There were emerging signs that it was Massie, not Trump, who had his fingers closer to the pulse of the MAGA base. Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas), a top Trump ally in the House, posted online he would be “voting NO on the Epstein Hoax” as he sought to rally Republicans to “stand by” the president’s side. Nehls received an immediate barrage of online pushback, suggesting a position against full transparency on Epstein would not be sustainable. Massie, in conjunction with the three GOP women who signed the discharge petition, have sought to put Epstein’s victims front and center amid the battle. They invited several to Capitol Hill in September to keep the fight in the public eye as members returned from the summer recess. They are tentatively scheduled to appear together again Tuesday ahead of the final House vote. “This shouldn’t have been a battle, and unfortunately, it has been one,” Greene said as she left a meeting with Epstein victims in September. Yet for months, senior White House officials labored to convince rank-and-file Republicans to keep their names off Massie’s discharge effort. That, according to five people granted anonymity to discuss private conversations, included warnings that any effort to support an Epstein vote would be viewed as a direct and personal move against the president. Trump has denied wrongdoing in relation to the Epstein allegations, and no evidence has suggested that Trump took part in Epstein’s trafficking operation. The president also has maintained that he and Epstein had a falling out years ago. “President Trump has been consistently calling for transparency related to the Epstein files,” said Abigail Jackson, a deputy White House press secretary, in a statement. “The Democrats knew about Epstein and his victims for years and did nothing to help them until they thought they could weaponize the files against the President.” In an effort to undercut Massie's effort, GOP leaders and the Justice Department worked to release 30,000 pages of DOJ documents in early September, right after Massie could begin gathering signatures on his petition. But lawmakers quickly realized most of the materials had been previously released. Around that time, the White House’s key legislative affairs liaison to the House, Jeff Freeland, was on the Hill, seeking to head off Massie right after lawmakers returned from recess. “Jeff introduced himself to me outside of the Capitol, and he said I was moving too fast for him,” Massie said in the interview. “I told him I made a mistake by getting 12 sponsors , because I had given him his whip list to block the most likely signers” of the discharge petition. Over the past week, it became clear to House GOP leaders that they would no longer be able to keep the Epstein measure off the House floor. Shortly after Grijalva signed, Speaker Mike Johnson announced he would expedite the vote, holding it this week rather than next month as required under the discharge petition. Still, with Trump opposing the effort, he maintained Massie’s legislation was reckless and “moot” now that the House Oversight Committee was heading up its own probe. Last week, Johnson tried calling one of the...

خلاصہ: Brad Lander set to challenge Rep. Dan Goldman from the leftNEW YORK — Brooklyn progressive Brad Lander is planning to launch his bid for Congress as soon as Wednesday, challenging Rep. Dan Goldman from the political left in a district that went big for Zohran Mamdani, three people familiar with his preparations told POLITICO. The city comptroller is expected to open his campaign with a pivotal endorsement from Mamdani, the democratic socialist mayor-elect’s first formal nod since his November election win upended the Democratic landscape. Lander has also sought support from progressive Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren , according to two people close to Lander. Lander shot his campaign launch video, with some scenes from his Park Slope community, two people with knowledge of his operations said. And he is interviewing for the Working Families Party endorsement, four more people confirmed to POLITICO. The people looped into Lander’s plans were granted anonymity to protect a sensitive rollout process. Lander’s entry will mark New York progressives’ boldest salvo yet in primaries to unseat more mainstream party members on the heels of Mamdani’s ascension to the helm of the country’s largest city. The fiscal wonk and Israel critic is a favorite of left-leaning voters in the liberal congressional district, which encompasses lower Manhattan and northwest Brooklyn and overlaps Lander’s former City Council district. “These are urgent times when ICE agents are abducting our neighbors, Donald Trump is stealing money from New York City’s bank account. I think people are looking for leaders who will put their bodies on the line,” Lander told reporters Friday after pleading not guilty to trespassing and related charges tied to his September sit-in protesting the detention of migrants at 26 Federal Plaza. He said Friday he had not made a decision on running for Congress but was seriously considering it. Lander's team did not immediately comment on his plans Tuesday when contacted by POLITICO. Mamdani defeated Andrew Cuomo in Goldman’s 10th Congressional District by 23 points in the June mayoral primary. In that same contest, Lander placed third in the district, just a quarter of a percentage point behind Cuomo, the moderate former governor. Lander helped clear the democratic socialist’s path to the nomination with a cross-endorsement deal that many in the progressive movement lauded as a sacrifice for the cause. While Lander is a progressive and Working Families Party darling, he is not a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. Goldman — a Manhattan Democrat, second-term House member and former prosecutor — was lead counsel in President Donald Trump’s first impeachment process. While Goldman is a scion of the Levi Strauss empire and a staunch defender of Israel, he has championed progressive policies as co-sponsor of Medicare for All and Green New Deal legislation. The incumbent has advocated for taxing the ultra-wealthy — including himself — and criticized settler violence in the West Bank. Both Goldman and Lander are Jewish. Lander and Goldman are aligned in the resistance against Trump’s ramped-up deportation agenda and have even worked in tandem. Both Democrats are a frequent presence at 26 Federal Plaza, the lower Manhattan administrative building where migrants have been detained by masked federal agents as they attend immigration court hearings. “These are nonviolent, noncriminal people, often escaping terrible conditions in their country, seeking refuge here, and now, they are being yanked away from their families, detained and deported,” Goldman told reporters Monday as he and Reps. Adriano Espaillat and Nydia Velázquez unveiled legislation to protect migrants from arrest as they attend their court dates and follow pathways to legal status. At least two other progressive Democrats are considering a bid for Congress in the district. City Council Member Alexa Avilés, chair of the council’s Immigration Committee and a democratic socialist, and former Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou, who came in second place to Goldman in the 2022 primary for the district, also appealed to the Manhattan and Brooklyn chapters of the Working Families Party for their support. Goldman did as well.Source InformationPublisher: PoliticoOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: Capitol agenda: What Trump told POLITICO about health careTRUMP’S TAKE ON HEALTH TALKS — President Donald Trump in an exclusive interview with POLITICO's Dasha Burns was noncommittal on the fate of Obamacare subsidies set to lapse at the end of the month, the latest sign that Republicans will let them expire. Pressed on whether he would intervene and ask Congress to extend the tax credits, Trump said, “I don’t know. I’m going to have to see.” He instead touted his rough vision for a health care revamp. “I want to give the people better health insurance for less money,” he said. “The people will get the money and they’re going to buy the health insurance that they want.” Watch the interview and read a rundown of the newsiest bits on Latin America, the economy, the Supreme Court and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). “She was a loyal person until I wasn’t able to answer her phone calls,” he said. SENATE GOP SEARCHES FOR UNITY — With just two days until Democrats get a vote on their proposal to extend expiring Obamacare subsidies, Republican senators have yet to coalesce behind an alternative to put up alongside it. “What signal would that send if Republicans say, ‘Yeah, we’re going to say no to the Democrats’ plan, but we’re not going to offer anything?’” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said. “The message that will send is, good luck to the American people, and we don’t really care.” Senate Republicans are expected to discuss their options at a closed-door lunch Tuesday afternoon and make a decision about which direction to take. — The competing proposals: Factions of the conference are either ready to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies or replace them with new frameworks. Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Monday praised a proposal by Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) expanding the use of health savings accounts and directing funding toward them — without extending the tax credits. Thune took steps Monday night to make the bill available for a vote later this week, as Republicans try to keep options on the table. But he didn’t commit to putting it up for a vote Thursday. Sens. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) proposed a two-year subsidy extension with new income caps and other eligibility restrictions — a plan that won some Democratic interest from Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 party leader. — The path ahead: The Democratic proposal is likely to fail Thursday even though a handful of Republicans haven’t said yet how they will vote. Hawley, for instance, said Monday “everything is on the table.” But Thune is suggesting there will be further bipartisan negotiations afterwards. There’s hope on both sides of the aisle that failure could spark new momentum as some lawmakers start eyeing Jan. 30, the next government funding deadline, as the real cutoff to land a health care deal. What else we’re watching: — NDAA hits Rules: The House plans to vote on the National Defense Authorization Act Wednesday afternoon — assuming it gets through the Rules Committee Tuesday evening. House Democrats could support the defense policy bill after House Armed Services ranking member Adam Smith (D-Wash.) signaled he’s on board. That means the biggest issue for Republicans likely won’t be final passage, but instead the rule vote Wednesday if some in the GOP choose to tank the party-line vote. — Digital trade legislation: Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) is introducing a bipartisan bill Tuesday that would empower the president to negotiate and enforce digital trade agreements — but also give Congress the opportunity to review and block those agreements. The move signals potential renewed interest from Congress in addressing the taxation of digital goods. Jordain Carney, Mia McCarthy and Benjamin Guggenheim contributed to this report.Source InformationPublisher: PoliticoOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: Trump thrashes European leaders in wide-ranging interview: ‘I think they’re weak’In an interview with POLITICO, the president offered no reassurance to America's allies about Russia and vowed to reshape their politics. Download video: http://vod.politico.com/media/v1/pmp4/static/clear/1155968404/7f9033df-2eaf-4a4e-b049-8d2b7d0df148/62ab45a9-ceef-4bff-933f-4257d1b3f5ce/main.mp4Source InformationPublisher: PoliticoOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: Why Senate Republicans aren't uniting behind a health care planSenate Republicans have no shortage of health care plans . The challenge is getting all 53 of them to rally behind one. Three days before a high-profile vote on a Democratic proposal to extend expiring Obamacare subsidies, GOP senators are nowhere near coalescing behind any single alternative that could be put up alongside it. Instead, Republican leaders appear happy allowing their members to freelance, even as Democrats and some in their own ranks fume at the lack of clear direction. For Republicans, the risk of proceeding Thursday with a side-by-side vote is clear. While Democrats say they will have their entire 47-member caucus behind the three-year extension, any GOP plan right now is likely to fall well short of complete unity — and highlight the divisions in their party. Senate Majority Leader John Thune called the upcoming vote on Democrats’ plan “a political messaging exercise,” one he agreed to last month as part of a deal to end the 47-day government shutdown. He didn’t commit to putting up a GOP counteroffer for a vote. “I don’t think they’re serious about wanting to do a deal yet, so I think that may be what this week is about,” Thune told reporters Monday. “But we’ll see from there if there is a genuine interest in trying to do something.” GOP senators are expected to further discuss their options at a closed-door lunch Tuesday and make a final decision about their posture. But, according to three Republican aides granted anonymity to comment on internal conference dynamics, leaders are not currently expected to offer an alternative for a vote Thursday. One of the aides said Republicans will be prepared to make the case they have plenty of ideas and are ready to talk with Democrats once they move off a proposal that won’t get the 60 votes needed to advance. But some Republicans want their leaders to put some concrete alternatives forward as more than 20 million Americans face the loss of enhanced Obamacare tax credits that were implemented as a Covid relief measure under President Joe Biden in 2021 and later extended through 2025. Without them, many families could see premiums rise by $1,000 a month or more. “What signal would that send if Republicans say, ‘Yeah, we’re going to say no to the Democrats’ plan, but we’re not going to offer anything?’” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said. “The message that will send is, good luck to the American people, and we don’t really care.” Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said in an interview that simply standing aside while Democrats vote to extend the subsidies would be “a big mistake.” “A lot of my colleagues, I think, will be very upset if we don't put something up,” he said. But there are multiple competing proposals that are favored by subsets of the Senate GOP. Some of them include shorter extensions of the expiring subsidies. Others seek to replace them with new frameworks, generally involving giving Americans cash in the form of health savings accounts to help underwrite premiums and other costs. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) is among those pushing for a clean break from the Affordable Care Act subsidy framework that reflects “what we believe in” as free-market-oriented Republicans. “I always think it's good to have an alternative,” he said in an interview. But Thune praised another proposal being circulated by Sens. Mike Crapo of Idaho and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who chair the health-oriented Finance and HELP committees, respectively. Their proposal, released Monday , would expand the use of health savings accounts and direct funding toward them without extending the enhanced Obamacare subsidies. Cassidy said Monday that it is a “leadership decision” if his proposal gets a vote Thursday. Thune took steps Monday night to make the bill available for a vote later this week, as Republicans try to keep options on the table ahead of Tuesday’s lunch. But Thune also acknowledged some of his members have other ideas centered on extending the enhanced subsidies with a new income cap and other eligibility restrictions. Republican Sens. Bernie Moreno of Ohio and Susan Collins of Maine, for instance, propose to extend the expiring subsidies for two years with income cap restrictions and minimum premium payments. That proposal won some Democratic interest Monday from Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the No. 2 party leader, who called it “encouraging” and “in the ballpark” of a workable solution — though he cautioned he hadn’t seen the details. “It's not crazy,” Durbin said. “Let’s have a conversation.” The Senate GOP is straining to formulate a path forward as House Republicans race to come up with their own plan in hopes of putting some health care legislation up for a vote next week before lawmakers break for the holidays — and the enhanced subsidies expire, returning them to the original levels as passed in the 2010 Affordable Care Act. House GOP leaders still need to make key decisions, including if they try to assemble one bill or put up a suite of bills for members to pick and choose from. But they, too, are under pressure from a slice of members to embrace an extension of the subsidies — even as most in the party are happy to see them expire. President Donald Trump hasn't put forward his own framework, which could have helped rally the disparate factions of his party on Capitol Hill. And Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer hammered Republicans Monday, saying that they “have no plan.” “The question Republicans face this week is very simple: Will they support our bill and lower people’s premiums or will they block our bill and send premiums through the roof?” Schumer said from the Senate floor Monday. While the Democratic proposal is expected to fall well short of the necessary 60 votes, a handful of Republicans haven’t said yet how they will vote. Hawley, for instance, said Monday “everything is on the table.” “What I’m not going to do is...

خلاصہ: Texas Rep. Marc Veasey to drop his reelection bidRep. Marc Veasey is set to drop his House bid in a Dallas-area seat and will instead run for Tarrant County judge, according to a person familiar with the situation granted anonymity. It’s the latest reshuffle brought on by the Texas GOP’s gerrymander, which could yield the party as many as five additional seats in next year’s midterms. Veasey’s north Texas district was redrawn to favor Republicans. Veasey had been expected to run for the seat being vacated by Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who launched her Senate campaign on Monday after former Rep. Colin Allred dropped out of that race. Punchbowl News first reported Veasey’s decision. Allred’s decision to bow out of the Senate race and instead run for a seat in the House sets up yet another primary battle between the former NFL linebacker and Rep. Julie Johnson (D-Texas) in the state’s newly redrawn 33rd Congressional District. Johnson succeeded Allred after he left the House for his first Senate bid in 2024.Source InformationPublisher: PoliticoOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: House GOP leaders plan Wednesday NDAA voteHouse GOP leaders are planning to pass the annual defense policy bill late Wednesday afternoon, according to three people granted anonymity to comment on the scheduling ahead of an official announcement. GOP leaders unveiled text of the 3,086-page bill Sunday evening and are already facing public pushback from hard-line conservatives over the inclusion of Ukraine funding, the omission of a Federal Reserve digital currency ban and other issues. While Speaker Mike Johnson can likely count on support from some Democrats on the final vote, he first must keep his own party together on a procedural vote expected earlier Wednesday afternoon. To build unity, House GOP leaders are touting a variety of conservative wins in the final bill, including provisions taking aim at diversity and equity programs in the ranks. They also are declaring victory on measures that crack down on U.S. investment in China and repeal decades-old Middle East war powers authorizations. But some conservatives could be turned off by leaders’ decision to drop some social policy riders as well as the inclusion of language that restricts Trump from significantly reducing U.S. troop levels in Europe. Connor O’Brien contributed to this report.Source InformationPublisher: PoliticoOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: DeSantis: Trump’s AI order ‘can’t preempt’ states from taking actionTALLAHASSEE, Florida — Gov. Ron DeSantis cast doubt Monday on the Trump administration’s ability to restrict states like Florida from regulating artificial intelligence, with new federal guidelines expected soon. DeSantis, a fierce AI skeptic, is pushing Florida to enact a slate of AI protections for residents during the upcoming legislative session and has the backing of state lawmakers, who are holding several hearings on the topic this week. But as President Donald Trump eyes a federal top-down AI “rulebook” that could stymie Florida’s efforts, the GOP governor maintained it should be up to Congress, not the president, to establish such a sweeping policy. “An executive order doesn’t/can’t preempt state legislative action,” DeSantis posted on social media Monday. “Congress could, theoretically, preempt states through legislation.” “The problem is that Congress hasn’t proposed any coherent regulatory scheme but instead just wanted to block states from doing anything for 10 years, which would be an AI amnesty," DeSantis continued. "I doubt Congress has the votes to pass this because it is so unpopular with the public." Trump’s hardline insistence on the federal government crafting AI regulations instead of states puts the president in a unique position with DeSantis, one of the loudest voices calling for states to take action. While the relationship between DeSantis and Trump has been strained at times, the governor has avoided direct criticism of the president and has largely been apprehensive of Congress proposing a lengthy moratorium blocking local AI laws. The president’s promise of an AI executive order coming down this week, though, could put a damper on possible moves sought by DeSantis and other state leaders. Florida lawmakers have introduced several bills to rein in AI, such as requiring insurance claim denials to come from a “qualified human,” and are likely to file more by the time session begins in January. DeSantis, for his part, wants a “bill of rights” stuffed with AI protections for consumers and residents, like preventing utility companies from up-charging residents when tech companies build massive data centers. With Trump’s AI action looming, state legislative leaders are currently taking a wait-and-see approach on how it could ultimately restrict them. “I haven't read the executive order, so I don't know,” state Senate President Ben Albritton (R-Wauchula) told reporters Monday. “I don't know the answer to the question, not until I see what it is specifically that the president comes out with and where that relates to what our authorities are.”Source InformationPublisher: PoliticoOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: Republican Bruce Blakeman planning to enter race for New York governorALBANY, New York — Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is preparing to enter the race for New York governor as soon as Tuesday, according to two people with direct knowledge of his plans. Blakeman’s decision to seek the Republican nomination is a major snag in Rep. Elise Stefanik’s efforts to secure GOP backing in her challenge to Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is running for a second full term next year. The looming primary has the makings of a battle royale between two ardent supporters of President Donald Trump — a generational fight pitting an ascendent woman in the Republican Party against a stalwart GOP officeholder who has been on the periphery of the Empire State’s political scene for decades. Blakeman, who last month won reelection in the suburbs east of New York City, has said Trump has not discouraged him from seeking statewide office. The president offered no preference Monday when reporters asked about Blakeman and Stefanik, appearing to signal that he doesn’t mind them competing. “He’s great and she’s great,” Trump said at the White House. “They’re both great people.” Hochul more overtly welcomed the competition. “If there’s a Republican primary, it makes it much more entertaining for me,” Hochul said about Blakeman’s launch. “Let them go at it. Let’s see how they out-MAGA each other.” Hochul has reason to be reassured. Republican Lee Zeldin competed in a four-candidate primary in 2022 and eventually came within 6 points of unseating her. Some New York Republicans grumble that Zeldin lost time he could have used to focus on Hochul and was drained of resources as a result. The people who spoke with POLITICO about Blakeman’s announcement were granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. A Blakeman spokesperson declined to comment on the pending launch. The county executive has downplayed the problems a primary would pose. “You gotta be sharp. You gotta be on your game if you want to win this,” he said when he was beginning to explore his bid. “There’s not a large margin of error for Republicans. So I think it sharpens both candidates if there is a primary in many circumstances as long as you can keep it from not degrading into namecalling and things of that nature, which I would never do.” Hochul, who faces her own primary challenge against Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, led Stefanik 52 percent to 27 percent in a Siena University poll last month . In their bid to defeat the governor, Republicans plan to leverage New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s ascendance to City Hall — tying the moderate Hochul to the 34-year-old democratic socialist who is unpopular in the suburban counties. The suburbs will be key to Blakeman’s campaign. While he’s not well known statewide, the Nassau County executive hails from vote-rich Long Island, which has trended toward Republicans in recent elections. He identifies as a “pro-choice Republican” — a position that stands to complicate his ability to win over GOP voters in a closed party primary. Republicans, though, are hungry to win after being shut out of statewide office in New York for the last 20 years, and a less rigid stance on abortion rights may win over moderate voters. Blakeman is also a Trump-allied Republican who revels in culture wars and has twice won a purple county where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans. Nassau County is home to two critical House battlegrounds, and Republicans are eager to flip the seats held by Reps. Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen in an effort to retain the majority in Washington. “Even before the election, a lot of community leaders, business leaders, political leaders asked me if I would get into the race because they feel that I would have the best chance to beat Kathy Hochul because of my attraction to crossover Democrats and independent voters,” Blakeman said last month after he won reelection. He has taken a conservative line on trans athletes, masking in public and is eager to have local law enforcement coordinate with federal immigration enforcement efforts. He also enjoys a warm relationship with The New York Post, the influential conservative tabloid owned by Rupert Murdoch. Blakeman this year announced the Post would become the “official newspaper” of Nassau County. But Blakeman will face an immediate fundraising crunch. Stefanik, an aggressive fundraiser, formally entered the race for governor in November, but she has been effectively a candidate since the summer after Rep. Mike Lawler bowed out to run for reelection in his swing House seat. Stefanik has made early inroads with Republicans statewide, funding an effort to boost the party’s local-level candidates in the November elections. Trump likely will loom large in the race. Democrats are poised to tether the president to whoever emerges as the GOP nominee. And Trump’s May endorsement of Lawler’s House reelection bid almost certainly influenced the Hudson Valley Republican’s decision to forgo a gubernatorial run. If Trump decides to favor Stefanik or Blakeman, it is almost certain to have an impact on whether one or the other remains in the running. “I spoke to President Trump on election night. He congratulated me,” Blakeman said in November. “I told him I wanted to sit down and talk to him. And he said he was willing to sit down and talk about it. He didn’t discourage me.”Source InformationPublisher: PoliticoOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: Senate Judiciary plans hearings around Jack Smith probeThe Senate Judiciary Committee will hold hearings in early 2026 surrounding former special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into President Donald Trump — culminating in a hearing later in the year where Smith will testify in person before the panel. “Arctic Frost was a runaway train that swept up information from hundreds of innocent people simply because of their political affiliation,” Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley said in a statement, shared first with POLITICO. “Congress and the American people want answers, and sunshine is the best disinfectant.” The Iowa Republican continued, “The Senate Judiciary Committee is leading this investigation to find out exactly what went wrong, so that bad actors can be held accountable and this sort of political witch hunt never happens again.” The announcement follows news that Smith requested Republican lawmakers’ phone records as part of his probe into Trump’s efforts to subvert the results of the 2020 election. The revelations enraged GOP senators, who argued Smith’s investigation amounted to a weaponization of the Justice Department and have been clamoring for hearings. Four Senate Judiciary subcommittees are expected host hearings beginning in January focusing on how telecommunications companies responded to Smith’s subpoenas for lawmakers’ data; legal issues presented by those subpoenas; how judges handled non-disclosure orders for Smith’s subpoenas; and the use of government resources for the probe. Among those who could be chairing the subcommittee hearings will be Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who were among the senators singled out by Smith. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is another subcommittee chair expected to oversee a hearing who claims to have been subject to a subpoena. It’s not clear when Smith will testify before a full Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, but he is scheduled to testify across the Capitol next Wednesday behind closed doors to staff investigators with the House Judiciary Committee. House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who is leading that effort, had his phone data requested by the Biden Justice Department prior to Smith joining the investigations into 2020 election interference and Trump's handling of classified documents. A spokesperson for Smith did not immediately provide comment.Source InformationPublisher: PoliticoOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: Capitol agenda: GOP struggles on affordability messageThe Senate is set to vote Thursday on whether to extend Obamacare health insurance subsidies that expire in 23 days. How Republicans will engage remains up in the air, as the party struggles more broadly to reach consensus on a range of “affordability” issues. Here’s where things stand heading into the big vote. The Senate GOP’s missing plan — Senate Democrats are poised to get a vote on a three-year extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits — a bill that will likely fail. Republicans are leaning against holding a separate vote on their own alternative as they face internal divisions over what to put forward. The decision isn’t final, and some Republicans could try to advance proposals via unanimous consent. Mysterious House action — Speaker Mike Johnson surprised a number of Republicans last Thursday when he said he planned to roll out a health care framework in time to present to his conference by early this week. The House GOP strategy is expected to be a major topic of discussion during a retreat of committee staff directors and leadership staff that wraps tonight in Boston. The House Republican plan is likely to encompass bills that committees have been working on to boost health care options beyond the ACA — not an extension of Obamacare subsidies. The big picture on the GOP and affordability — Republicans’ struggle over how to address the expiring ACA subsidies — a lapse that would raise health premiums for millions of Americans — is representative of broader GOP floundering over how to decisively respond to cost-of-living concerns ahead of the midterms. Beyond health care, the Trump administration’s proposal to distribute $2,000 rebate checks has gotten a lukewarm response on the Hill, and intraparty sparring has weighed on other smaller bills to address things like housing costs and student debt. Top Republicans acknowledge they haven’t done enough to sell the economic benefits of the “one big, beautiful bill,” and internal divisions threaten any attempt to follow up on it. Just this weekend, congressional leaders released a compromise version of the annual National Defense Authorization Act without housing legislation sought by Senate Banking Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and ranking member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), after House Financial Services Chair French Hill (R-Ark.) and other key House Republicans objected. President Donald Trump himself has recently called the emphasis on affordability a “hoax” perpetrated by Democrats, even as 37 percent of those who voted for him last year say the cost of living in the U.S. is the worst they can remember it being, according to a new POLITICO Poll . “We haven’t probably messaged as effectively as we should,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said in an interview. “I think we’ll have lots of opportunities now that we’re getting into an election year to talk about the things we’ve done and how they are going to lead to things being more affordable for the American people, probably starting with tax relief next year.” What else we’re watching: — NDAA on track for House vote this week: Compromise NDAA text is out and House GOP leaders are targeting a floor vote Thursday or Friday . The first stop is a Rules Committee hearing, which could come as early as Tuesday. — Government funding action: House GOP leaders are eyeing putting at least one appropriations bill if not two on the floor next week, right before they leave for the holiday recess. One senior House Republican says Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and other appropriators are expected to lean on leadership in the coming days. Jordain Carney, Benjamin Guggenheim, Meredith Lee Hill, Jasper Goodman, Connor O’Brien and Mia McCarthy contributed to this report.Source InformationPublisher: PoliticoOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: Congress waits on Trump as December health sprint beginsCongress returns to session Monday and kicks off a December sprint to address expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies and prevent health insurance premium hikes for millions of Americans. Members of both parties acknowledge success hangs on one question: Will President Donald Trump ever figure out what he wants? Since lawmakers left town 10 days ago, the picture has only grown foggier. Early in their holiday break, Trump appeared to be on the precipice of announcing a framework to temporarily extend the Obamacare subsidies with new eligibility restrictions, only to pull back after a mountain of internal GOP criticism. In his only comments on the matter, Trump injected more uncertainty last week, saying he doesn’t want to extend the subsidies but understands it might be necessary. The mixed signals have left the various factions on Capitol Hill trying to figure out where Trump will ultimately come down — and how to entice the president to back their side in a thorny policy fight that could have major political consequences in next year’s midterm elections. “The president has got to sign whatever we do, otherwise it’s a legislative exercise,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), who is drafting what he describes as a bipartisan proposal that would largely align with the leaked White House framework. But Fitzpatrick and other lawmakers are quickly running out of time to pin Trump down. The Senate will vote next week, as soon as Dec. 9, on a health care proposal. It’s unclear what will be in the bill, but it’s the fulfillment of a promise Majority Leader John Thune made to Democrats as part of a deal to end the 43-day government shutdown. “The question is, how quickly can something come together?” Thune said before leaving Washington for Thanksgiving. Or as Fitzpatrick put it, “Time is not our friend.” Fitzpatrick and other centrists are looking to build bipartisan support for an extension of the subsidies, a priority for Democrats, with new income restrictions and other safeguards, which are a priority for Republicans. Their efforts have loose backing from the Republican Main Street Caucus, whose chair, Rep. Mike Flood of Nebraska, quickly endorsed the contours of the leaked White House framework last week. But others in the GOP want to pursue a more radical overhaul of Obamacare, with Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Rick Scott of Florida pitching the president on plans centered around individual spending accounts. Scott even termed his vision as “Trump Health Freedom Accounts.” Trump has kept Congress in limbo as lawmakers try to figure out what he will support. Republicans spent much of November thinking the president was turning away from extending the tax credits, only to be blindsided by news that the White House framework would do just that. Most House and Senate Republicans, including senior members of leadership, learned details of the tentative White House proposal — and how quickly it could be rolled out — from media reports, including POLITICO’s. Their objections prompted the White House to scuttle the rollout. A House Republican granted anonymity to discuss internal conference thinking acknowledged that it would have been “wiser” if the Trump administration had consulted directly with Hill GOP leaders before word of the framework leaked out. The GOP lawmaker added that Trump “cannot please everyone” with any health plan. “Most took it as a good sign that the initially accepted a modified extension,” the lawmaker said. “Yes, a subset complained but I think they’re in the minority.” Getting an extension of the subsidies through the House and Senate, not to mention Trump, will require navigating a political obstacle course. For one, the framework was silent on new abortion restrictions, which are a key demand for many Republicans and a deal-break for many Democrats. “We’re not going to allow public funds to be used for funding abortion,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) told reporters before Thanksgiving. While much of the GOP backlash to Trump’s unreleased framework was about how lawmakers found out about it, there’s a significant swath of Republicans who will simply never vote to extend anything related to Obamacare, according to three GOP aides granted anonymity to discuss internal dynamics. In addition to the Scott and Cassidy plans, a coalition of House and Senate Republicans that includes key committee chairs are working behind the scenes on a range of possible health care proposals, but there’s no guarantee the GOP will fall in line behind the plans or whether the lawmakers will even produce a bill this year. As a fail-safe, House GOP centrists are preparing to launch a discharge petition to force a floor vote on a subsidy extension. But they are also trying to give space to the Senate to see if a bipartisan deal can be reached, according to two Republicans granted anonymity to discuss the talks. Some lawmakers are already looking at Jan. 30, the next government funding deadline, as the real cutoff for a health care deal, even though the credits would have expired by then. And some hard-liners want GOP leaders to embrace a party-line approach amid widespread skepticism among their colleagues that’s even doable. Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), whose committee shares oversight of the ACA, said he is “working to try to find a pathway to get some bipartisan solution” — not a partisan, filibuster-skirting bill Republicans could pursue under the budget reconciliation process. “There are a lot of things going on,” he said. Crapo added that even if the promised Senate vote fails, “We will need to be continuing to work … with our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to try to find some broader health care solutions.” Democrats were initially buoyed by news that Trump was preparing to endorse an extension of the subsidies, despite the eligibility restrictions, believing that it was a good sign that he was even thinking about it. But that optimism faded after witnessing the Republican backlash. They have their own internal divisions over...

خلاصہ: Record-setting personnel issues are marring Trump’s second termOn the surface, President Donald Trump’s second-term personnel operation has been a smoothly running machine. The Senate has confirmed more than 300 civilian nominees since January, even changing the chamber’s rules to move them faster. But there are clear signs of breakdowns behind the scenes. Trump has withdrawn a record number of nominees for a president’s first year in office as he faces a combination of GOP pushback against some picks, vetting issues, White House infighting and, in some cases, the president’s own mercurial views. Trump has withdrawn 57 nominations, according to Senate data — roughly double the 22 nominations he withdrew during the first year of his first administration and the 29 his immediate predecessor, Joe Biden, withdrew during his first year. The pace of withdrawals, the highest since at least the Ronald Reagan presidency, has flown below the radar in the day-to-day churn on Capitol Hill, with many Republican senators expressing surprise at the data in interviews. But they also acknowledged the obvious: In some instances, the White House just isn’t making sure Trump’s nominees can get the votes. “It would appear that some nominees haven’t been vetted, and … somebody says, ‘Go with them anyways,’” Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said in an interview. Perhaps the most vivid example was the monthslong intraparty drama over Paul Ingrassia’s nomination to lead the Office of Special Counsel. After POLITICO reported he made racist comments in a group chat, Ingrassia withdrew despite telling senators he had “no recollection of these alleged chat leaks, and do not concede their authenticity.” But Senate Republicans had already privately telegraphed to the Trump administration for months that his nomination was in serious peril. Asked about the withdrawals, a person close to the White House granted anonymity to speak candidly about internal dynamics pointed to Ingrassia as a key example. “Would I say some vetting has been questionable? One thousand percent,” the person said, adding of Ingrassia: “That was a vetting nightmare that was only allowed to happen based on certain relationships and acquaintances with people that are making the decisions.” Trump faced similar pushback from Republican senators over Ed Martin’s nomination to be the U.S. attorney in Washington. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), a key vote on the Judiciary Committee, essentially killed Martin’s nomination after he told the White House that he couldn’t support him over his past defense of accused Capitol rioters. But even before that, Martin was on thin ice with GOP senators. A Senate aide who was granted anonymity to speak frankly about White House personnel issues said that in several cases the nominees were being withdrawn not because of issues with GOP senators but intra-administration snags. A White House official, granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the withdrawals, acknowledged the presidential personnel office had recently strengthened its background checks for nominees.The person close to the White House said that “not all of these nominations were done so in good faith” under Sergio Gor, who served as the director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office until his confirmation as ambassador to India. The person suggested Gor’s successor as personnel chief, longtime Trump loyalist Dan Scavino, would oversee fewer withdrawals. “I think Dan is a little bit wiser and less inclined to give out jobs like candy to people who haven’t earned them or would not pass vetting,” the person added. Gor and the U.S. Embassy in India did not return messages seeking comment. The White House official said the 57 withdrawals, which include instances where the same nominee was put forward for multiple positions, were done “for a variety of reasons — clerical changes, new positions or adding new responsibilities to their original role.” Frank Bisignano’s nomination for Social Security commissioner, for example, was withdrawn and immediately resubmitted to the Senate in January. The official added that Trump is nominating new individuals at a “record pace” and noted he has gotten more nominees confirmed at this point than he did during his first term or than Biden did by this point. Republicans were already confirming Trump nominees at a faster clip than in his first administration. But in September they enacted a party-line rules change, allowing most nominees to now be confirmed in groups of unlimited size. One group of 108 was confirmed in September; a group of 48 more followed in October. Tillis, who described himself as surprised by the total number of nominees withdrawn, pointed to Trump’s fast pace in making nominations as one possible reason for the sloppy vetting. “Obviously, when you move more quickly and you’ve got new folks in play, then you are going to run into people who have lifestyle issues,” Tillis said, adding that he believes only “outliers” have run into issues in the Senate. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), who like Tillis expressed surprise at the number of nominees withdrawn, added that “part of our responsibility is advise and consent.” “And sometimes the advice is to maybe reconsider something,” Rounds said. “You don't have to make a big deal out of it, but you can share that with the administration. And sometimes they take a second look at the nominee, and they say, ‘You know, yeah, you're right.’” Asked about the withdrawals, White House spokesperson Liz Huston said in a statement that Trump is “nominating the most talented patriots to successfully carry out his America First agenda.” “Under President Trump’s leadership, these appointees are delivering on his core campaign promises in record time from securing the border, ending Joe Biden’s inflation crisis, unleashing American energy, and restoring common sense policies,” she added. While Martin and Ingrassia are two high-profile examples of nominees running aground in the Senate, there have been other quieter examples — including Joel Rayburn, who had been nominated to be an assistant secretary of State but faced fierce public opposition from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).Trump has also withdrawn nominees for his own reasons. He abruptly withdrew Rep. Elise...

خلاصہ: Marjorie Taylor Greene resigns from Congress after clash with TrumpMarjorie Taylor Greene, the MAGA firebrand who rose to prominence as a combative supporter of President Donald Trump, announced late Friday she is resigning from Congress after a public feud with him. Greene, who was elected to Congress in 2020 from a rural northwestern Georgia district, made the surprise announcement in a surprise video address that referenced her falling out with Trump. The president branded her a “traitor” and withdrew his endorsement for supporting an effort he opposed to release files from the criminal investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “Standing up for American women who were raped at 14, trafficked and used by rich powerful men, should not result in me being called a traitor and threatened by the President of the United States, whom I fought for,” she said in a statement posted on X. Her resignation reflects increasing divisions within the MAGA movement that propelled Trump to power on a populist agenda that Greene had aggressively supported. The Republican lawmaker’s relationship with Trump soured after she joined calls from Democrats to release the Epstein files, criticized the president’s focus on foreign affairs and called for action on the expiring Obamacare subsidies. “Loyalty should be a two-way street and we should be able to vote our conscience and represent our district’s interest because our job title is literally representative,’' she said. Greene said she will step down from office on Jan. 5. She did not provide advance notice to to anyone in House Republican leadership, according to three people granted anonymity to describe internal matters. Her resignation threatens to further tighten Speaker Mike Johnson’s Republican majority early next year. The GOP holds a 219-213 advantage following Democrat Mikie Sherrill’s resignation this week after her election as New Jersey governor. That means Johnson can lose no more than two Republicans on a party-line vote. Greene highlighted her record of supporting Trump since she entered Congress, noting that she only disagreed in a "few areas” with some of the president’s recent proposals on immigration, artificial intelligence and foreign policy along with her stance on the Epstein documents. The White House had no immediate comment and appeared to be caught off-guard by her resignation. “It is surprising to absolutely no one that she would exit in the most selfish way possible,” an administration official, who was granted anonymity to discuss the resignation before a statement had been released. Rachel Scott, a senior political correspondent for ABC, said on X that she spoke with Trump and he was surprised but pleased with the resignation. "I think it's great news for the country. It's great," he said. The growing divide between Trump and Greene came to a head last week when the president revoked his endorsement of Green in a scathing social media post in which he labeled her “wacky” and a “ranting lunatic.” Days later, he reversed his position on the Epstein case files and encouraged House Republicans to support a bill that would for the Department of Justice to release the documents. Johnson later tried to paper over the rift between the Georgia Republican and Trump. The speaker acknowledged the dispute over the Epstein documents but said it was important that the party hold together. “But look, I work on unity in the party, and my encouragement of everybody is to get together,” he said. “We’ve got to do all that in order to deliver for the people.” Greene suggested in her statement that a looming primary challenge from a candidate aligned with the president factored into her decision — referring to the pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc. as one of the actors pushing her aside. “I have too much self respect and dignity, love my family way too much, and do not want my sweet district to have to endure a hurtful and hateful primary against me by the President we all fought for, only to fight and win my election while Republicans will likely lose the midterms,” she said. Her resignation brings a stunning conclusion to a tumultuous tenure that included promoting outlandish conspiracy theories. In 2021, the House voted to strip her of her committee assignments for social media posts promoting violence towards prominent Democrats. She also earned a reputation as a wild card among the House Republican caucus. In 2024, she attempted to remove Johnson from his position as the party was still recovering from a protracted fight that led to the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Days after being sworn into office for the first time, she joined a group of Republican members of Congress seeking to block the certification of Joe Biden’s presidential election victory over Trump on Jan. 6., 2021. Greene did not rule out a future run for office, suggesting she might run as an independent if she returned to politics. "When the common American people finally realize and understand that the political industrial complex of both parties is ripping this country apart, that not one elected leader like me is able to stop Washington's machine from gradually destroying our country, and instead the reality is that they, common Americans, the people, possess the real power over Washington," she said, "then I'll be here by their side to rebuild it." Source InformationPublisher: PoliticoOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: Thune denies Johnson’s demand for Epstein bill changesSpeaker Mike Johnson said he voted for the Jeffrey Epstein disclosure bill Tuesday based on his hope that the Senate would make changes he’s been demanding. Senate Majority Leader John Thune shot that down. Thune said Tuesday evening that, while he had talked with the speaker about the bill, he and Senate GOP legal counsel decided the legislation was “sufficient.” The Senate effectively approved the legislation by unanimous consent mere hours after House passage Tuesday afternoon without provisions sought by Johnson, including additional victim and whistleblower name protections. "I talked with the speaker a bit, and we've been in consultation obviously with the White House on this for some time,” Thune told reporters. “The conclusion was when it came out of the House 427-1 that, you know, it was going to pass in the Senate.” Thune’s refusal to amend the bill was just the latest setback Johnson has faced in the Epstein saga, where the Louisiana Republican saw a rank-and-file member of his own party, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), pull off a stunning legislative end-run despite the speaker’s months-long opposition campaign. Johnson said after House passage Tuesday that he would “insist upon” changes. “I talked to John Thune over the weekend. I just texted him. We’re going to get together. We’ll talk about this,” Johnson told reporters as he left the floor. “There’s an easy way to amend the legislation to make sure that we don’t do permanent damage to the justice system. And I’m going to insist upon that.” Asked if he would press Trump to veto the bill if the Senate didn’t amend it, Johnson said he would “cross that bridge” if necessary. He also raised “national security” concerns about the bill Tuesday. Thune said Senate Republican lawyers examined the legislation and determined it could go forward without being amended. “Our lawyers obviously had looked closely at some of the issues and had concluded that the bill I think was, you know, sufficient to accomplish what needed to be done here, and that is to get the information out there as quickly as possible,” Thune said. Earlier this week, Johnson told reporters he had received “some comfort” from the Senate that the chamber would make the changes. But Thune never publicly indicated he expected the Senate to revise the bill and even warned earlier Tuesday that changes were unlikely. The only short-lived whiff of resistance that appeared in the Senate Tuesday came from Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), who appeared to raise concerns at the last minute but did not block the effort. “We were trying to see if we needed to change language to protect the victims,” Mullin said to reporters. Shortly before Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer sought unanimous consent to greenlight the bill, Mullin said that there had been a “conversation” with the administration about what the Oklahoma Republican characterized as “technical changes,” which ultimately didn't get made.Source InformationPublisher: PoliticoOriginal Source: Read more