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🗳️ Record number of women state lawmakers
 
Choropleth map of U.S. states showing change in the number of women serving in state legislatures from 2024 to 2025. The number of women legislators decreased in 21 states, increased in 21 states, and stayed the same in 9 states. New Mexico added 11 more women legislators in 2025, while New Hampshire
Data: Center for American Women and Politics. Cartogram: Kavya Beheraj/Axios

Women will fill a record number of state legislative seats next year, filling about a third of seats nationwide.

  • Why it matters: The most notable increases were in New Mexico and Colorado, where women will make up most lawmakers for the first time, AP reports.

🧮 By the numbers: 19 states will increase the number of women in their state legislatures in 2025, according to Rutgers' Center for American Women and Politics.

  • Female GOP state lawmakers, at least 851, will break the record set last year.

Reality check: The uptick was small. And at least 13 states saw losses in female representation.

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phkrause

Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
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GOP Takes First Steps To Shut Down Climate Groups

Democrats are helping give Trump the power to wipe out enemy nonprofits — and there’s already a road map on how to defund clean energy groups.

https://www.levernews.com/gop-takes-first-steps-to-shut-down-climate-groups/

Trump tells U.S. Senate Republicans they ‘must kill’ journalism shield law

President-elect Donald Trump ordered congressional Republicans on Wednesday to block a broadly popular bill to protect press freedoms, likely ending any chance of the U.S. Senate clearing the legislation.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/11/24/dc/trump-tells-u-s-senate-republicans-they-must-kill-journalism-shield-law/?

ps:Did you say we should jump off the roof? OK

phkrause

Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
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🎁 Trump's new deadline

Leaders on Capitol Hill are nearing a deal to avoid a December holiday government shutdown.

  • The likeliest outcome is a short-term spending stopgap to late February or early March, sources tell us.

Why it matters: This would set a new deadline during Trump's first 100 days and quickly test whether House Republicans will rubber-stamp or oppose a Trump-endorsed budget.

  • Trump's OMB nominee Russell Vought has urged Republicans to kick the spending fight to 2025 to give Trump maximum leverage.
  • Outgoing Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) had been pushing for Congress to fully fund the government with an omnibus package by the end of the year. Schumer won't get that wish.
  • Trump's focus seems elsewhere. Tonight he blasted out new Day 1 plans for tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada.

But narrow GOP majorities shift that leverage over to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries if Democratic votes are needed to avoid a shutdown, now or later.

  • Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said "the objective will be to get the job done as soon as possible." He told reporters last week he'd like to get spending bills "done in January."
  • Come next year, he'll work with Trump's top congressional liaison James Braid, a former House and Senate staffer.

Zoom in: Leaders are also still negotiating the overall cost of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes spending levels for the Defense Department.

  • The big sticking point: The Senate version of the bill authorizes $918 billion in spending, versus the House's $884 billion.
  • No major pieces of legislation are expected to be attached to the must-pass NDAA but nothing is final, sources tell us.

The bottom line: Any long-term government funding solution has to make it through the House with an incredibly thin Republican majority.

  • Trump and GOP leaders can only afford to lose a handful of Republican votes — now and in the new Congress, which starts Jan. 3.

— Stef Kight, Stephen Neukam and Juliegrace Brufke

 

🤑 Congress cash grab

House Republicans' hunt for cold, hard cash threatens to further complicate Johnson's majority — which is on track to be the narrowest since the Great Depression.

Why it matters: Johnson's power flows from his close bond with Trump. Keeping that power will depend on how many of Johnson's members he can convince to defer their big paydays until after 2025.

  • Salary is a major sore spot for House lawmakers. They last got a pay bump to $174,000 in 2009 and are banned from the lucrative advances on book deals that their Senate colleagues enjoy.

Just today, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) joined — and then deactivated — a Cameo account offering personalized video pep talks for $250 a pop.

  • Her colleagues aren't that far off: Multiple House Republicans have told us they'd be eager to monetize their X accounts, among other side hustles.

🚨 But the real threat to Johnson's majority is people leaving for private-sector jobs.

  • At least five House lawmakers quit Congress early in the last two years to pursue private-sector paychecks. Another four resigned early for other reasons, two died in office and one was expelled.
  • If similar patterns play out over the next two years, Johnson's majority is permanently at risk.
  • "They're going to need to do something because it impacts recruitment," one member told us. "You'll get rich people or people that can't get better jobs."

Between the lines: Johnson will start Jan. 3 with (at most!) a 221-213 vote majority, before falling as low as 218-216 until special elections can replace Trump Cabinet appointees.

  • Florida will hold a special election on April 1 to fill the seats of former Rep. Matt Gaetz and Trump's national security adviser nominee Rep. Michael Waltz.
  • New York expects a similar timeline to replace Rep. Elise Stefanik, who's nominated as UN ambassador.

The bottom line: Even at full strength, the House GOP majority will be at most 221-214. That's a margin nightmares are made of.

— Andrew Solender and Juliegrace Brufke

phkrause

Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
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📲 Trump's Senate speed dial
 
Illustration of the Capitol dome as of an antique phone.
 

Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios

 

Incoming Senate GOP leader John Thune has a new power dynamic to deal with next year, thanks to his members who keep talking directly with President-elect Trump.

Why it matters: Power takes a lot of different forms in the nation's Capitol. Having regular phone calls with Trump ranks high on that list.

  • Trump is famous for picking up the phone to personally cut deals, get perspectives or check in with people he trusts, including roughly a dozen lawmakers.
  • Some Republicans are quick to mention their calls with Trump in closed-door meetings with colleagues or to the press. Others keep their chats on the down low.

The leaders:

  • Incoming GOP whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) told us recently he talks to Trump "regularly on a host of different topics." Barrasso joined Trump at a Steelers game last month and has built a strong relationship over the years.
  • Outgoing NRSC chief Steve Daines (R-Mont.) told us being able to pick up the phone and talk with Trump will be "very important" next Congress. Daines is close with Thune and tight with Trump.

The diplomats/the long-timers:

  • Trump is quick to call Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), who served as his ambassador to Japan and was a possible pick to lead the Treasury or State Department, sources say.
  • Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has miraculously survived as a Trump confidant longer than almost anyone, despite policy disagreements. His hawkish approach to national defense could be an important counterweight to Vice President-elect Vance's isolationist tendencies.

The dudes:

  • Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) — or "Coach" —is also known as a frequent receiver of Trump calls. The two talk about "football, golf and common sense," one source told us, describing their talks as an escape from politics.
  • Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), who was a top contender to lead the Justice Department, won't tell you about his phone calls with Trump, as a rule. But they happen regularly.
  • Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) makes no secret of his frequent yapping with the president-elect — including going to bat for Thune's leadership bid. "I find myself in a very fortunate position," Mullin told reporters last week, saying he counts Speaker Mike Johnson, Thune and Trump as friends. "Any way I can be helpful, I'll be happy to be helpful."

— Stef Kight

phkrause

Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
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Senate absentees
 
A list that identifies political figures and their current status:  
- Tim Scott: Ran for president (Republican)  
- John Fetterman: Health issues (Democratic)  
- JD Vance: Ran for VP (Republican)  
- John Barrasso: Death in family (Republican)  
- Bill Hagerty: No status (Republican)  
- Mike Braun: Ran for governor (Republican)  
- Joe Manchin: Retiring (Democratic)  
- Bernie Sanders: No status (Democratic)  
- Kyrsten Sinema: Retiring (Democratic)  
- Dick
Data: Quorum; Chart: Axios Visuals

Ambition caused Republicans to miss votes this Congress, while Democratic leadership was most likely to be missing the "independents" in their caucus.

Why it matters: Thin margins make vote attendance even more critical for congressional leaders — as seen last week when Republicans were in uproar over their colleagues missing judicial votes.

Zoom in: Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), JD Vance (R-Ohio) and Mike Braun (R-Ind.) all were on the campaign trail heavily this Congress — as a presidential candidate, VP candidate and gubernatorial candidate, respectively.

  • Hagerty is also a frequent traveler with Trump and was a top Cabinet contender.
  • Barrasso missed weeks of votes this year due to his wife's illness and death.

Sens. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) proved to be dissenting voices in the Democratic Party before going independent, and are now retiring.

  • Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is also often at odds with Democratic leadership.
  • Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) has battled mental illness, causing him to miss votes.

— Stef Kight and Kathleen Hunter

phkrause

Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
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🌊 Scoop ... House exit wave
 
mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.axios.com%
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

More than 20 ambitious House members are already sizing up runs for higher office in 2026, we have learned.

Why it matters: This massive cohort could cause migraines for Speaker Mike Johnson, as ambitious Republicans pursue their dreams with little to no regard for his impossibly thin majority.

Driving the news: The scale of House members eyeing bids for higher office is greater than is publicly known, lawmakers and staff tell us.

  • Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) told us "folks have talked about" him running for governor and he is "not actively seeking it nor ruling it out."
  • Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) is being encouraged to run for governor and is considering it.
  • Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) is weighing a Senate run if Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) retires.
  • Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) may run for Vice President-elect Vance's Senate seat if outgoing Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) doesn't.
  • Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) is also considering a run for governor.
  • Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) is seen as a potential candidate for governor, we previously reported.
  • Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), who has floated a run for governor, is also considering vying to replace Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).
  • Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) is a potential candidate for statewide office in Colorado.
  • Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) is being encouraged to run for governor.
  • Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) told us he is "considering both" challenging Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) or a run for governor.

Zoom in: That's on top of the names already running or considering bids for other offices.

Zoom out: House members have fled the lower chamber at a historic clip, with many saying it's dysfunctional and toxic.

— Andrew Solender and Hans Nichols

 

🏆 Powerboard: The perfect attendees
 
A list that identifies members with perfect attendance in the 118th Congress. It includes six individuals: John Thune, Katherine Clark, Steve Womack, Susan Collins, Robert Latta, and Jack Reed. The group consists of four Republicans and two Democrats, highlighting bipartisan participation in every vote.
Data: Quorum; Chart: Axios Visuals

Six lawmakers have participated in every vote of the 118th Congress, according to data by Quorum.

Why it matters: House and Senate whips know something about counting votes. They also know not to miss them.

  • Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (currently the Senate GOP whip) and House Minority Whip Katherine Clark had perfect voting attendance in the 118th Congress.
  • Whips function as their party's truancy officers. That explains their perfect attendance.

Zoom in: Four other lawmakers — two in the House and two in the Senate — also made every vote over the last two years.

  • They don't have an easy explanation for their flawless record, other than serving their constituents well.

— Hans Nichols and Kathleen Hunter

phkrause

Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
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Democratic lawmakers from Connecticut report Thanksgiving bomb threats against their homes

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Six Democratic members of Congress from Connecticut were targeted by bomb threats on their homes Thursday, the lawmakers or their offices said.

https://apnews.com/article/bomb-threats-democratic-lawmakers-connecticut-238ed68ed2c66601a6e0d4378715d6fe?

phkrause

Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Posted
11 hours ago, phkrause said:

Democratic lawmakers from Connecticut report Thanksgiving bomb threats against their homes

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Six Democratic members of Congress from Connecticut were targeted by bomb threats on their homes Thursday, the lawmakers or their offices said.

https://apnews.com/article/bomb-threats-democratic-lawmakers-connecticut-238ed68ed2c66601a6e0d4378715d6fe?

Who is surprised?  This is so stupid, and so expected.

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6 hours ago, Theophilus said:

Who is surprised?  This is so stupid, and so expected.

Exactly! Ever since the cult leader was re-elected we've seen an up-tik (sp) of antisemitism, threats to Democratic lawmakers, also Republican lawmakers, African Americans, Latinos, etc.!! I know I'm not surprised at all from his Christian Nationalists, white supremist groups feel they have the go ahead now that he's been re-elected!! Because he wont be condemning them at all!!!

phkrause

Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
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🏛️ Congress shaken by bomb threats
 
Illustration of the Capitol building with a siren on top.
 

Illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios

 

To members of Congress, the wave of bomb threats targeting public figures this week was just another sad chapter in what has become a constant and relentless cycle of political threats and violence.

  • Why it matters: Lawmakers have weathered years of rising threats, startling security incidents, raucous protests and assassination attempts to the point where many have factored peril into their new normal, Axios' Andrew Solender reports.

Stunning stat: The number of threats against members of Congress assessed by Capitol Police jumped from 902 in 2016 to more than 8,000 in 2023.

  • "We are upset it's happening but … it's become all too familiar," said one House Republican, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss lawmakers' security candidly.
  • A senior House Democrat told Axios: "I think honestly it's become part of what we all deal with ... death threats [and] protests are far more common than many realize."

Driving the news: On Wednesday, the Trump transition said several of the president-elect's appointees were hit with bomb threats.

  • Reps. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) and Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) — Trump's nominees for labor secretary, U.N. ambassador and EPA administrator — were among the targets.
  • On Thursday, all but one member of Connecticut's fully Democratic, seven-person congressional delegation said they received similar threats.
  • And on Friday, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.) said they faced bomb threats targeting their homes.

phkrause

Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
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🏛️ "Dangerous and insane behavior"
 
Illustration of the Capitol dome opening up to reveal an emergency button with a hand hovering above about to press it.
 

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

 

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) yesterday condemned a series of Thanksgiving bomb threats targeting congressional Democrats from New England.

  • Why it matters: Congress was shaken by the incidents — the latest in a relentless cycle of violence and threats against American politicians, Axios' Andrew Solender reports.

A statement from the office of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said each threat was "signed with 'MAGA' at the conclusion of the message."

  • Several Trump nominees — including Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.), and former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) — were targeted by bomb threats this past week.

"This is dangerous and insane behavior," Johnson tweeted about the threats against Democrats.

  • "Regardless of what party you belong to, your political opponents are not your enemies. This is not who we are in America."

 

🏛️ Scoop: Dems' House drama

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) is taking steps toward a run to unseat House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) after initially leaning against it, Axios' Andrew Solender reports.

  • Why it matters: The impending Trump administration and fully GOP-controlled Congress is fueling a multi-committee push to oust some of House Democrats' oldest leaders in favor of more vigorous alternatives.

Raskin's most notable encouragement came from House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, The New York Times reported Saturday in a story about the internal debate, "Democrats Weigh Dumping Nadler, Regrouping to Counter Trump." But Raskin was dragging his feet.

  • 📱 This weekend, Raskin was calling colleagues to gauge support.

phkrause

Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
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Trump and Republicans in Congress eye an ambitious 100-day agenda, starting with tax cuts

WASHINGTON (AP) — A tax break for millionaires, and almost everyone else.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-tax-cuts-republicans-congress-spending-immigration-e4aebdcc9955f5d663208aec08778442?

Congress may have to ‘put the brakes on’ some uses of presidential power, Thune says

BRANDON, S.D. — Incoming U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, has signaled that he’s willing to push back against potential attempts by President-elect Donald Trump to expand presidential power over federal spending.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/11/29/congress-may-have-to-put-the-brakes-on-some-uses-of-presidential-power-thune-says/?

phkrause

Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Posted
On 11/19/2024 at 3:49 PM, phkrause said:

🎯 Trans lawmaker targeted

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) set off a firestorm on Capitol Hill today with a bill aimed at restricting transgender Rep.-elect Sarah McBride's (D-Del.) access to the women's bathroom.

Why it matters: The measure is not being immediately dismissed by Republican leadership, with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) telling Axios, "We're going to talk about that. We're working on the issue."

  • When asked about the bill, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told Axios: "Haven't seen it."
  • "This is not just bigotry, this is just plain bullying," said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

Mace told reporters tonight: "Sarah McBride doesn't get a say in this. If you're a biological man, you shouldn't be in women's restrooms."

  • In a statement, McBride said that every day "Americans go to work with people who have life journeys different than their own and engage with them respectfully. I hope members of Congress can muster that same kindness." 

— Andrew Solender

📺 Dems' 11th-hour challenger

A rising House Democratic star's last-minute effort to take down one of her party's senior leaders is running into a brick wall.

Why it matters: Jeffries' inner circle is on track to stay basically intact.

  • The race between Reps. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) and Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) for the chairmanship of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee is one of House Democrats' only contested leadership races.
  • Dingell, the 70-year-old incumbent DPCC chair, has served in Congress since 2015 and is the widow of congressional icon John Dingell.
  • Crockett, 43, is going into her second term and has become known as a fierce political combatant of Republicans and an MSNBC regular.

What we're hearing: Lawmakers from across the Democratic caucus told Axios that Dingell is seen as the clear favorite going into the election tomorrow morning.

  • While Crockett is admired for her communication skills, she got into the race last week, while Dingell has spent months building support.
  • Many Democrats noted Crockett is known in the caucus primarily for her TV appearances. "The outward-facing stuff doesn't always pay off," said one senior House Democrat.

The bottom line: "When I was approached by Rep. Crockett and asked for my support, I told her [she's] everything I want in a leader, however … she waited kind of late," said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.).

  • "I made a commitment to Dingell," Cleaver said.

— Andrew Solender

 

Bathroom bans

A House Republican is pushing to ban transgender women from women's restrooms at the US Capitol, two weeks after history was made with the election of America's first out transgender person to Congress. South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace told reporters on Monday that Democratic Rep.-elect Sarah McBride "does not belong in women's spaces, women's bathrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms, period, full stop." Later Monday, McBride shared an apparent response on X calling for kindness and respect. Similar bans targeting trans people using bathrooms associated with their gender identities, particularly in schools, have sparked controversy in recent years — with supporters arguing that the measures protect students while critics say that they are dehumanizing and unnecessary. 

thanku for keeping us very informed in america haywires

it can be very overwelming

i think it would drive both sides crazy if say,,

a person (undetected)must take a 7 pound ____! in the middle of the

Halls of Power .. a real creamy one  and all the choice political

podcasters can gather their DNA  kits and talk about it for ever

as another diversion

,,,

Heart for Jesus in these last days see only Jesus reflected back

the fools of church lie to themselves thinking disapproval and judgement 

is their ticket to heaven

wake up and smell the dung

 God blessed

know u not?  unconditional love and forgiveness is eyesalve

i love Jesus so much im enraptured every moment and the joy haunts mt dreams 

😍

For all Eternity God waited in anticipation for  You  to show up to give You a Message - YOUR INCLUDED !!! { a merry dance }?️‍?

" If you tarry 'til you're better
You will never come at all "   .. "I Will Rise" by the late great saved  Glen Campbell

If your picture of God is starting to feel too good to be true, you're starting to move in the right direction. :candle:

 

"My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite."

Romeo and Juliet

 

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Tran defeats Steel, flipping CA-45 House seat

After more than three weeks since Election Day, Democrat Derek Tran won his bid to represent California’s 45th congressional district, unseating Rep. Michelle Steel, the district’s two-term Republican incumbent.

https://dailytitan.com/news/tran-defeats-steel-flipping-ca-45-house-seat/article_bfbfeb50-b052-11ef-8eb2-53788cbdc8ee.html

ps:According to the article both parties spent $46 million total!! What a waste of money!!!!!

 

💰 Johnson's insider exit

House Speaker Mike Johnson is on the hunt for a new leader for the Congressional Leadership Fund, his top outside super PAC.

  • Several candidates are currently being considered to replace Dan Conston, people familiar with the matter tell us.

Why it matters: Super PACs are the best shot for the GOP at keeping up with Democrats, whose candidates keep out-raising House Republicans.

  • Conston and CLF declined to comment this afternoon when we gave them visibility into our reporting. Conston told Politico in a story that published tonight, "It's time to let others grow it to the next level."

As outgoing president of CLF, Conston essentially runs a $200+ million company that needs to develop and execute a new business plan every two years.

  • Candidates, consultants and donors all have to be kept happy. Billionaires write the group big checks at exclusive retreats, but they also want some assurances that it's being well spent.
  • Its leader must make strategic and tactical decisions on where to invest its resources with a simple goal in mind: Win more seats than the Democrats.

Between the lines: Conston, who was installed at CLF by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, is considering starting a new strategic consulting firm with other operatives in McCarthy's orbit.

  • He could also stay on at CLF for a cycle as an adviser or consultant.

Zoom in: In 2020, Conston helped McCarthy come within a whisker of the House majority, picking up 13 seats in an election in which President Trump lost both the popular and Electoral College vote.

  • In 2022, Conston and McCarthy got across the line and picked up nine seats.
  • In 2024, CLF, working with Johnson, appears to be on track to lose two seats but maintain the majority.

Zoom out: CLF raised $233 million this cycle through mid-October, according to the FEC, slightly more than the $228 million raised by the NRCC.

— Hans Nichols and Juliegrace Brufke

 

🤯 Chaos hits House Dems

Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' House Democrats had a chaotic day of committee intrigue, Biden condemnations and even a staffer's arrest.

Why it matters: It's an early taste of what's to come as Congress braces for the expected daily upheavals of the incoming Trump administration.

  • The comms director for House Administration Committee ranking member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) is "no longer employed" after his arrest today by Capitol Police on suspicion of carrying 11 rounds of ammunition and four magazines in his bag through a House office metal detector.

Zoom in: Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) launched a bid to unseat House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.). Raskin initially rejected challenging Nadler but was swayed by his colleagues, we first reported.

  • That kicked off a scramble for Raskin's lead role on the Oversight Committee, with Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) floating bids.

Zoom out: President Biden is in hot water with some of his fellow Democrats in the House for issuing a sweeping pardon of his son Hunter.

  • Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.), Jason Crow (D-Colo.) and Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) released statements calling out the move.
  • "I worry such a sweeping pardon for a close family member sets an unfortunate precedent that undermines trust in the office of the president," Golden said in a statement first shared with us.

— Andrew Solender

 

Schumer's reorg

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer will reshuffle his leadership team tomorrow morning, avoiding a clash between two of his caucus' most ambitious lawmakers.

  • We scooped earlier today that Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) will be elevated to the No. 3 spot, and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) will take No. 4.

Why it matters: The compromise is textbook Schumer, who prefers to prevent conflict within his caucus.

  • Klobuchar, 64, is known to have a deep policy understanding and hails from the Midwest, where Democrats got wiped out at the top of the ticket. The party needs to do more to connect with those voters.
  • Booker, 55, is known as one of the most effective communicators in the caucus, including on social media. He will be the youngest member of Schumer's top leadership.

— Stephen Neukam

phkrause

Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
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Dems' identity crisis
 
Photo illustration of Joe Biden in front of two images of the White House, one flipped and inverted.
 

Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

 

President Biden's extraordinary decision to pardon his son Hunter has exposed deep Democratic fissures that are complicating the party's efforts to rebuild after a disastrous election, Axios' Zachary Basu writes.

By pardoning Hunter on gun and tax convictions — or any other crimes he "may have committed" between Jan. 1, 2014, and Dec. 1, 2024 — some Democrats believe Biden has sacrificed a moral high ground that's been foundational to the party's identity in the Trump era.

  • Other Democrats see that framing as hopelessly naive, and have posed the blunt question: What's the point of holding the moral high ground when America just elected a convicted felon?

🔎 Zoom in: Biden's sweeping pardon of Hunter — arguably the broadest since President Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon — drew condemnation from even Biden's staunchest allies in Congress.

  • Many sympathized with Biden's fatherly instincts, especially given the tragedies his family has endured — but warned that the pardon would further erode Americans' trust in government.
  • For some liberal pundits, the about-face was an astonishing betrayal: Biden had explicitly ruled out pardoning his son on multiple occasions, including after it was clear Trump had won the election.
mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.axios.com%

The other side: For other Democrats, the outrage reveals a laughable double standard.

  • Trump made sweeping use of his pardon power to help out personal friends and family members, including his daughter Ivanka's father-in-law Charles Kushner — whom Trump just named ambassador to France.
  • Trump openly campaigned on pardoning people convicted on charges stemming from the Jan. 6 riot — discrediting the notion that Hunter's case will somehow give Trump political cover to issue controversial pardons.

🖼️ The big picture: Some Democrats have grown sick of their party's pearl-clutching in the wake of the election, seeing it as symptomatic of a broader failure to fight Trump's fire with fire.

  • "It's time to stop playing nice. We need to stretch the limits of what's possible and be as ruthless as Republicans when it comes to using every tool at our disposal," Democratic strategist Mike Nellis wrote last week.
  • The focus on upholding norms has been especially frustrating to members of the populist left, who say Democrats' cultural elitism cost them enormously with working-class voters.

phkrause

Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Posted
On 11/26/2024 at 10:30 AM, phkrause said:

GOP Takes First Steps To Shut Down Climate Groups

Democrats are helping give Trump the power to wipe out enemy nonprofits — and there’s already a road map on how to defund clean energy groups.

https://www.levernews.com/gop-takes-first-steps-to-shut-down-climate-groups/

Trump tells U.S. Senate Republicans they ‘must kill’ journalism shield law

President-elect Donald Trump ordered congressional Republicans on Wednesday to block a broadly popular bill to protect press freedoms, likely ending any chance of the U.S. Senate clearing the legislation.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/11/24/dc/trump-tells-u-s-senate-republicans-they-must-kill-journalism-shield-law/?

ps:Did you say we should jump off the roof? OK

"In former Vice President Al Gore’s best selling book, An Inconvenient Truth he lays out a case for the climate crisis and why it is imperative that we solve it."

yeah yeah whatever!

eons ago in 2006 we went to see the movie at the sinful theater  with our angels eating popcorn right beside us .. and right after i turned to my gay guy of 35 years and said point blank

"If it is this observable as this falling world shows

we are already pass the tipping point" duh

it takes the Entire Global Greedy number one priority,

resources and intention to slow it down back then with fire under global elected officials, regimes, dictatorships, ect bellies
duh

Anything short of that will not slow it down

it is written in the stars 

the 144 thousand will heal the Land!

itis written in the Stars louder n brighter!

you among the few who see JESUS HOLY CHRIST in Every Face?

what power is ascending even Now🤑

 

 

For all Eternity God waited in anticipation for  You  to show up to give You a Message - YOUR INCLUDED !!! { a merry dance }?️‍?

" If you tarry 'til you're better
You will never come at all "   .. "I Will Rise" by the late great saved  Glen Campbell

If your picture of God is starting to feel too good to be true, you're starting to move in the right direction. :candle:

 

"My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite."

Romeo and Juliet

 

Posted

Heart for Jesus in these last days see only Jesus reflected back

the fools of church lie to themselves thinking disapproval and judgement 

is their ticket to heaven

wake up and smell the dung

 God blessed

know u not?  unconditional love and forgiveness is eyesalve

GayatfootofCross

I have asked you once or twice before why almost every post you make involves a condemnation of Chruch members? You have chosen not to answer. Still curious.  It is obvious you have very little respect or love for those that attend church. I assume the Chruch you are referring to is SDA.

i love Jesus so much im enraptured every moment and the joy haunts mt dreams 

You seem to hold yourself above the deplorable Chruch member. Makes one wonder what the deplorable church members might have to say about the behavior of those that condemn them as fools and liars.

It is really sad when Chruch members are reported publically  to be so deplorable. I really hope for your sake you are able to find a Chruch that meets your standards. All Churches will have flawed members but  perhaps you might help them to become better than fools and liars

Posted
10 minutes ago, bonnie1962 said:

Heart for Jesus in these last days see only Jesus reflected back

the fools of church lie to themselves thinking disapproval and judgement 

is their ticket to heaven

wake up and smell the dung

 God blessed

know u not?  unconditional love and forgiveness is eyesalve

GayatfootofCross

I have asked you once or twice before why almost every post you make involves a condemnation of Chruch members? You have chosen not to answer. Still curious.  It is obvious you have very little respect or love for those that attend church. I assume the Chruch you are referring to is SDA.

i love Jesus so much im enraptured every moment and the joy haunts mt dreams 

You seem to hold yourself above the deplorable Chruch member. Makes one wonder what the deplorable church members might have to say about the behavior of those that condemn them as fools and liars.

It is really sad when Chruch members are reported publically  to be so deplorable. I really hope for your sake you are able to find a Chruch that meets your standards. All Churches will have flawed members but  perhaps you might help them to become better than fools and liars

huh

For all Eternity God waited in anticipation for  You  to show up to give You a Message - YOUR INCLUDED !!! { a merry dance }?️‍?

" If you tarry 'til you're better
You will never come at all "   .. "I Will Rise" by the late great saved  Glen Campbell

If your picture of God is starting to feel too good to be true, you're starting to move in the right direction. :candle:

 

"My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite."

Romeo and Juliet

 

  • Members
Posted

U.S. Senate Dem leader calls for traditional process for confirming Trump nominees

WASHINGTON — Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer sent a letter to incoming Republican Leader John Thune on Monday urging him to move nominees through the traditional confirmation process, including committee hearings and floor votes.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/12/02/dc/u-s-senate-dem-leader-calls-for-traditional-process-for-confirming-trump-nominees/?

phkrause

Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Posted
53 minutes ago, GayatfootofCross said:

huh

Sorry if I misunderstood you, but I don't believe that I did.  This is hardly complimentary.....

the fools of church lie to themselves thinking disapproval and judgement 

is their ticket to heaven. 

We,church attendees are fools and lie . Very sad this seems to be the way you view members of the church. This is not an isolated statement. In various ways this attitude towards those in the church is articulated

  • Members
Posted

Trump's private pep talk for Senate Republicans

President-elect Trump called in and gave GOP senators a pep talk Tuesday as they met behind closed doors on how to rapidly pass his top priorities, three sources in the room told Axios.

https://www.axios.com/2024/12/03/thune-trump-senate-republicans-call?

🍃 Scoop ... Schumer's pot bust

Chuck Schumer's late push to get landmark marijuana legislation passed this year looks doomed, sources tell us.

Why it matters: The next few weeks are Democrats' last chance to get the weed banking bill passed. Now it will have to find an unlikely way through a Republican-dominated Congress.

  • The Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation Banking Act would protect banks that work with cannabis companies, giving the marijuana industry access to more sources of funding.
  • Schumer pushed for the bill to be attached to must-pass packages before the end of this year, but sources tell us there is no path to getting it through the Senate this Congress.

The big picture: The marijuana bill has picked up bipartisan support but Republican leaders, including McConnell, are opposed to the legislation.

  • It's proving difficult for the parties to get any bills to ride along with must-pass funding bills before the end of the year.
  • Sources tell us the government funding package and a defense authorization bill are likely to be very narrow in focus, leaving little room for a bill like the cannabis banking one to get attached.

Yes, but: Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), an ally of GOP leadership, is a cosponsor of the bill, and it has bipartisan support.

  • Schumer has long been a proponent of the legislation, and we are told he will continue to push for the bill's passage by the end of the year.

— Stephen Neukam

 

❤️ Scoop: McConnell praises Johnson

Outgoing Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell went out of his way today to praise Speaker Mike Johnson behind closed doors, we have learned.

Why it matters: It was a signal to the conference McConnell has led for 18 years that the still-new House speaker should be trusted and supported.

  • McConnell plans to wield power as the chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and chair of the Rules Committee.
  • Having a productive relationship with Johnson could help him achieve his foreign policy objectives, especially on Ukraine.

Between the lines: McConnell stopped short of endorsing Johnson in his speaker's bid — something he has never waded into.

  • But multiple sources in the room noted the leader's decision to speak highly of Johnson.
  • McConnell's opinion won't carry much weight in the House — especially with conservatives who could threaten Johnson's speakership. Still, it is a reminder to senators they can find ways to work with and bolster Johnson.

Driving the news: Johnson briefly spoke to Republican senators during their policy retreat today, led by incoming Majority Leader John Thune and incoming GOP policy chair Sen. Shelley Moore Capito.

  • It was an eventful meeting: President-elect Trump dialed in for a pep-talk and Thune laid out his plans to use two reconciliation packages to pass Trump's agenda.

Before Johnson left, McConnell commended him for how he has handled a difficult job in managing a razor-thin Republican majority in the face of unhappy members, who don't mind deposing their speaker.

Zoom out: The two GOP leaders are unlikely bedfellows — an institutionalist defense hawk who has had harsh words for Trump vs. a relatively young conservative who rose to power by aligning his policies with Trump's.

  • But McConnell has been clear that one of his proudest recent achievements was securing billions of dollars of military aid for Ukraine earlier this year.
  • Johnson — at the urging of McConnell — ultimately passed the aid package through the House with help from House Democrats.

The bottom line: Johnson faces a tough leadership reelection in January, with a vocal conservative flank threatening to withhold support.

— Stef Kight and Hans Nichols

phkrause

Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
  • Members
Posted

Jeffries' chain reactions

Each explosive development in House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries' ranks appears to spawn two more in its place.

  • Why it matters: Jeffries is discovering leadership skirmishes are hard to contain and invariably hop from committee to committee.

Today's double blasts:

1) Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) formally launched his bid to replace Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee.

  • Raskin is challenging Judiciary Committee ranking member Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.).
  • Connolly could face a challenge from several other Democrats, including Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), as we previously reported.

2) The Natural Resources Committee may be a contested fight again after appearing to be wrapped up.

  • Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) is "taking a serious look" at running for the role after "a number of stakeholders reached out," her spokesperson Caroline Sweeney told us.
  • But Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) appears to have the inside track: He has commitments from over 140 colleagues, a source familiar with the matter told us.

— Andrew Solender

phkrause

Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
  • Members
Posted

🚨 Pelosi's rebels

Rep. Nancy Pelosi is publicly embracing intra-party warfare that she never would have tolerated as party leader.

Why it matters: The speaker emerita's supportive stance stands in sharp contrast to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' firmly neutral public posture.

  • It's also a reflection of the two leaders' starkly different styles: Pelosi's as blunt instrument, Jeffries' as careful conciliator.
  • It's a similar double-act to what happened after the first presidential debate, in which Pelosi mounted a thinly veiled campaign to push President Biden off the Democratic ticket while Jeffries tried to reflect the mixed attitude of his caucus.

Pelosi told us she's supporting "some" of the insurgencies playing out for top committee leadership slots, adding, "I don't know all of them."

  • Pelosi was holding a letter from Judiciary Committee ranking member Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) withdrawing his reelection bid in the face of likely defeat at the hands of Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.).
  • "He knows the territory," Pelosi, who had encouraged Raskin to run, said of Nadler's withdrawal.
  • One House Democrat familiar with the leadership dynamics told us "nobody is discouraging" these insurgents.

The intrigue: House Democrats are calling both Pelosi and Jeffries as they seek top committee spots.

  • Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) said she "spoke to both of them" before launching her bid to take down Agriculture Committee ranking member David Scott (D-Ga.).
  • Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who is running to replace Raskin on Oversight, told us he has had "talked to ... people in leadership and people who formerly were in leadership."

Andrew Solender

phkrause

Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
  • Members
Posted

U.S. Senate Democrats pick Amy Klobuchar and Cory Booker for leadership posts

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Democrats in closed-door elections Tuesday selected leaders for their caucus, and elevated Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar to the No. 3 spot and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker to No. 4.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/12/04/dc/u-s-senate-democrats-pick-amy-klobuchar-and-cory-booker-for-leadership-posts/?

U.S. House Republicans grill immigration agency chief over parole program

WASHINGTON — Republican members of a U.S. House Judiciary Committee panel scrutinized the head of the Department of Homeland Security agency tasked with processing legal pathways to immigration during a contentious hearing Wednesday about the Biden administration’s parole program that grants temporary protections for nationals from some countries.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/12/04/dc/u-s-house-republicans-grill-immigration-agency-chief-over-parole-program/?

Trump, RFK Jr. dine with Pfizer and Lilly execs

President-elect Trump hosted the chief executives of Pfizer, Eli Lilly and PhRMA Wednesday night at Mar-a-Lago, where they discussed how the public and private sectors can collaborate on finding cures for cancer, among other topics, Axios has learned.

https://www.axios.com/2024/12/05/trump-rfk-jr-pfizer-lilly?

🥊 Scoop ... Schumer vs. Johnson

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Mike Johnson are staring each other down over a bill aimed at curbing antisemitism, we have learned.

Why it matters: Schumer promised Jewish leaders earlier this year he would try to pass the bill this Congress. Now he's shifting blame to Johnson if Congress doesn't act.

  • Schumer wants the Antisemitism Awareness Act — aimed at college campuses — attached to one of the year-end packages that must pass Congress, like the National Defense Authorization Act.
  • But Johnson wants Schumer to put the bill on the Senate floor by itself, according to sources.

"We are trying to get them to do it," Schumer told us, referring to the House.

  • "I have offered several times to get it in either the NDAA or the appropriations bill," he said.
  • "Republicans are clearly feeling the pressure to get this done via the NDAA, which Sen. Schumer has long said is the best and fastest way," said a Schumer spokesperson. "The Republican leadership won't take yes for an answer."

Driving the news: With his narrow majority, Johnson has indicated to allies that attaching too many unrelated items to the NDAA could imperil its passage.

  • House Republicans are trying to make it easier for Johnson to include it by suggesting he also attach legislation to sanction the International Criminal Court, according to people familiar with the matter.
  • That sanctions bill previously passed the House 247-155 with 42 pro-Israel Democrats voting in its favor.

Zoom out: The antisemitism legislation also overwhelmingly passed the House in the summer, but it has divided Democrats.

  • If it isn't passed this year, Republicans are eager to act on it in 2025, when they'll have the Senate majority.
  • That would force Senate Democrats to potentially take a difficult vote next year.

The bottom line: With limited time left on the calendar — and his priority set on confirming judges — Schumer is unlikely to put the antisemitism bill on the Senate floor on its own.

— Stephen Neukam, Hans Nichols and Juliegrace Brufke

 

🎯 Jeffries' Trump-district Dems

Hakeem Jeffries' path to the speakership will force him to win on President-elect Trump's home turf.

Why it matters: The strategy (and math) are pretty basic for Jeffries, who needs to pick up just three seats in the next midterms to win the majority.

  • Return all 13 Democrats who won in what appear to be Trump districts.
  • Pick off three GOP lawmakers (of four) who won in what appear to be Harris districts.
  • Redistricting has made the few truly competitive House races nasty, brutish and anything but short.

🏆 Zoom out: For a leader who wants to seize his party's resistance mantle, the existence of 13 Democrats in Trump districts will make Jeffries' job harder.

  • Like Nancy Pelosi before him, Jeffries knows a unified caucus will make him a more powerful force.
  • With Republicans sitting on a three-seat cushion (which will be zero for several months), Jeffries can drive hard bargains and regularly embarrass Johnson if Democrats stick together.
  • But he'll have to choose his battles wisely and determine when to give those 13 Democrats a pass on tough votes.

By the numbers: November's elections showed both parties it's possible but expensive to beat entrenched incumbents.

  • Democrats took out seven of the 16 GOP incumbents in Biden districts.
  • Republicans took out two of the five Democratic incumbents in Trump districts.

🪞 The intrigue: For Democrats, the 2026 map is almost a reverse image of the 2024 one, when Johnson had to defend incumbents in 16 Biden seats with only five Democratic targets in Trump districts.

  • Turnout in midterms varies significantly from a presidential cycle, a phenomenon that's been particularly pronounced in the Trump era.
  • Districts that looked Trumpy in 2024 might be a little bluer in the midterms.

What they're saying: "House Democrats defied political gravity, returned the overwhelming majority of our battleground incumbents, flipped ten GOP-held seats this year and eradicated any extreme MAGA Republican hope of a so-called overwhelming mandate," said Justin Chermol, spokesperson for Jeffries.

— Hans Nichols

phkrause

Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
  • Members
Posted

Thune's endangered chair

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) is being squeezed between his anti-Trump past and his future role presiding over one of Trump's most controversial nominees.

Why it matters: Cassidy will get two bites at the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. apple next year.

  • As chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee, he'll scrutinize Kennedy's record.
  • And with his seat on the Senate Finance Committee, he'll take one of the first votes on Kennedy's nomination to run the Department of Health and Human Services.

🚨 A serious primary challenger is lurking for Cassidy, who voted to convict Trump on impeachment charges in 2021. Conservative Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) is seen as a potential Cassidy threat.

  • That leaves Cassidy balancing what's good for his reelection against his health care expertise, including what Kennedy would do if there is another pandemic, a top former staffer told us.

"He's a very independent-minded guy," retiring Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) told us about Cassidy. Romney has served with Cassidy on the HELP committee.

  • When asked if he thought the 2026 race would impact how Cassidy approaches Kennedy, Romney said, "I don't think in his case, no."

Zoom in: Cassidy says he's willing to work to get Trump's nominees approved.

  • "Sen. Cassidy has made it clear that he is excited to work with President Trump. Hopefully, he can be an asset to the Trump administration given his ability to get legislative solutions across the finish line," a spokesperson for the lawmaker said.
  • Cassidy told us this week he had yet to meet with the major health nominees but has meetings scheduled in the next week or two.

Between the lines: It's not just RFK Jr.'s beliefs about health issues like vaccines and water treatment. His support for abortion rights could also spell trouble with some Republicans.

  • Those problems are heading right for Cassidy's desk, with Trump watching carefully.

— Stef Kight and Caitlin Owens

phkrause

Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60

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