Congress: The Senate & The House

[phkrause]

House rejects Democratic efforts to force release of Matt Gaetz ethics report

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House shut down Democrats’ efforts Thursday to release the long-awaited ethics report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz, pushing the fate of any resolution to the yearslong investigation of sexual misconduct allegations into further uncertainty.

https://apnews.com/article/matt-gaetz-house-ethics-committee-report-release-48db6698d172bedb3b847fc9d3c0f96b?

[phkrause]

😩 Johnson's Gaetz encore

Johnson won the argument yesterday against releasing Matt Gaetz's Ethics report.

• Now he has to wait and see whether Trump puts the hot potato back in his lap.

Why it matters: Gaetz's joining the Trump administration would threaten to blow up House GOP unity against releasing the Ethics report.

• Just one Republican voted yesterday to release the report.
• But "there's a whole bunch of us that if he's going to be nominated for a senior position, this will come back," Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) told Axios.

— Juliegrace Brufke

 

AOC is in

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is formally running to replace Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.

• We scooped her plans to enter the race earlier this week.

Why it matters: Ocasio-Cortez, 35, would instantly become the highest-profile ranking member for Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries if she's elected.

• She's running against Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), 74, who disclosed last a cancer diagnosis last month. Connolly said he has no major symptoms but is undergoing treatment.

— Andrew Solender

[phkrause]

💪 Schumer's labor standoff

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is mounting a last-ditch fight to keep the National Labor Relations Board under Democratic control for the first two years under President-elect Trump.

• He filed cloture tonight on another five-year term for Lauren McFerran.

Why it matters: For big labor and big business, the NLRB is crucially important.

• It has broad discretion to referee disputes between employers and workers across the economy, from Amazon to Starbucks.
• Democrats have an opportunity to lock in a 3-2 majority on the board, but only if they can find 50 votes to extend McFerran's tenure.

Schumer has two paths to win confirmation:

• He'll need GOP absences or defections, or assurances from either Sens. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) or Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) that their concerns about the NLRB have been addressed. Those two haven't indicated how they'll vote.

Driving the news: Senate Democrats and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders have privately pressed Schumer to grandfather McFerran in as chair until August 2026, when vacancies will give Republicans a shot to create their own NLRB majority.

• With two weeks left in session, time is running out, raising concerns in the labor movement that the vote isn't a top priority for Schumer.
• Without reconfirmation, the board will likely tip in favor of Republicans early next year when Trump starts filling open seats after his inauguration. McFerran's term expires next week.

What we're watching: No one seems to know if Manchin is still as angry with the NLRB as when he voted against the last Democratic nominee in September 2023.

• But his staff isn't giving Schumer any reason to be optimistic.
• In that 2023 vote, Democrat Gwynne Wilcox relied on the votes of the two Alaska senators, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, to win confirmation.
• Another x-factor is Sinema's attendance. She didn't vote last week.

The bottom line: Schumer has been focusing on confirming federal judges to lifetime positions before Democrats hand over the majority to Republicans next year.

• While judges wear their robes for life, there are nearly 1,500 of them.
• There are five seats on the NLRB.

— Stephen Neukam and Hans Nichols

 

💰 Thune deficit fight

Incoming GOP leader John Thune is actively seeking ways to make next year's border and defense package deficit-neutral, if not deficit-negative.

Why it matters: Despite pushback from House Republicans, Thune is full steam ahead on his two-part reconciliation plan for next year, sources tell us.

• The border portion of the first reconciliation package — which also includes energy and defense — could be as much as $120 billion, a source familiar told us.

Thune's second proposed package will deal with extending the Trump-era tax cuts and is expected to be far more complicated.

• Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.), who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, has criticized Thune's plan and said he expects just one big reconciliation package next year.
• But senators seem to be backing Thune.

Zoom in: Thune is being pressured to get the first part of budget reconciliation done without adding to the budget deficit.

• One idea: Overturning President Biden's student loan program, which could free up to $200 billion, sources familiar with the conversations told us.
• Some of the package could also be paid for by increased revenue through some of the energy proposals.

Top staffers met Friday to start sketching out the logistics of the process.

• Trump adviser Stephen Miller said yesterday that the border package would be passed by "early February," indicating the Trump team is on board with the two-part plan.
• "While I support spending restrictions and tax cuts, my top priority — and the first order of business in the Senate Budget Committee — is to secure a broken border," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who will chair that committee come January, posted on X today.

— Stef Kight

[phkrause]

🥊 New GOP power players

Rep. Brian Mast at a Trump campaign rally in July. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images New House Foreign Affairs chair Brian Mast (R-Fla.) is closer to Trump's position on Ukraine aid than Reps. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.) and Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), who ran against him. New House Energy and Commerce chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) will play a key part in negotiating next year's first reconciliation package. — Juliegrace Brufke

[phkrause]

McConnell "fine" after falling outside Senate GOP meeting

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) fell on Tuesday while coming out of a regular lunch with Republican senators at the Capitol.

https://www.axios.com/2024/12/10/mitch-mcconnell-falls-health-senate?

💧Johnson's leak hunt

Speaker Mike Johnson wants to punish whoever leaked details on Matt Gaetz's House Ethics report, he told us today.

Why it matters: House lawmakers were dead-on when they told us to expect leaks on the report, which is still under wraps.

• The House blocked an effort last week to force the report's release.
• Republicans allege one leaker is outgoing Democratic Rep. Susan Wild, who wasn't at last week's meeting on the report. Wild's office denied to The Hill her absence was over leaks.

🎤 "In my opinion, there ought to be repercussions for that," Johnson told us in a hallway interview when asked about leaks.

• "We can't set that as a precedent. It's dangerous."
• Wild's office declined to comment on Johnson's statements.

Johnson hasn't discussed disciplinary action with House Ethics Chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.), the speaker told us today.

• Guest told us this evening he hasn't spoken to Johnson for "a couple of weeks" but would be "happy to" discuss the situation allegedly involving Wild.
• But with Wild's pending departure from Congress in January, Guest said lawmakers "would be limited on anything that could possibly be done within the Ethics environment" if they found she was linked to the leaks.

The bottom line: Another House Republican close to GOP leadership told us they doubt there is time for any repercussions to occur.

— Juliegrace Brufke and Andrew Solender

🥊 Scoop: Heritage squeezes senators

Heritage Action is joining the MAGA pressure campaigns against GOP senators who've raised concerns about Trump nominees or have a history of clashing with him.

Why it matters: Senate Republicans ignored MAGA activists in their secret ballot leadership elections last month. But senators with 2026 reelections won't have that luxury.

• A new ad campaign will run in nine states and D.C. It's the first part of a larger $1 million effort that will expand to YouTube, a peer-to-peer text campaign and even a Fox News ad on Inauguration Day.

The states are:

• South Dakota, home to incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and Kentucky, home to outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
• Alaska, Maine and Iowa, the home states of Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Joni Ernst, respectively, who have been lukewarm on Trump's defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth. (Ernst seems more open to Hegseth now.)
• Louisiana — the home state of Sen. Bill Cassidy, who'll have a key role in the confirmation of HHS nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
• North Carolina and Indiana — the home states of Sens. Thom Tillis, a moderate Republican up for reelection in 2026, and Todd Young, who didn't endorse Trump in the 2024 election.
• Utah, the home state of Sen.-elect John Curtis, who's expected to be a more moderate voice like retiring Sen. Mitt Romney.

— Sophia Cai

ps:Can't get what you want than lets just threaten all of them!!!!!

[phkrause]

🔥 China investments fight reignites

Congressional leaders are working to push through restrictions on U.S. investments in China before the end of the year, likely by attaching them to the short-term government spending stopgap.

• Why it matters: House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries blocked the bipartisan measures from being included in the National Defense Authorization Act text, released over the weekend.

Thune told us he's "hopeful" the restrictions still will get done this year and there is an effort to get the measures back after they were removed from the NDAA.

• "I understand over the last day, Leader Jeffries has listened to the voice of reason and come back to the negotiating table," Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said on the Senate floor today.
• Johnson said in a statement Saturday that the goal for the outgoing investment measures is "passage before the end of the year."
• A Jeffries aide confirmed the high-level discussions are ongoing.

— Stef Kight

 

👋 Scoop: McCormick's chief of staff

Sen.-elect Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) is tapping Mark Isakowitz to be his chief of staff, we have learned.

Why it matters: Isakowitz has more experience than the average freshman senator's chief of staff, signaling McCormick's desire to be a key player in shepherding Trump's agenda through Congress.

• Isakowitz was Sen. Rob Portman's (R-Ohio) chief of staff in Trump's first term, giving him an insider's advantage on the issues that animate Trump's movement, from taxes to the opioid crisis.
• He is currently Google's VP of government affairs and public policy for the U.S. and Canada and has previously worked in the House and as a multi-client lobbyist.

What they're saying: "Mark will be a fantastic chief of staff and a true partner in our efforts to advance the Trump agenda and improve the lives of Pennsylvanians," McCormick said in a statement.

— Hans Nichols

[phkrause]

Scoop ... Schumer's RFK Stadium opening

 

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer is telling colleagues a deal allowing the Washington Commanders to return to the RFK Stadium site could be included in the government spending bill, we have learned.

Why it matters: Schumer's indication that he might attach the House-passed legislation to the spending bill is a massive opening for the Commanders — and fans of returning football to D.C.

• Schumer still wants Maryland, the NFL and the Commanders to reach an agreement that satisfies all parties. It's not clear they have done so.

Driving the news: Schumer has been speaking directly with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Commanders owner Josh Harris and the Maryland senators for status reports on the negotiations, sources familiar with the matter tell us.

• Stadium negotiations and year-end spending packages — like football — are games of inches. Everything is contested.

Zoom out: If Congress passes legislation for a redevelopment bill this year, the city and the Washington Commanders can consider a massive new sports and entertainment district, with a potential football stadium on the 190-acre site.

• The city of D.C. is broadly supportive.
• Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) had been holding up the House legislation since May, but he's indicated he's no longer opposed, according to people familiar with the matter.
• Maryland's political leaders have brought their own demands to the negotiations, according to the Washington Post.

— Hans Nichols and Stephen Neukam

 

Final middle finger

Retiring senators Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema delivered their potentially final rebuke to Schumer today, surprising him with two "no" votes on a nomination that was deeply important to their old party.

Why it matters: Schumer was under enormous pressure to grandfather in Democratic control of the NLRB for the first two years of Trump's presidency.

• Democrats thought they had a shot due to Republican absenteeism.
• But it was a mystery ahead of the vote among many Democratic senators how Manchin and Sinema would vote. Despite the uncertainty, Democratic leaders told us they were confident going into the vote.

🦃 Then Sinema showed up for her first Senate vote since the Thanksgiving holiday.

• With Manchin absent in the Senate, and the vote tied at 49-49, a potential tie-breaking vote from Vice President Harris was possible.
• But Manchin raced across town from a previous engagement to deliver the fatal blow, 50-49.

Zoom in: Manchin, who had kept all of Washington guessing on his position, claimed it wasn't even a close call.

• "This is not a surprise to anyone," he said after voting, citing McFarren's position on a new joint employer rule. "It's not personal."

The other side: Republicans had nearly perfect attendance, with only Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), who had a planned orthopedic surgery, missing the vote.

• GOP leaders were aware of his expected absence, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Zoom out: For the last four years, Manchin and Sinema have aggravated both Biden and the Democratic Party they used to call home.

• Manchin took a chainsaw in 2021 to Biden's $3.5 trillion Build Back Better agenda. He later revived a much smaller package.
• Sinema fought against some of the corporate tax increases, as well as a plan to target so-called carried interest.
• The two of them also helped to sink previous Biden nominations.

The bottom line: Schumer didn't hide his anger in a post-vote statement.

• "It is deeply disappointing, a direct attack on working people, and incredibly troubling that this highly qualified nominee — with a proven track record of protecting worker rights — did not have the votes," he said.

— Hans Nichols and Stephen Neukam

 

Leader whisperer

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) is flexing his leadership connections ahead of next year's GOP trifecta.

• Mullin met today with incoming Senate GOP Leader John Thune and House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.).

Why it matters: Thune and Smith are deadlocked over whether the GOP should pursue one or two big reconciliation packages next year.

• "I think we'll all be together at the end of the day," Mullin told Punchbowl when leaving the meeting.

Mullin talks frequently with President-elect Trump and is an ally of Smith from when he was a House lawmaker.

• Mullin publicly backed Thune — and encouraged Trump to not endorse —when the GOP leader race was still a hot contest.

[phkrause]

Republican U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton blocks press freedom bill Trump said GOP ‘must kill’

WASHINGTON — An effort to pass a sweeping measure aimed at protecting press freedoms was struck down in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday night.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/12/11/dc/republican-u-s-sen-tom-cotton-blocks-press-freedom-bill-trump-said-gop-must-kill/?

[phkrause]

Republicans Sneak Anti-Trans Health Care Provision Into Defense Bill

In a party-line vote on Tuesday, the House advanced a provision targeting health care for transgender youth on military health insurance in the annual defense spending bill. The proposal, which was tacked onto the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, at the eleventh hour, would codify explicitly anti-LGBTQ+ policy into federal law for the first time in decades.

https://theintercept.com/2024/12/10/republicans-anti-trans-health-care-ndaa/?

 

😈 Trump's border balker

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is deeply skeptical of some of President-elect Trump's and GOP leadership's aggressive border plans — and he'll have a chance to be a thorn in their side next year.

Why it matters: Paul, an infamous deficit hawk and libertarian, will chair the committee that oversees the Department of Homeland Security.

• Incoming Senate GOP leader John Thune is prioritizing a border package in Trump's first 100 days.
• It includes a huge cash infusion of more than $100 billion into border security and the infrastructure for mass deportations.

💰 But Paul is balking at the early price tag.

• "I'm not a big fan of what Republicans are saying, they're going to spend $100 billion on the border, another $200 billion on military to bust the military caps," Paul told us.
• "I think it's a terrible way to start."

🚨 Paul also has reservations about Trump's plans to use the military to assist with deportations, calling it illegal.

• "If they send the Army into New York and you have 10,000 troops marching, carrying semiautomatic weapons, I think it's a terrible image and I will oppose that," he told CBS News' "Face the Nation" last month.

🧱 Paul even seems to question the idea of heavy investments in more miles of border wall.

• "Walls work in some places, but there's never going to be a contiguous wall on the whole border," Paul said.
• When pressed about more money for deportation or detention — key Trump priorities — Paul said, "Put them back on the other side of the river. Shouldn't cost that much. And we spend an enormous amount."

Between the lines: Paul can't stop the process on his own, but he is known for finding ways to drag out the process. He'll also be able to launch Senate investigations.

• Some of the immigration portfolio also goes to the Judiciary Committee, which will be chaired by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).

What he's saying: Paul supports Trump's nominee to lead DHS, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who he met with yesterday. Paul has vowed to move quickly to confirm her in time for Inauguration Day.

• He's pledged to use the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's first hearing to look at resuming Trump's Remain-in-Mexico policy, which forced asylum-seekers to await their court proceedings south of the U.S.-Mexico border.
• He also told colleagues in a letter last month he plans to "restore our committee's rightful place as the oversight body of the Senate."

Zoom out: Paul with his committee gavel joins a list of powerful chairmen to watch in 2025.

• Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.): We've told you the incoming Health, Education, Labor and Pensions incoming chairman will be one to watch on controversial health care nominations like Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
• Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) will chair the powerful Appropriations Committee.
• Outgoing GOP leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will chair the Appropriations subcommittee on defense. Watch that space for the debate within the GOP over how much should be spent bolstering U.S. military might and aiding our allies.

— Stef Kight

[phkrause]

⚡️ Financial Services shocker

For the second time in four days, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise's (R-La.) preferred candidate failed to win a gavel.

Why it matters: Rep. French Hill's (R-Ark.) surprise win today to chair the House Financial Services Committee won't have obvious policy ramifications.

• But it's a whiff of weakness for Scalise, who controls more steering committee votes than anyone but Speaker Mike Johnson.

Driving the news: Scalise supported Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky for the financial services chairmanship. While Barr made it to the second round of vote, he was bested by Hill.

• Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) beat Scalise's candidate — Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.)— on Monday to chair the Foreign Affairs Committee.
• Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), a Scalise ally, did win the House Energy and Commerce Committee gavel.

Between the lines: Some lawmakers had concerns Barr was interested in running for the Senate in 2026, if McConnell retires as expected.

— Hans Nichols and Juliegrace Brufke

🥊 AOC-Pelosi slugfest

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is facing strong headwinds as she tries to become the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.

Why it matters: Senior Democrats say that while Ocasio-Cortez is seen as the favorite over Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), the race is still in play.

• The fight comes as several committee ranking members 70 and older are facing desperate battles against — or yielding to — younger challengers.
• "Many members are concerned about [the] precedent these races are setting," one senior House Democrat told us.

What we're hearing: House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi has been approaching colleagues urging them to back Connolly over Ocasio-Cortez, according to two House Democrats with direct knowledge of her outreach.

• Connolly, 74, and Ocasio-Cortez, 35, are facing off to replace current Oversight Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.).
• A Pelosi spokesperson did not offer a comment to Axios. Punchbowl News was first to report Pelosi's advocacy for Connolly.

Between the lines: One House Democrat familiar with Ocasio-Cortez's whip count said she "has pretty much the entire [Oversight] Committee with her."

— Andrew Solender

[phkrause]

🎯 Jeffries' big target list

Data: House Majority PAC, New York Times; Chart: Axios Visuals Read the story — Andrew Solender

[phkrause]

Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits The Senate is pushing toward a vote on legislation that would provide full Social Security benefits to millions of people, setting up potential passage in the final days of the lame-duck Congress. Read more.

Why this matters: Decades in the making, the bill would repeal two federal policies — the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset — that broadly reduce payments to two groups of Social Security recipients: people who also receive a pension from a job that is not covered by Social Security and surviving spouses of Social Security recipients who receive a government pension of their own.   The bill would add more strain on the Social Security Trust funds, which were already estimated to be unable to pay out full benefits beginning in 2035. It would add an estimated $195 billion to federal deficits over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.   Some conservatives have opposed the bill, decrying its cost. Sen. John Thune acknowledged that the policy has strong bipartisan support, but said some Republicans also want to see it “fixed in the context of a broader Social Security reform effort.”

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine   Trump extends unprecedented invites to China’s Xi and other world leaders for his inauguration   Amazon to contribute $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund. Meta is also donating $1M   Mitt Romney’s Senate exit may create a vacuum of vocal, conservative Trump critics   NYC mayor meets with Trump’s ‘border czar’ to discuss how to go after ‘violent’ criminals   Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case   House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat   Ex-FBI informant accused of lying about Bidens agrees to plead guilty to federal charges   The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees   Play the lottery and skip the line for a chance to see the Supreme Court in action

[GayatfootofCross]

5 hours ago, phkrause said:

Republicans Sneak Anti-Trans Health Care Provision Into Defense Bill

In a party-line vote on Tuesday, the House advanced a provision targeting health care for transgender youth on military health insurance in the annual defense spending bill. The proposal, which was tacked onto the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, at the eleventh hour, would codify explicitly anti-LGBTQ+ policy into federal law for the first time in decades.

https://theintercept.com/2024/12/10/republicans-anti-trans-health-care-ndaa/?

 

😈 Trump's border balker

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is deeply skeptical of some of President-elect Trump's and GOP leadership's aggressive border plans — and he'll have a chance to be a thorn in their side next year.

Why it matters: Paul, an infamous deficit hawk and libertarian, will chair the committee that oversees the Department of Homeland Security.

• Incoming Senate GOP leader John Thune is prioritizing a border package in Trump's first 100 days.
• It includes a huge cash infusion of more than $100 billion into border security and the infrastructure for mass deportations.

💰 But Paul is balking at the early price tag.

• "I'm not a big fan of what Republicans are saying, they're going to spend $100 billion on the border, another $200 billion on military to bust the military caps," Paul told us.
• "I think it's a terrible way to start."

🚨 Paul also has reservations about Trump's plans to use the military to assist with deportations, calling it illegal.

• "If they send the Army into New York and you have 10,000 troops marching, carrying semiautomatic weapons, I think it's a terrible image and I will oppose that," he told CBS News' "Face the Nation" last month.

🧱 Paul even seems to question the idea of heavy investments in more miles of border wall.

• "Walls work in some places, but there's never going to be a contiguous wall on the whole border," Paul said.
• When pressed about more money for deportation or detention — key Trump priorities — Paul said, "Put them back on the other side of the river. Shouldn't cost that much. And we spend an enormous amount."

Between the lines: Paul can't stop the process on his own, but he is known for finding ways to drag out the process. He'll also be able to launch Senate investigations.

• Some of the immigration portfolio also goes to the Judiciary Committee, which will be chaired by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).

What he's saying: Paul supports Trump's nominee to lead DHS, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who he met with yesterday. Paul has vowed to move quickly to confirm her in time for Inauguration Day.

• He's pledged to use the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's first hearing to look at resuming Trump's Remain-in-Mexico policy, which forced asylum-seekers to await their court proceedings south of the U.S.-Mexico border.
• He also told colleagues in a letter last month he plans to "restore our committee's rightful place as the oversight body of the Senate."

Zoom out: Paul with his committee gavel joins a list of powerful chairmen to watch in 2025.

• Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.): We've told you the incoming Health, Education, Labor and Pensions incoming chairman will be one to watch on controversial health care nominations like Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
• Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) will chair the powerful Appropriations Committee.
• Outgoing GOP leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will chair the Appropriations subcommittee on defense. Watch that space for the debate within the GOP over how much should be spent bolstering U.S. military might and aiding our allies.

— Stef Kight

GOD gives me so much comfort considering what is going on behind the scenes  of the world collaps that will happent too soon
Gds timing is perfect

the least shall be Most  will magnify

IN YOUR FACE!

.................

and btw  this ditty

and my thoughts are it is repulsive to me to be roped into relying on outside sources to simply be YOU 

to each their own

Beautiful Beloved 

life relying on pills ..hormones ect

but anyhooooo  

 

its happening regardless of the people with no light inside their heartss

[phkrause]

🚨 The Squad's battle plan

House progressives are ready to go back on the offensive and to protect their fellow members after tough primary losses this year.

Why it matters: For the first time since The Squad burst onto the congressional scene six years ago, their ranks will be thinner in the next Congress.

• That's mostly due to the primary losses of Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), bringing their number from nine to seven.

🎯 One target: Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the outgoing chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, blames super PAC money for Bush's and Bowman's losses.

• "The dark money in primaries stops us from electing true working-class candidates who are going to challenge corporate power," she told us at an Axios News Shapers event yesterday.

Zoom in: The Squad's most prominent member — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) — is locked in a heated race for power next week.

• AOC was endorsed today for ranking member on House Oversight by her Congressional Progressive Caucus allies. That was quickly followed by an endorsement from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
• She's battling against allies of House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who's been making calls on her opponent's Rep. Gerry Connolly's (D-Va.) behalf.
• Connolly was endorsed today by the center-left New Democrat Coalition.

Zoom out: The Israel-Hamas war put the pro-Palestinian lawmakers on defense, and in the case of Bowman and Bush, the Gaza war combined with additional scandals proved too much to withstand.

• "Democrats will try to run to the right, will try to run to the center and be Republican light," Jayapal told us.
• "Let's be real, most people don't like the light version of anything. They'd rather have the real version of the thing."
• "We need a very clear contrast between Republicans and Democrats."

— Hans Nichols and Andrew Solender

 

⚡️ Pelosi hospitalized in Europe

House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, 84, was hospitalized after sustaining an unspecified injury from a fall during a congressional visit to Luxembourg, two sources tell us.

• Pelosi is canceling the rest of her CODEL engagements but "continues to work," spokesperson Ian Krager said in a statement.
• "While traveling with a bipartisan congressional delegation in Luxembourg to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi sustained an injury during an official engagement and was admitted to the hospital for evaluation," Krager said.
• Pelosi "is currently receiving excellent treatment from doctors and medical professionals," the spokesperson added.

Zoom in: The bipartisan CODEL was set to run through tomorrow and included 17 other bipartisan House members, according to Speaker Mike Johnson's office.

— Andrew Solender

 

Schumer's young(er) guns

Chart: Axios Visuals On the other side of the Capitol, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is looking to more liberal and youthful Democrats to fill coveted Finance Committee slots next year. Committee assignments will be decided later this month. Why it matters: The Democrats on the top tax panel will be expected to fight tooth and nail against GOP plans to extend Trump-era tax cuts and advocate for Democratic tax priorities. Sens. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) are all in the running to be placed on the Finance panel, multiple sources tell us. Warnock, Booker and Smith are all younger than the Democrats retiring from the committee, and Sanders would be the most progressive voice on the panel. Share this story — Stephen Neukam

[phkrause]

Dems' growing boycott

Data: Axios reporting. (Axios reached out to each Democratic member of Congress. The chart includes those who responded.) Chart: Jacque Schrag/Axios Visuals More than a dozen congressional Democrats plan to sit out President-elect Trump's inauguration. Many more are anxiously grappling with whether to attend, Axios' Andrew Solender and Erin Doherty report. Why it matters: Not every Democrat skipping the ceremony will do so to protest Trump. But a formal boycott is materializing as a first act of resistance against the incoming president. For many Democrats, the scars of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol remain fresh. "For somebody who said he's going to lock me up, I don't see the excitement in going to see his inauguration," former Jan. 6 committee chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) told Axios wryly. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) told Axios he "cannot be a part of that spectacle," as someone who was "locked in my office ... as the insurrectionists tried to overthrow our government." ⚡ State of play: The Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday coincides with the Jan. 20 inaugural ceremony. That gives many Democrats an easy out. Others planning to stay away cited a distaste for inaugurations, a loathing of Trump — and even fears for their safety. Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) said that as a Latina, she doesn't "feel safe coming" with Trump's supporters flooding in for the ceremony. "I'm not going to physically be in D.C. on that day," she told Axios. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) said that attending MLK Day events instead "makes sense, because why risk any chaos that might be up here?" "There are civil rights organizations that are trying to set up alternatives," said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), adding that Trump's inauguration "seems like the worst place to spend Martin Luther King Day." Several progressives predicted the boycott won't be confined to the party's left flank. Data: Axios reporting. (Axios reached out to each Democratic member of Congress. The chart includes those who responded.) Chart: Jacque Schrag/Axios Visuals The bottom line: A sizable number of Democrats are prepared to grit their teeth and show up — if only to try to rebuild public faith in national institutions after the events that followed the 2020 election. "I'm planning to attend ... because I believe in the peaceful transition of power and I respect the Office of the President," Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) told Axios. Axios' Stephen Neukam and Stef Kight contributed reporting.

[phkrause]

💣 GOP spending grenade

Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios

Republicans may be stuck taking on major health care reform next year. Why it matters: Health care isn't high on incoming GOP leaders' lists for what they expect to include next year, sources tell us. But the math makes it very hard to rule out ahead of time, and that could create big political problems for incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson. The big picture: Extending the tax cuts Republicans passed during Trump's first term is expected to cost more than $4 trillion over 10 years, blowing a hole in the federal budget when national debt has hit record levels. One of the first huge decisions leadership will have to make about the tax cuts is how much of the package, if any, is paid for. "I think we're going to look for savings wherever we can, and that might include health issues," said Sen. Chuck Grassley. "[T]he fiscal situation of this country is very serious," he told us. "There's hardly anything except Social Security and Medicare that can't be on the table." The biggest savers generally fall into three categories: 1. Health care reforms, 2. Social Security cuts, 3. Tax increases. "The second and the third are off-limits," one former GOP Senate staffer said. "We have two dozen or more health options for Congress to consider that would reduce overpayments to hospitals, reduce overpayments to insurers, reduce overpayments to states — there's so many inefficiencies in our health sector," said Brian Blase, a former Trump administration official who now leads Paragon Health. "If you want to reduce federal spending, the health care entitlement programs are where you have to go," he told us. Yes, but: It's hard to overemphasize how much many Republicans would love to avoid doing health care reform again after the 2017 debacle. That version ended in failure when the late Sen. John McCain cast the deciding vote against GOP changes to the Affordable Care Act. "In the Senate, everybody still has scar tissue that's as fresh as if the vote was just held yesterday," the former staffer told us. — Caitlin Owens

[phkrause]

🍦 Thune and Johnson's tough menu

Health reform is so politically brutal because it almost always creates losers.

• Why it matters: Throwing government money at the problem is one way to avoid creating losers, but that's the exact opposite of what Thune and Johnson would be looking to do through budget reconciliation.

The most ripe target on the table is federal Medicaid spending, whether that's through work requirements, caps on federal funding of the program or crackdowns on state financing schemes.

• "Before, we found ways to save money in Medicaid with per capita allotments," incoming House Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) told us.
• "I don't know if it'll be in reconciliation, but it's absolutely something we need to discuss over the next couple of years," he said.

Zoom in: Republicans are familiar with the politics of messing with Medicaid, as the Medicaid reforms included in their ACA repeal and replace effort created a lot of heartburn.

• Other big buckets of money would be even harder to touch, like those generated by changes to the employer insurance tax exclusion or Medicare Advantage.
• The big question for Republicans is whether they're trying to pay for new spending or deliver conservative wins, former GOP staffer Adam Buckalew told us. He's now a lobbyist and has outlined the universe of health policy options in a reconciliation presentation he's giving to clients.

The intrigue: Some health care measures, like those targeting hospital billing practices, have drawn bipartisan interest this past Congress.

• Those could theoretically get sucked into reconciliation as pay-fors — or the bipartisan process could continue.

— Caitlin Owens and Victoria Knight

 

😩 Unavoidable choices

Republicans won't be able to avoid the ACA, even though they can take comfort in not having to reopen the debate over reforming the entire law.

Why it matters: You'd be hard-pressed to find a Republican who thinks that Democrats' enhanced subsidies for the ACA's health insurance marketplace plans should be extended on their merits.

• But you'd also struggle to find an observer who has completely ruled out the possibility of it happening anyway.
• The calculus would be entirely political: If Republicans take no action and let the subsidies expire, they'll face headlines about millions of people either losing their insurance or facing skyrocketing out-of-pocket health care costs.
• Red states like Florida and Texas would be disproportionately impacted by the subsidy expirations.

Where it stands: Senate Republicans didn't rule out an extension this week, Axios Pro's Victoria Knight reported.

• Incoming Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo said that the subsidies could be included in reconciliation, adding that "what I can tell you is that everything is on the table" and "I don't know that that's been singled out yet."
• "Hell no," House Budget Chair Jodey Arrington said when asked if he could envision a subsidy extension.

Go deeper: Charted: Health coverage without ACA subsidies

— Caitlin Owens

[phkrause]

Fetterman's MAGA island

As most Democratic lawmakers fume over President-elect Trump's Cabinet picks, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is showing a rare cross-aisle willingness to engage with MAGA world.

• Why it matters: Fetterman tells Axios' Erin Doherty the moves are "responsible and completely appropriate." But they put him on an island from other Dems.

🔎 Between the lines: Fetterman's calculus is evident. He represents a swing state that went for Trump and ousted Democratic Sen. Bob Casey.

• Fetterman — the casually attired challenger of the Senate's suit-and-tie tradition — remains a reliable Democratic vote.

So don't look for him to become a new version of Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginian who frustrated Democrats and the Biden administration with his legislative demands.

• "I'm not leaving my party, I just happen to have reasonable views and I don't know why that's controversial," Fetterman told The New York Times in October, when asked about his break with his party's progressive wing.

🪖 Driving the news: This past week, Fetterman became the first Democratic senator to agree to meet with Pete Hegseth, Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon.

• Fetterman is a rare Democrat who has publicly backed Trump's pick of Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) for UN ambassador.

Fetterman, who has shrugged as his party's progressive wing attacked him for his strong support of Israel, told Axios he sees meeting with Hegseth as an important part of the democratic process — and good politics.

• If Hegseth is "going to be the head of one of the most important parts of our government, then do you think I'm doing a job by flipping anyone off and saying: 'I'm not going to talk to him or just have a conversation?'" Fetterman asked.

📱 Fetterman even jumped onto Trump-owned Truth Social, becoming the only Democratic senator on the platform.

• The senator's first post called the criminal hush-money case against Trump, and Hunter Biden's conviction, "bullshit" — and said Trump should be pardoned, just as Biden's son was.

📺 Fetterman is one of the few Democrats, along with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who's a regular on Fox News.

 

🏈 Portraits of power

The top powers of the new Washington were arrayed in a box at the Army-Navy game (known as America's Game) yesterday in Landover, Md.

• From left: Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), President-elect Trump, Elon Musk, Vice President-elect Vance, and Trump's pick for director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard.

Being there: The crowd cheered when Trump, Vance and Musk appeared on the scoreboard video screen.

• Trump mouthed "thank you." The crowd chanted: "USA, USA!"

Pete Hegseth (right), Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon, was also a guest in the box — another big show of support from the president-elect.

• ⚓ Sorry, Dave: Navy's Midshipmen dominated, 31-13.
• More on Trump ... More on the game.

⚡ Trump named two close allies to administration posts yesterday:

• Ric Grenell will be Presidential Envoy for Special Missions, working "in some of the hottest spots around the World, including Venezuela and North Korea." Go deeper.
• Devin Nunes, former House Intelligence chair, will chair the President's Intelligence Advisory Board. He'll continue as CEO of Trump Media & Technology Group, which operates Truth Social. Go deeper.

[phkrause]

🏛️ No women will lead House committees

Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/Axios

House Committee chairs for the 119th Congress will all be men. It's the first time in two decades that no woman has led a committee, ABC News reports. Three women led House committees during the 118th Congress. Two — Reps. Kay Granger (R-Texas) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) — didn't run for re-election. List of new chairs.

[phkrause]

🥊 Mitch's preemptive strike

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is launching a preemptive strike against the isolationists in his own party, warning of the "price of American retreat" in a new essay for Foreign Affairs.

• Why it matters: McConnell is putting Trump — and the entire Republican party — on notice that he plans to be an active combatant in the looming GOP civil war on foreign policy, Axios' Hans Nichols writes.

What he's saying: "America will not be made great again by those who simply want to manage its decline," McConnell writes in a 5,000-word piece posted this morning.

• "Trump would be wise to build his foreign policy on the enduring cornerstone of U.S. leadership: hard power."

🖼️ The big picture: McConnell has said he will feel "liberated" once he leaves leadership to criticize Democrats and Republicans alike. As chair of the Defense appropriations subcommittee, he'll have a powerful perch.

• But his essay is full of appeals to Trump, who he once called "stupid" and "despicable." McConnell, a master negotiator, is leaving plenty of room for a productive relationship with the next president.

"Donald Trump will inherit a world far more hostile to U.S. interests than the one he left behind four years ago," McConnell writes. "But the response to four years of weakness must not be four years of isolation."

• Read McConnell's essay ...

[phkrause]

Trump's bipartisan push

President-elect Trump's advisers are hoping to get bipartisan support for at least some of his less controversial nominees — starting this week with Scott Turner, Trump's pick for Housing and Urban Development secretary.

• The Trump team is arranging meetings for Turner with key Democrats to discuss housing and other issues where they might find common ground, Axios' Sophia Cai writes.

We're told Turner is scheduled to meet with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), incoming ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee.

• Turner's meeting with Warren will be among the few between a Senate Democrat and a Trump Cabinet pick. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) broke the ice last week by chatting with two of Trump's picks.

[phkrause]

💰 Scoop ... Trillions for kids

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is making a big opening bid in the 2025 tax battle, calling for the child tax credit to increase from a maximum of $2,000 to $5,000 per kid, we have learned.

Why it matters: Such a plan could cost $2 trillion to $3 trillion over 10 years. That complicates the math next year for incoming Senate GOP leader John Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson, who also face a fight over the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions (SALT).

• After a child is born, Hawley is proposing to let parents claim a credit for the tax year of the pregnancy.
• "These are the people working class, people with families are who elected Donald Trump, and we need to deliver real and meaningful tax relief to them," Hawley told us in an interview about his plan.
• Hawley has talked with Trump and the president-elect's team about the proposal, and took Vice President-elect JD Vance's lead on the specific $5,000 number, the senator told us.

Zoom in: Hawley wants to allow families to receive the tax credits in regular installments instead of a lump sum. It would end the $2,500 income minimum to begin accessing the credit but still require employment.

• Hawley was one of three Senate Republicans who voted this year for a failed bipartisan tax package that included an expanded child tax credit.

Between the lines: In response to potential concerns about the price tag, Hawley emphasized that "these are the folks who delivered us a majority," and the plan would be "fantastic for the economy."

• He argues it's not a social assistance program, saying that people have to be paying taxes to earn the credit.

The big picture: If Thune gets his way, the proposal would be part of negotiations on a second reconciliation package in 2025.

• The reconciliation process will allow Republicans to pass budget-related measures with a simple majority, avoiding the usual 60-vote filibuster.
• The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expires at the end of 2025.

— Stef Kight

 

💪 Cotton's CIA flex

Incoming Senate GOP No. 3 Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) is already flexing in his new perch.

Why it matters: Cotton was the Senate power player behind Trump dropping Amaryllis Fox Kennedy from his list of CIA deputy director candidates, the Washington Post first reported and we have confirmed.

• Cotton reached out to Trump's incoming chief of staff Susie Wiles to warn against Fox Kennedy as a pick for the CIA gig.
• We scooped last week that Trump was considering Fox Kennedy, the daughter-in-law and former campaign manager to RFK Jr.

Zoom in: Cotton will chair the powerful Senate Intelligence Committee next year.

• He's a bridge between MAGA and more traditional Republicans. He was a top contender for a powerful Trump administration job but took his name out of the running.

— Stef Kight

 

✈️ AOC long-shot

Allies of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez say she can pull off a shocker tomorrow after she failed to score the Democratic Steering Committee's endorsement to become ranking member on House Oversight.

• One House Democrat aligned with Ocasio-Cortez told us that steering is "made up of the most senior members," which makes it not her most receptive venue.
• AOC told us she's "locked in" and "just working hard right now."

Why it matters: The full caucus voted in 2014 to shrug off steering's recommendation that Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) lead the Energy and Commerce Committee, electing Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) instead.

• This time they'd be ignoring steering's recommendation of Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) as ranking member of the House Oversight Committee.
• Connolly defeated Ocasio-Cortez 34 to 27 today, according to multiple lawmakers present.

— Andrew Solender

 

Haaland's quiet prep

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland is quietly preparing to run for governor in New Mexico, setting up a potential Democratic showdown with Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) in 2026, we have learned.

• Why it matters: Haaland, a former New Mexico congresswoman, would attract national attention and donors for her bid to keep the governorship under Democratic control.

What they're saying: "They're both very popular. Deb Haaland is well-liked in New Mexico, well-liked in so many spheres," Sen. Ben Ray Luján told us. "He outperformed Vice President Harris in New Mexico."

• "Sen. Heinrich is honored to have been reelected by the people of New Mexico to continue fighting for them in the U.S. Senate," said a spokesperson for Heinrich.
• A representative for Haaland declined to comment.

The bottom line: Heinrich will be the ranking member on the Senate Energy Committee, forcing him to make a difficult decision about whether to leave behind a powerful Senate perch, as Semafor reported last week.

— Hans Nichols

[phkrause]

🤣 😢 Winners and losers

Agreeing to a three-month bill should not be this hard.

• House Speaker Mike Johnson is about to drag his rank-and-file Republicans to the finish line on a government funding stopgap after a day filled with grumbling.

Why it matters: The fact it was this painful and prolonged is a bad sign for next year's big legislative fights, from tax reform to funding the government. The House GOP's margin shrinks in January.

• It wasn't a dreaded omnibus — anathema to the House conservatives whose votes Johnson will need in 17 days to remain speaker.
• But it included a host of unrelated provisions that made the back and forth feel more like an omnibus negotiation, even if the underlying legislation was technically a three-month bill.

WINNERS:

• Farmers: Johnson can point to $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers and the inclusion of outbound investment restrictions on China.
• Storm victims: There's an additional $100 billion in disaster relief in various pots of money. None of it is offset.
• Haiti: Democrats won on getting a trade provision extended for duty-free imports on textiles and apparel from Haiti.
• The Commanders and owner Josh Harris: Don't buy a corporate box at RFK just yet. The Commanders still need to ink a stadium deal with the city, but it's looking good for a potential RFK kickoff as early as 2030.
• Maryland: Yes, they may be losing their football team, but the state got 100% authorization for the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The Federal government will retain the rights to any windfalls from lawsuits.

LOSERS:

• Maryland: They may have lost a football team.
• Sub-Saharan Africa: Legislation to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act was not included. That's also a blow to President Biden and his administration.
• Pharmacy Benefit Managers: They lost big on a provision to direct more spending on prescription drugs back to the pharmaceutical companies. It could get worse for them. Trump referred to PMB's as "middlemen" yesterday in his Mar-a-Lago press conference.

— Hans Nichols

 

✨ AOC's transformation

She lost today, but Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-N.Y.) colleagues are already pitching her for another leadership bid in the near future.

• House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries thinks Ocasio-Cortez will make it into leadership in the near-term, he told us today.

Why it matters: Ocasio-Cortez, 35, has transformed from a progressive bomb-thrower to member-in-good-standing of the Democratic establishment.

• "I think she's figured out how to rock the boat without tipping it over," Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) told us.

Let's go to the tape:

• AOC promised yesterday to stop supporting primary challengers to fellow House Democrats — after being pressed on it during her bid to become ranking member on House Oversight.
• She went under the wing of Oversight ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), another progressive beloved by Democratic leaders, becoming his vice chair and helping lead Democrats' defense against GOP investigations into President Biden.
• She also touted her support for colleagues in recent congressional elections, and for the Biden and Harris campaigns, during her campaign for Oversight.

— Andrew Solender

 

🔌 Schumer nominee pulled

In not-so-good news for Schumer, Senate Dems are abandoning an anti-crypto SEC nominee, leaving the slot open for Republicans to fill in the new year.

Why it matters: Schumer can't count on the support of Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema for high-stakes nominees in the final days of his majority.

• Banking Committee Chair Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) won't hold a committee vote to advance Democrat Caroline Crenshaw's nomination for another term as an SEC commissioner, sources tell us.
• Brown has pushed for Crenshaw's confirmation, but there is not a path to getting her a floor vote at the end of this year, the sources said.

The big picture: Manchin and Sinema tanked a nominee last week who would have cemented Democratic control of the National Labor Relations Board for at least two more years.

— Stephen Neukam

[phkrause]

House Ethics Committee secretly voted to release Matt Gaetz ethics report, source says

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee voted in secret to release the long-awaited ethics report into ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz, raising the possibility that the allegations against the Florida Republican who was President-elect Donald Trump’s first choice for attorney general could be made public in the coming days.

https://apnews.com/article/matt-gaetz-ethics-report-house-committee-vote-4db3ee2d94dbcbfb6ed5e641d455d734?

Musk pushes for shutdown

Elon Musk is pushing Republicans to torpedo a stopgap bill to keep the federal government open, egging on conservative critics who were already unhappy about the legislation.

• Why it matters: Musk is flexing his new political muscle — and antagonizing House GOP leadership — before President-elect Trump has even been inaugurated.

🏛️ Where it stands: Congress needs to pass a spending bill by midnight Friday to avoid a government shutdown. Conservatives criticized some provisions of the spending bill, including a pay raise for members of Congress, after Speaker Mike Johnson released the bill text last night.

Via X

👎 Musk piled on today, amplifying the right's objections and urging lawmakers to vote "no."

• He said Congress shouldn't pass any legislation until Trump is sworn in — which would guarantee a roughly monthlong government shutdown.

What we're watching: There's some opposition "from every corner" of the caucus, and the bill "is on thin ice," a House Republican told Axios' Andrew Solender and Victoria Knight.

[phkrause]

🚨 Johnson in peril

Speaker Mike Johnson faces a nasty task in the next 12-to-24 hours after President-elect Trump and Elon Musk blew up his short-term spending bill.

Why it matters: Johnson badly miscalculated where his party and his president-elect were on the funding measures. It revives questions on his ability to read — let alone lead — his conference.

• Now Johnson has to cobble together a new, skinnier package that can attract Democratic votes and survive any Trump (or Musk) veto threats.
• Once ... if ... he gets that done, he faces a renewed flood of threats to his speakership ahead of the Jan. 3 speaker election.

🔥 Adding to the degree of difficulty: Trump and Vice President-elect Vance are calling for Johnson to also raise the debt ceiling. The new 11th-hour demand caught some lawmakers and staffers by surprise.

• Trump's ask came with a threat: He said tonight on Truth Social that any Republican who votes for a deal that doesn't raise the debt ceiling will face a primary challenger.
• 🦻 Trump and incoming Senate GOP leader John Thune previously discussed the idea of a pre-Inauguration Day debt hike, a source familiar told us.

Between the lines: Some Republicans fear Trump's demand isn't feasible. Top GOP appropriator Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) said it "would be very difficult" to pass.

• House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries immediately said Democrats won't support a clean bill without any of their priorities.

Zoom in: "There's an increasing number of people, after what happened this week, who said they are on the fence" on whether to back Johnson's reelection as speaker, Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), chair of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus, told us.

• Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) told reporters today he is "not voting for" Johnson when the House meets on Jan. 3.

The other side: "Christmas comes, New Year's comes, we're up until Jan. 3, we only have until the 6th to get a speaker to certify the election," a Johnson ally told us.

The bottom line: With Massie at "no," Johnson has a zero-vote margin on Jan. 3.

— Andrew Solender and Hans Nichols

 

⚡️ Scoop: Senate's "secret" talks

Speaking of bipartisan deals: A small group of senators have been quietly sketching out a possible new border deal for early 2025, we have learned.

• Why it matters: Border and immigration reform is the white whale of Congress. It's also President-elect Trump's No. 1 priority.

⚡️ At least two Trump-state Democrats have been involved in the conversations, which Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) described as "very" serious and the details "very secret."

• Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) is one of them: "If there's willingness to work in a bipartisan way to do some stuff, not only on border security, but on immigration reform, I think it would be great."
• Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), who is up for re-election next cycle, told us of the bipartisan border talks: "We're gonna be certainly engaged in efforts to make that happen."
• Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said: "There are all kinds of conversations — and I hope to be a part of them as they continue — aiming at comprehensive immigration reform."

Zoom in: "If we can do border separately — without reconciliation — then [Trump's] okay with" one reconciliation package, Mullin, a key link between Trump, the Senate and the House, told us.

• Reconciliation could allow Senate Republicans to pass budget-related border measures with just 50 votes, rather than having to meet the 60-vote filibuster threshold. But there are limits on what they could do.

The bottom line: Trump may have further made an opening by suggesting he would be willing to provide protections for DACA recipients — people who illegally entered the country as children.

• "We have to do something about the Dreamers because these are people that have been brought here at a very young age," Trump said in an interview earlier this month.

— Stef Kight and Stephen Neukam

 

🎅 Leaders' Santa checklist

✅ Pass National Defense Authorization Act (Passed the Senate 85-14 this afternoon) ✅ Finish CR (first version) ❌ Pass CR (first version) ☑️ Reach a new, Trump-approved deal on CR to avoid a government shutdown ☑️ Extend the Farm Bill (This had been attached to the first version of the CR) ☑️ Break McConnell's judges record (Schumer is just two judges away) ☑️ Pass Social Security bill (Final passage expected this week.) — Stef Kight