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Gaetz ethics report alleges sex with minor, illicit drug use while serving

The U.S. House Ethics Committee’s report on former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, a product of years of investigation, alleges “substantial evidence” the former congressman paid for sex — including with a minor — and consumed drugs while in office.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/12/23/gaetz-ethics-report-alleges-sex-with-minor-illicit-drug-use-while-serving/?

Johnson wins Trump’s endorsement to continue as U.S. House speaker

WASHINGTON — As U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson vies to keep his gavel, President-elect Donald Trump on Monday gave the Louisiana Republican a major boost with his “Complete & Total Endorsement.”

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/12/30/dc/johnson-wins-trumps-endorsement-to-continue-as-u-s-house-speaker/?

Why Mike Johnson’s bid to remain House speaker could be a struggle despite Trump’s support

The Louisiana Republican’s hold on the House speaker’s gavel and his position as second in line to the presidency will be tested Friday when a new Congress convenes and House Republicans weigh whether to reelect him to the post.

https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-mike-johnson-trump-mccarthy-0e0b5613f1d39f4e1405a475fdfea8ea?

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🔪 Johnson's razor edge

The first roll call will be tense, but Mike Johnson has a clear path tomorrow to a full term as House speaker.

  • 🚨 "I think we get it done on the first round," Johnson told Fox Business this afternoon.

Why it matters: On paper, Johnson has a better outlook than former Speaker Kevin McCarthy did two years ago.

  • McCarthy had a four-seat margin in January 2023, and five Republicans were public "no" votes ahead of the speaker election.
  • Johnson has a two-seat margin and one public GOP "no" vote. (It's Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, see item No. 4).

"It feels like it's different from two years ago," one House Republican told us.

  • Johnson's skeptics, the lawmaker said, are "looking for a couple policy accommodations" while McCarthy's "had an ax to grind."
  • Case in point: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who tried to oust Johnson last year, said tonight she'll vote for Johnson and urged others to get on board.

📲 President-elect Trump is also involved. He called one of the holdouts — Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) — to press him to back Johnson, Punchbowl reported today.

  • In 2023, Trump notably intervened after McCarthy had lost several rounds of balloting.
  • This time he's twisting arms ahead of the big event.

Zoom in: Mainstream GOP lawmakers have warned Johnson against handshake deals with conservatives, we scooped this afternoon.

  • "There are significant communications," said one of the lawmakers, who told us that these GOP moderates are warning Johnson: "Don't do what [former speaker Kevin] McCarthy did."
  • "Don't give promises upon which you can't deliver. Don't give promises that require us to do things that we don't want to do, that are beyond reasonable," the lawmaker said.

Establishment Republicans loathe the idea of making Roy the chair of the House Rules Committee.

  • That is a "very unpopular initiative for many Republicans," a House Republican told us.

The speaker says he's "open" to some conservative demands.

  • The big one: No putting big-ticket bills on the floor under suspension of the rules. Many of those suspension votes were because House GOP leaders surrendered control of the House Rules Committee in January 2023.
  • Johnson ran into this buzzsaw several times last year before getting help from Democrats on must-pass bills. Conservatives want this trend to end, boxing in Johnson unless he stuffs Rules with more speaker-friendly votes.
  • Democrats seem uninterested in bailing out Johnson — and by extension, Trump, on must-pass bills that can't get by the Freedom Caucus.

— Andrew Solender and Justin Green

 

Tomorrow's cheat sheet
 

Watch these 13 House Republicans during tomorrow's speaker vote (the show starts at noon ET).

  • If there's a second "no" besides Massie, it's most likely to come from their ranks.
A list that identifies notable Republicans who have not committed to voting for Johnson as speaker as of Jan. 2, 2025. The list includes 13 representatives, such as Rep. Andy Biggs and Rep. Tim Burchett. All members are categorized under the Republican party, indicating potential swing voter dynamics.
Data: Public statements; Chart: Axios Visuals

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☑️ Thune's confirmation checklist

After New Orleans and Las Vegas, Senate Republicans are feeling the heat to move fast on national security nominees.

  • Confirmation hearings are expected to start the week of Jan. 13, with rules requiring that committee chairs give at least a week's notice.

☑️ Up first: Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense and Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence. Then look for other important nat-sec roles to go next:

  • Pam Bondi for attorney general ... John Ratcliffe for CIA director ... Kash Patel for FBI director ... Marco Rubio for secretary of state ... Kristi Noem for homeland security.

Between the lines: Rubio is expected to have the easiest time getting confirmed.

  • Hegseth and Gabbard will be trickier.

— Stef Kight

 

🐣 Quote du jour: Twitter timeout
 

 

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"Could you please stay off Twitter?"
— Mike Johnson to Thomas Massie after the Massie post above earned Johnson a phone call from Elon Musk

The bottom line: Massie "felt a little bad" and took a social media break after Johnson's request, he told the Wall Street Journal.

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Speaker sweats Opening Day

As the 119th Congress opens at noon today, allies of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) expect him to keep the gavel when today's speaker election is said and done.

  • But several key House Republicans tell Axios' Andrew Solender there could be drama — and perhaps more than one ballot for speaker, despite President-elect Trump's endorsement of Johnson.

Why it matters: Johnson's propensity for working across the aisle and cutting deals with Democrats has worn out his welcome among the House GOP's right flank. Now, they want to make an example out of him.

🏛 Between the lines: The big question is whether House Republican holdouts think they've made their point by making him sweat — or whether they think they need to tank the first vote to show they mean business.

A list that identifies notable Republicans who have not committed to voting for Johnson as speaker as of Jan. 2, 2025. The list includes 13 representatives, such as Rep. Andy Biggs and Rep. Tim Burchett. All members are categorized under the Republican party, indicating potential swing voter dynamics.

Data: Public statements. Chart: Axios Visuals

What we're watching: If Johnson fails to win reelection on the first ballot, it's a signal the chaos of the last two years of House GOP rule will continue into the next two.

  • Even if he succeeds, it'll be by the narrowest of margins. So he'll have to stay continuously wary as he tries to shepherd massive conservative legislation through the lower chamber.

The bottom line: A victory for Johnson will be less of a resounding affirmation of his leadership and more a temporary reprieve — plus an acknowledgment by opponents that, for now, they lack a credible alternative.

  • Go deeper: 13 Republicans to watch during today's vote ...

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Steve Scalise Knows Exactly What Led to the Bourbon Street Attack: DEI Initiatives

The Louisiana Republican blamed “wokeness” in part for police’s failure to stop the New Orleans attack that left 15 dead.

https://theintercept.com/2025/01/02/steve-scalise-bourbon-street-new-orleans-attack/?

Republican Mike Johnson reelected House speaker in dramatic floor vote

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Mike Johnson narrowly won reelection Friday as House speaker on a first ballot, overcoming hard-right GOP holdouts in a tense standoff and buoyed by a nod of support from President-elect Donald Trump.

https://apnews.com/article/mike-johnson-speaker-vote-donald-trump-ccbe593940ef488019563e8e4b98061e?

Johnson's victory lap

Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) was reelected as House speaker today — securing the gavel on the first ballot after a dramatic delay, Axios' Andrew Solender reports from the Capitol.

Why it matters: Johnson initially appeared imperiled when three Republicans voted against him. He could only afford to lose one GOP vote. But he prevailed.

  • After a roughly 45-minute standoff, Reps. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) and Keith Self (R-Texas) switched to voting for Johnson — leaving Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) as the sole defector.

🖼️ The big picture: Johnson was elevated to the speakership in 2023 after Speaker Kevin McCarthy's ouster. Like McCarthy, Johnson has faced growing anger from his right flank throughout his 14-month tenure.

  • GOP hardliners have raged at him for working across the aisle to pass government spending and foreign aid bills without demanding stringent spending cuts.
  • But President-elect Trump backed Johnson, urging his allies not to tank the vote — and potentially jeopardize Congress' certification of his election victory on Monday if infighting continued.
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🧨 Between the lines: The short-lived rebellion against Johnson was seen by some Republicans as simply a play for attention.

  • Said one GOP lawmaker shortly before Self and Norman flipped their votes: "They just need five more minutes of fame, it seems like."
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Clerks tally votes as the House votes on a speaker today. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

🔮 What's next: Johnson's difficult path to reelection sure looks like a preview of the next two years.

 

🔥 Johnson's winning audible

Speaker Mike Johnson took a small but crucial step today to reverse the House GOP leadership's castration of its own power.

Why it matters: Johnson denied his critics the gift of forcing multiple ballots in his bid to be reelected speaker, holding the vote open until his allies could flip two of the three GOP defectors.

  • Johnson avoided an encore of the 15 ballots Kevin McCarthy needed in 2023, and spared President-elect Trump the infighting that would have followed a crippled speaker bid.
  • The speaker has plenty of nasty fights ahead — and no guarantee of the mercurial Trump's continued support.
  • But for today, at least, Johnson proved he's no easy out.

Zoom in: Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) was a surprise "no" on the initial ballot, joining longtime holdout Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), who we told you yesterday was on the "maybe" list.

  • Another six Republicans on the maybe list — more on them in item No. 2 — skipped their first chance to vote before backing Johnson.
  • Johnson had already flipped Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) with concessions around the budget process. He announced those right before the vote.

Instead of conceding and trying again, Johnson held the vote open and left the House floor, along with some of his supporters and holdouts.

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Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

🚨Self and Norman spoke to Trump during the interlude, according to both lawmakers and several other sources familiar with the matter.

  • Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) called Trump personally and handed off her phone, the sources told us.
  • Self declined to divulge details of the conversation other than saying they "discussed how we can advance the Trump agenda" and that he also had a separate, one-on-one talk with Trump.
  • Norman told reporters this afternoon his call went "very well." Trump pushed the idea that only Johnson "can get elected" speaker, Norman said.
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Screenshot: C-SPAN
  • When Johnson returned, he went to speak with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
  • Norman and Self then flipped their votes to Johnson.

The bottom line: Eleven House Republicans said after the vote they have "sincere reservations" about Johnson.

  • Why that number matters to Johnson: Just nine Republicans can call a motion to vacate under the new House rules being voted on today.
  • The group claimed their support was motivated by making sure Trump's win is smoothly certified by Congress on Monday.
  • Self told reporters after the vote: "We know that this will be a heavy lift to get the Trump agenda across the line in the reconciliation package, so we shored up the negotiating team."

— Justin Green and Andrew Solender

 

Johnson's first-ballot defectors
 
A list that identifies key Republican representatives’ voting behaviors regarding Johnson’s first ballot. It includes 3 representatives who flipped to Johnson, 6 representatives who initially didn’t vote but later supported him and 1 representative who voted against Johnson.
Chart: Axios Visuals
 
☑️ Thune's growing calendar

President-elect Trump's nominees to lead the EPA and Veterans Affairs will sit for their Senate confirmation hearings in two weeks, we have learned.

  • ☑️ Week of Jan. 13: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Trump's secretary of state pick, and former Reps. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), Trump's VA pick, and Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), the EPA pick.

— Stephen Neukam and Stef Kight

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Kids swarm the Hill

The Capitol was full of friends and family members celebrating the swearing-in of the 119th Congress — and the kids won the day.

  • Sen. Andy Kim's (D-N.J.) two sons offered Vice President Kamala Harris their business cards so they could "stay in touch."
  • Sen. Ruben Gallego's (D-Ariz.) son told Harris he was "sorry you didn't win."

In the House, Rep. Jared Moskowitz's (D-Fla.) kids tried to cast their dad's vote for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) in the House speaker election. Moscowitz ultimately had to tell the clerk his vote himself.

  • Kids also showcased bipartisanship — applauding the leader of their parents' opposing party.

— Stef Kight

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🏛️ Johnson's triumph drama

On Opening Day of the 119th Congress, the House voted mostly along party lines to adopt rules protecting newly re-elected Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from a potential ouster, Axios' Andrew Solender reports from the Capitol.

  • Why it matters: The new rules decree that a vote on removing the speaker can only be brought if at least nine Republicans support a "motion to vacate." That's a significantly higher bar than in the 118th Congress, when any single member in either party could force such a motion.

House Democrats railed against the change, noting it's the first time in history that the minority party can't introduce a motion to vacate.

  • Johnson, backed by President-elect Trump, was reelected 218-215 on the first ballot, after a cliffhanger delay by revolting hardliners. Axios coverage.

Being there: Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), 84, received applause — including from longtime rival Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) — on her return to the Capitol after last month's hip-replacement surgery at a U.S. military hospital in Germany. She fell while in Luxembourg with a congressional delegation.

  • Pelosi got a standing ovation from her Democratic colleagues when she voted for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), her successor as Democratic minority leader, to be speaker. The two, sitting across the aisle from each other, embraced in a quick hug before voting resumed. (AP)

Above: New Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), 63, in his office ahead of his first floor speech. He promised to preserve the filibuster, saying his priority as leader will be to "ensure the Senate stays the Senate."

  • Nine new senators were sworn in — four Democrats and five Republicans. A sixth Republican, Jim Justice of West Virginia, announced last month that he'll wait to enter the Senate until after his successor as the state's governor, Republican Patrick Morrisey, is sworn in on Jan. 13.

Pics, bios of new senators.

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Trump's mega-MAGA moonshot
 
Photo illustration of President Donald Trump in front of the White House
 

Photo: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

 

President-elect Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) plan to push for what could wind up as the biggest bill in American history — a mega-MAGA reordering of taxes, the nation's borders, federal spending and regulations, transition and Hill sources tell Axios' Mike Allen and Stef Kight.

  • Why it matters: Washington will soon witness a furious, multitrillion-dollar legislative and lobbying fight that likely will dominate politics through late spring and possibly beyond.

At stake: Unprecedented spending to tighten borders and remove people here illegally, huge tax cuts, energy deregulation — plus, presumably, unprecedented spending cuts to help pay for it all.

  • We're told the bill will include Trump's popular "no tax on tips" campaign promise. Raising the federal debt ceiling could be included.

💰 The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates extending the tax cuts from Trump's first term could cost $5 trillion over 10 years.

  • So look for a conservative push for significant spending offsets. Senate Republicans have already been busy finding ways to pay for parts of the plan via spending cuts + energy revenue.

💡 Between the lines: Each piece is complicated and costly on its own. Rolling it all into one fat package is unlike anything Washington has done before.

  • The margin for error is slim: As Friday's chaotic House speaker election showed, just a handful of House Republicans can sink any bill. The GOP margin will soon temporarily shrink to zero.

🐘 Republicans, who'll control both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue in 15 days, initially were inclined to split up the border and tax packages into a two-track process.

  • In mid-December, the hard-right House Freedom Caucus sent Johnson a letter insisting on two bills: "border security must move first — and then we should move forward to a second, larger reconciliation bill covering taxes, spending, energy, bureaucracy, and more."

The one-track plan is based on the calculation that one big, Trump-branded bill has a better chance of passage than splitting it up. "It motivates people to vote for it," a transition source tells us.

  • Story continues below.

 

🔎 Part 2: How it happened
 
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President-elect Trump hosts Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a surprise visit to Mar-a-Lago last night. Photo: Italian government via Reuters

The strategy for passing President-elect Trump's agenda was hotly debated — and only crystallized during a New Year's Day meeting at Mar-a-Lago with Trump, Vice President-elect Vance, Johnson and aides, sources tell Mike and Stef.

  • Both the Trump and Johnson teams made sure each has buy-in.

At the New Year's meeting, the group hashed out pros and cons: Split bills could mean a quick, flashy win on the border. But one bill would give Johnson leverage to force his conference's warring factions to all come to the table.

  • In a split scenario, hardliners might insist on passing a border bill, before they discuss raising or eliminating the cap on federal deductions for state and local taxes (SALT). Members from high-tax states might do the opposite.

🧠 The logic: We're told Johnson thinks you can squeeze members harder to pass a single "Trump bill" than one-offs.

  • The speaker figures that in a big deal, even though everyone will find something not to like, there'll be too much to love.

🏛️ State of play: The bill would use the budget reconciliation process, which allows budget-related bills to bypass the Senate's 60-vote filibuster. So only a simple majority is needed.

  • Yesterday, the day after his dramatic re-election as speaker, Johnson unveiled the plan for a unified reconciliation bill to House Republicans during a closed-door policy retreat at Fort McNair in D.C. Channeling Trumpian lingo, Johnson has called it "one big, beautiful bill."
  • "I want to compliment the Trump administration and the team. They've worked so well with us," Johnson told his members, in comments reported by Punchbowl and confirmed by Axios.

🤔 What we're hearing: Some Senate Republicans are frustrated by the turn toward a single bill. So the conversation may not be over.

  • A big concern among Senate Republicans is that one bill would take too long: They worry they won't be able to move fast enough to secure the border, opening them up to criticism, sources tell us.

🥊 Reality check: This is all easier said than done. Every faction within the GOP, and every big donor and industry, will want their hobby horse in this bill.

The bottom line: This is likely to take longer than the storied 100 days, which will end on April 30. The most optimistic timeline for mega-bill passage is late spring (April or May) — which really means June, and could even take until fall.

  • Axios' Andrew Solender contributed reporting ...

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📺 Thune: "Evolving" Trump vibe

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), who took charge Friday, told NBC's Kristen Welker on "Meet the Press" when asked about his relationship with President-elect Trump, after Thune endorsed Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C) for the GOP nomination:

"It's evolving, and we have a relationship, I think, where we understand what each other wants to accomplish. ... [T]here is an alignment of incentives — we want to get to the same destination. ... I think that's a powerful combination. And we're going to continue to build on that."

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Presidential transition

Members of Congress will meet on Capitol Hill today amid winter storm alerts to officially certify the election of President-elect Donald Trump. The ceremonial process will clear the way for Trump's inauguration as the 47th president in two weeks on January 20. Vice President Kamala Harris will preside over the counting of electoral votes for each state and will have to formally certify her own loss — and Trump's victory. Today's certification marks the four-year anniversary of the January 6, 2021, riot in which Trump's supporters swarmed and vandalized the US Capitol. Trump has floated the possibility of pardons for some people found guilty in the riot.

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Congress certifies Trump’s 2024 win, without the Jan. 6 mob violence of four years ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress certified President-elect Donald Trump as the winner of the 2024 election in proceedings Monday that unfolded without challenge, in stark contrast to the Jan. 6, 2021, violence as his mob of supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.

https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-trump-election-certification-capitol-b8284b9b6b22f78ab7f23f8c8b3c3da3?

A "surreal" Jan. 6
 
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Photos: Jon Cherry and Jemal Countess/AFP via Getty Images

It took a joint session of Congress just 30 minutes today to certify President-elect Trump's victory. No one objected to the certification. The intense security around the Capitol wasn't ultimately needed.

  • "See how easy it can be? How much difference four years can be?" said Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), one of two sitting House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump over the Capitol riot four years ago.
  • "Surreal — I guess that's probably a good term for it," Newhouse told Axios' Andrew Solender. The congressman said he's been watching replays of Jan. 6, 2021, over the past few days.
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Law enforcement officers enter the Capitol today before Congress certified the 2024 presidential election results. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Four years after Vice President Mike Pence had to be rushed to a secure location as rioters stormed into the Capitol, Vice President Harris today certified her own defeat to applause from both sides of the aisle.

  • Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said: "We were acting as constitutional patriots, and this is exactly what the peaceful transfer of power should look like."

It was "a little strange on the [House] floor" during the proceedings, Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) told Axios.

  • "It was a little bit to process ... the trauma of four years ago and feel it in a personal way," said Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.). "For the country, it may feel a little surreal that we're back here."

Go deeper.

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Trump RSVPs yes

President-elect Trump is set to visit Senate Republicans on Wednesday — after publicly siding with Speaker Mike Johnson over how to pass major policy wins.

Why it matters: The new GOP trifecta needs to get on the same page before the much harder decisions come due.

  • Some Senate Republicans want to convince Trump that it's in his interest to divide his "one big, beautiful bill" into two separate packages.
  • Trump has backed one strategy and then the other — he just wants to get it all done. In a Hugh Hewitt interview this morning, Trump indicated he would be fine with two bills too.

Between the lines: Wednesday's Senate GOP invite is a standing offer, we're told.

  • Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) will host Trump at the upcoming meeting as policy chair and has made it clear he's welcome whenever he wants to come, according to a source familiar.
  • Trump is expected to join the Senate GOP at its 6pm ET meeting. He'll be in town for the late President Jimmy Carter's funeral.

Zoom out: Some Republicans are agnostic on whether they should cram all their priorities into one massive package or move first on a border and deportation bill and then turn to tax legislation.

  • Many are privately concerned that attempting to fit everything into one bill will condemn it to failure.

Zoom in: Johnson, fresh off his squeaker of a speaker's victory, knows math isn't his friend when he's looking for 218 votes.

  • He is convinced he needs to wrap all of Trump's priorities — from ending taxes on tips to increasing border funding — into one massive bill and then convince his colleagues to all hold hands together, listen to Trump … and jump.
  • Trump will host a series of House Republicans at Mar-a-Lago this week, including members of the Freedom Caucus, people pushing to restore the SALT deduction and various committee chairs.

What they're saying: Two of Trump's most frequent phone buddies — Sens. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) — said nothing's set in stone.

  • "If we can get both of them done in one package, great, if we got to split them up, great," Mullin said. "All I'm saying is that I know that his Senate can deliver.
  • "I had multiple conversations with the president. He just wants it. He just wants the legislation to become permanent."
  • "Whatever they think they can do over there [in the House] is what we need to do," Tuberville told us. "I think it could still go either way."

— Stef Kight and Hans Nichols

Notorious streak ends
 
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Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

No one tried to challenge the Electoral College certification results today for the first time since 2012.

Why it matters: "Obviously there was a huge difference between this Jan. 6 and the other Jan. 6. ... We hope that'll be a good example for years to come," said Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.).

  • "House Democrats are not election deniers. That sentiment speaks for itself," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told Semafor ahead of the vote.
  • "Today the process will return to normal, and remain solemn but peaceful," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said before the vote.

Flashback: The Jan. 6 riot four years ago disrupted the Electoral College certification of President Biden's victory, and challenges were registered to Arizona and Pennsylvania's slates.

  • Schumer urged Trump today to not pardon people associated with the riot, calling the idea "shamefully, utterly outrageous."

In 2016, a few House Democrats attempted to challenge Trump's first certification. Vice President Biden memorably shut down the effort.

— Andrew Solender and Stephen Neukam

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️ First Thune/Johnson team-up

Hill leaders are preparing to make the Laken Riley Act the first bill they vote on in the 119th Congress, we have learned.

  • Look for action in both chambers as soon as this week.

Why it matters: The expected vote will accomplish two of the GOP's main goals for the next two years.

  1. Hit the border issue every day.
  2. Put pressure on vulnerable Democrats on immigration.

Driving the news: The House will vote tomorrow on the bill, which requires the detention of undocumented immigrants who commit certain nonviolent crimes such as theft, according to a senior GOP aide.

  • Senate Majority Leader John Thune has started the process to allow a vote on the Senate version of the bill — likely on Friday, a senior Senate GOP aide confirmed.
  • The bill is named after a nursing student who was murdered last year by an undocumented immigrant who had previously been arrested on theft charges.

What they're saying: "I am thrilled that we're going to get moving," Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) told us about the bill, which she introduced in the Senate last year.

  • Britt anticipates the bill will get Democratic votes "if they're being honest about what we need to do to protect Americans."

What to watch: The bill already passed the House in 2024 with bipartisan support. It will need to pass the House again as it's a new Congress.

  • Expect the bill to pick up Democrats in the Senate — though it's not clear it will be enough to overcome the 60-vote filibuster.
  • Two House Democrats who voted in favor of the bill last year are now in the Senate — Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.).

At least one other Trump-state Democrat is expected to vote in favor, according to a source familiar.

  • Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) — Riley's home state senator — is up for reelection in 2026. Ossoff told us he would "carefully consider any legislation that comes to the floor of the Senate."

— Stef Kight, Hans Nichols and Stephen Neukam

🔥 Leader hotbeds
 
A map showing the number of Republican congressional leaders for the 119th Congress. Most leadership is from the south (Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky), with a smattering of representatives from the midwest.
Data: Axios research; Map: Thomas Oide/Axios
A map showing where the Democratic congressional leaders for the 119th congress are from. Most congressional leaders are from the west coast and northeast region of the United States.
Data: Axios research; Map: Thomas Oide/Axios

— Stef Kight and Thomas Oide

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🐘 GOP dominates states
 
A choropleth map of the U.S. showing state legislative process control by party as of January 2025. Republicans control 24 state legislative processes, while Democrats control 15.
Data: Cook Political Report. Map: Alex Fitzpatrick/Axios

Republicans this year will control the legislative process in nearly twice the number of states as Democrats, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick found.

  • Republicans will control state capitols in 24 states, to Democrats' 15, per Cook Political Report.
  • The process is split in 10 others, including Michigan, Minnesota and North Carolina.

🌽 Nebraska has a unicameral legislature unique among U.S. states — though the Cornhusker State has a Republican-leaning supermajority.

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Schumer's private signals

Minority Leader Chuck Schumer privately opened the door today to Senate Democrats negotiating amendments to the Laken Riley Act, which passed the House today.

  • The bill would require the detention of undocumented immigrants charged with some nonviolent crimes. It picked up nine more House Democratic votes (48) today than it got last March.

Why it matters: Senate Republican leaders will need the support of at least eight Senate Democrats to ultimately pass the bill.

  • Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is already a co-sponsor, he announced today.
  • Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), who is up for reelection next year, will support the bill, we scooped today.

The bottom line: Schumer told members today the caucus may engage with Republicans, but they need to have more discussions, according to sources familiar with the meeting.

— Stephen Neukam

 

Delays hit Trump nominees

The delays are piling up for some of Trump's top nominees.

Why it matters: The vetting process already got off to a slow start as the Trump team took until December to sign an agreement for the FBI to run background checks for nominees.

  • Senate committee rules prevent confirmation hearings from being scheduled less than a week after background reports are received.

Tulsi Gabbard: Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the top Democrat on the Intelligence committee, is refusing to sign off on expediting a hearing for the director of national intelligence nominee, as we scooped earlier today. They're still waiting on some of her vetting materials.

  • Pam Bondi: The Senate Judiciary Committee is waiting on background check information and financial disclosures for the attorney general nominee. Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) wanted to hold her hearing on Jan. 14. Now it will happen later.

— Stef Kight and Stephen Neukam

 

Johnson's early red lines

House Republicans are laying down their dealbreakers for the massive fiscal legislation the GOP trifecta is plotting for this year.

Why it matters: A handful of House GOP defectors could sink the whole thing.

  • That forces GOP leadership to take early critics seriously, even if satisfying one group ticks off another.

1) Debt ceiling: "I heard that there are three people that will not vote for a debt ceiling lift, which already kills the bill," said Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.).

  • Two House Republicans — Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona and Tim Burchett of Tennessee have never voted to increase the debt ceiling.
  • Johnson says the plan is for the bill to include the debt ceiling. Handling it outside that package may force serious concessions to Democrats.

2) The overall price tag: The kind of discretionary cuts that Republicans have been floating may amount to peanuts compared to the debt and deficit implications of the package.

3) SALT: Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) told reporters today he's "been very clear from the start that I will not support a tax bill that does not lift the cap" on the state and local tax deduction.

— Andrew Solender

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U.S. House Republicans seeking to settle debt limit alongside border, taxes

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday his “intention” is to address the country’s debt limit through the reconciliation process, pushing aside the possibility of negotiating a bipartisan compromise with Democrats.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/01/07/dc/u-s-house-republicans-seeking-to-settle-debt-limit-alongside-border-taxes/?

U.S. House GOP kicks off new session with border security push

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House passed its first bill of the 119th Congress Tuesday, a measure that increases migrant detention and is named after a Georgia nursing student whose murder President-elect Donald Trump repeatedly tied to the Biden administration’s immigration policies.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/01/07/dc/u-s-house-gop-kicks-off-new-session-with-border-security-push/?

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🚨 Inside Trump's Hill stop

President-elect Trump is leaving the rest of his GOP trifecta hanging on their reconciliation stalemate.

Why it matters: Republican leaders on both sides of the Capitol have no interest in going against Trump's wishes.

  • He has the power to quickly end this debate, but we're no closer after tonight's meeting with Senate Republicans.
  • Trump pitched the idea of a single "beautiful bill," Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) told reporters after the meeting. That's where the momentum is headed, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said.
  • "[H]e heard from us and from our leader that a two-bill strategy is very much still very interested in," Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) told reporters.

But Trump keeps making it clear: He really doesn't care about the process.

  • That apparent indifference on this key question will force the House and Senate GOP members to attempt to resolve their differences among themselves.

Inside the room: Trump went over some of his early executive order plans, two sources in the room told us.

  • Stephen Miller walked through the Day 1 immigration orders in detail, three sources told us. On his list is reimplementing Title 42, the pandemic-era rule that allows for the rapid expulsion of migrants at the border.
  • About a dozen senators spoke during the meeting, with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) giving the most passionate defense of the two-bill strategy, two sources told us.
  • Trump invited the senators and their spouses to Mar-a-Lago but didn't name a date, two sources told us. We scooped his plans for a Senate bash last night.

The bottom line: If the one bill versus two question is hard, agreeing to a topline number should be a real treat.

P.S. Top Trump campaign staffer Alex Latcham will be executive director of the Senate Leadership Fund, with former Sen. Cory Gardner serving as CEO and chairman of the board, we scooped tonight.

— Stef Kight and Hans Nichols

 

Schumer's fireworks crew

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is privately pressing his members to create fireworks when they question Trump nominees in the coming weeks, we scooped today.

Why it matters: "Republicans spent four years attacking the Democratic brand and we need to use the hearings to begin returning the favor," Schumer told his top committee Democrats in a meeting this afternoon.

  • Schumer reminded senators they have an opportunity to seize the narrative from a GOP that is convinced the public is on its side on the economy, the border and cultural issues.

📺 Watch these Dem senators, who are in prime committee positions to carry out Schumer's orders:

  • Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, a combat veteran who lost both of her legs serving in Iraq, has jabbed at defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth on his views about women serving in combat. She's on Armed Services.
  • First-term Sens. Andy Kim of New Jersey, Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland will have a chance to stick out when HHS nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faces Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
  • Sen. Adam Schiff of California made a name for himself in the House for prosecuting the impeachment case against Trump. Watch out for how he approaches attorney general nominee Pam Bondi's hearing.

— Stephen Neukam

 

🧞‍♀️Thune freshmen's wishlist

Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) is fresh off his victory over one of the last red-state Democrats and has his next target: fixing how the feds fight wildfires.

Why it matters: Sheehy told us he's focused on passing reforms to the system as his first move in the Senate — as fires ravage Los Angeles County.

  • "Our ability to respond to wildfires — which was my job, I'm a water bomber pilot — is fundamentally broken," Sheehy said.
  • The senator sees fellow freshmen Schiff and Kim as potential bipartisan partners on the issue.

Zoom in: As a former Navy SEAL, Sheehy has landed seats on the Armed Services committee as well as Veterans' Affairs.

  • He wants to reform the Department of Defense, which he believes is dangerously unprepared for war.
  • "I would vote in favor of additional defense spending once we have fixed our acquisition process," Sheehy said. He was co-founder of an aerospace company that contracted with the government.

What to watch: Sheehy also says he'd be "happy" if TikTok is banned. He'll have a seat on the Commerce committee.

  • "The Chinese government is taking a whole-of-government approach to undermine the integrity of, basically, our national sovereignty, and they're using it to poison the minds of our kids," Sheehy told us.
  • Trump tried to ban TikTok during his first administration but has had a change of heart.

— Stef Kight

 

Bracing for Warren

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is tapping White House staffer Jon Donenberg as Democratic staff director on the Senate Banking Committee.

Why it matters: Corporate America — not to mention the banking industry — is bracing for Warren's prominent new position as the committee's ranking member.

  • Warren wants to help define her party's response to the deep concerns Americans have about the economy and inflation.
  • By reuniting with Donenberg, her longtime top policy and political aide, Warren will hit the ground running in the 119th Congress.
  • It's another signal Warren will use her high-profile position to advocate for direct subsidies to consumers and eviscerate corporate America if she thinks they are ripping off consumers.

Zoom out: During Obama's first term, Warren played a key role in establishing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and advocated for holding banks to account for the causes of the 2008 financial crisis.

— Hans Nichols

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Democrats say U.S. Senate Republicans rushing confirmation of Interior nominee Burgum

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Democrats raised concerns Wednesday that Republicans have scheduled a hearing for one of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees before he completed the necessary paperwork and an FBI background check.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/01/08/dc/democrats-say-u-s-senate-republicans-rushing-confirmation-of-interior-nominee-burgum/?

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Congress Loves Crypto. So Why Do So Few Members Buy It?

Three weeks after Donald Trump’s reelection victory sent cryptocurrencies on a bull run, Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., spotted an opportunity.

https://theintercept.com/2025/01/08/congress-crypto-profit-ted-cruz-mike-collins/?

🎣 Johnson lures Dems

Moderate House Democrats are keeping the door open to supporting the massive tax, border and energy package President-elect Trump and Republicans are concocting — if the price is right.

Why it matters: House Speaker Mike Johnson has virtually no room for error to pass the bill along party lines, and some of his right-wing hardliners are harshly conditioning their votes.

  • "One of several, for me, 'bright lines,' 'red lines,' however you want to say it, is deficit reduction," Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) told reporters today.
  • Johnson told us he welcomes "all Democrats to vote for a good package. This is going to be great legislation. It's an America First agenda, but it follows common sense."
  • House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the package the "GOP tax scam part two" at a press conference yesterday.

What we're hearing: The main way Republicans could try to entice some breakaway Democratic support is through raising the $10,000 cap on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction.

  • That would put cash directly into the pockets of suburbanites in high-tax blue states like California, New York and New Jersey.
  • "I'm not going to say what I will support or not support until I see the specifics, but I think SALT is critically important ... and this is a huge opportunity to bring SALT back fully," said Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.).
  • "Obviously, I like full SALT restoration, but let's see where the negotiations take us. ... The doors are open for whatever helps," Rep. George Latimer (D-N.Y.) told us.

The intrigue: Some of the other centrist Democrats could be turned off by a strong SALT provision.

  • Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), who represents a working-class, rural district, told us he would support the bill "if there's stuff in there that's good for Maine or that I like."
  • "I don't like SALT," he told us. "It's just a huge giveaway to the top 10%, and I care about the deficit. So that's a bad start."

The bottom line: Even skeptical Democrats say they are ready to talk if things fall apart for Johnson and he decides to engage with them.

  • "They're going to want to do this on their own," said centrist Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio). "If they can't because of the slim majority, obviously they're going to need our help. And that's when the bipartisan magic happens."

— Andrew Solender

 

😬 GOP jamming Schumer

Their own leaders privately say it's dangerous, but 31 Senate Dems voted today to advance the Laken Riley Act.

Why it matters: Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, are struggling to find a coherent position on immigration after their blowout loss in 2024.

  • Before the vote, Democratic leadership circulated a document saying the act would make America "less safe" and slamming it for taking away resources from arresting "serious criminals," we have learned.

But more is coming: Republicans are lining up votes on immigration issues that got Democratic support in the last Congress but were blocked by Schumer, Politico reports.

  • That includes withholding federal funds for sanctuary cities, making assaults on law enforcement and sexual and domestic violence deportable offenses and stiffening the penalty for fleeing law enforcement.

Zoom in: Schumer voted today to advance the Laken Riley Act but wants amendments.

  • The act would require the detention of undocumented immigrants charged with some nonviolent crimes.
  • Democrats say the incoming Trump administration would use the bill to deport DACA recipients and it could be used to deport longtime undocumented immigrants who have not been convicted of a crime.

— Stephen Neukam

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Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
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👋 Scoop: Senate power opening

A critical GOP voting bloc for Senate Majority Leader John Thune will have a new leader this Congress, we have learned.

  • Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) is stepping down as chair of the Senate Republican Steering Committee to lead the Energy committee.

Why it matters: The committee includes many of the most conservative senators — a sort of Freedom Caucus in the Senate.

  • Sen. Roger Marshall's (R-Kan.) name was floated as the next potential chair by multiple sources. There will be an exploration, nomination and voting process over the coming weeks.
  • Marshall was evasive when asked about the changes at the top of the committee, saying "we'll see" when asked if he would be in the running.

Zoom out: It's a loosely defined group with no official roster, but the steering committee members tend to be conservative rabble-rousers. Some key members backed Sen. Rick Scott's (R-Fla.) bid for GOP leader in 2022 and 2024.

  • The group also features Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Eric Schmitt of Missouri, Ted Cruz of Texas, Rand Paul of Kentucky and others. They are often leading efforts to block or slow down movement on legislation they oppose.
  • Steering included some of the loudest members demanding that the new Senate Republican leader take a more democratic approach and allow more amendment votes.

— Stef Kight

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Thune's timeline
 

Thune has a clear standard as Senate confirmation hearings start next week on Trump nominees:

  • "Obama's first 12 nominations were completed in 15 days. It took 42 days for Trump, 50 for Biden. We're sliding in the wrong direction, and I think it's important that we get back to the Obama standard," he told the Washington Examiner.

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Confirmation contortions
 
Photo illustration of Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard in front of the Capitol building.
 

Photo illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios. Photos: Getty Images

 

As confirmation hearings begin this week, three of President-elect Trump's most provocative Cabinet picks have reversed key positions — softening their edges for an establishment they've been charged with tearing down.

  • Why it matters: As powerful as MAGA has become, the Senate's confirmation process remains an obstacle to injecting fringe beliefs directly into the heart of government, Axios' Zachary Basu writes.

🖼️ The big picture: In the initial weeks after Trump unveiled his Cabinet choices, some establishment-minded Republicans raised red flags in the records of three picks.

  • Tulsi Gabbard, tapped to lead the U.S. intelligence community, was deeply suspicious of the national security apparatus and publicly opposed Section 702 foreign surveillance authorities as a member of Congress.
  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr., chosen to be secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, falsely claimed in 2023 that the polio vaccine caused cancer that killed "many more people than polio ever did."
  • Pete Hegseth, an anti-DEI stalwart picked to be defense secretary, bluntly opposed women serving in combat roles in the military.

Flash forward: All three lightning-rod picks have spent weeks meeting with senators on Capitol Hill in an effort to secure 50 votes. The results are head-spinning:

  • Gabbard told Punchbowl News on Friday that she now supports the Section 702 surveillance program thanks to updated whistleblower and civil liberty protections. Just days earlier, Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) suggested reversing that one policy position could help her get confirmed.
  • RFK Jr. told reporters on Capitol Hill last month: "I'm all for the polio vaccine." He also assured conservative senators that he will pursue anti-abortion policies at HHS, despite his past support for reproductive rights.
  • Hegseth, after an early clash with Army veteran Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), said he supports "all women serving in our military today," including in combat roles. Hegseth also promised to stop drinking if confirmed, amid allegations about his history with alcohol.

🥊 Reality check: Their maximalist impulses may have been tamed. But that doesn't mean Gabbard, Kennedy and Hegseth won't be able to radically transform their agencies in the way MAGA envisions.

  • There's also been no indication yet that arguably Trump's most controversial choice, Kash Patel for FBI director, will walk away from his incendiary promises to exact revenge on the president-elect's enemies.

Between the lines: Today's Republican coalition is diverse and unwieldy, and Trump's Cabinet reflects that reality.

  • While some have been playing nice with senators to win confirmation, others have had to harmonize with Trump himself.

Secretary of State pick Marco Rubio, for example, has long been a fierce critic of TikTok — but now appears to be deferring to Trump's interest in preserving the Chinese-owned app, according to Punchbowl.

  • Treasury Secretary pick Scott Bessent — a former George Soros adviser who warned against the inflationary effects of tariffs just last year — will now be a key member of the economic team tasked with carrying out Trump's protectionist agenda.

👓 What to watch: Senate Democrats are salivating at the chance to create fireworks and exploit divisions at the blockbuster confirmation hearings, which begin with Hegseth on Tuesday.

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Trump Cabinet

Senate confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks are set to begin this week. First up on Tuesday will be former Georgia Rep. Douglas Collins, the pick for secretary of Veterans Affairs, who will appear before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, Trump’s controversial choice for secretary of defense. Last month, a group of Democrats on the committee sent a letter to Susie Wiles, Trump’s incoming chief of staff, arguing that allegations related to Hegseth’s workplace behavior and treatment of women should disqualify him from leading the Pentagon. Hegseth has denied wrongdoing. Additional hearings later this week will include South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary, Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of state and Pam Bondi as attorney general.

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Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60

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