Members phkrause Posted February 15 Author Members Share Posted February 15 ⚖️ What's next for Mayorkas Screenshot via Fox Business Suozzi is expected to be sworn in on Feb. 28, shrinking the House GOP's majority to 219-213 ahead of a March 1 deadline to fund the government. Why it matters: House Republicans' historic impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last night— after their first attempt failed last week — offers the perfect example of how a single vote can spoil the best-laid plans. The impeachment vote narrowly succeeded, 214-213, with three House Republicans defecting from the party line. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) would have been the tying vote, but she was forced to stay home after testing positive for COVID-19. What's next: Johnson has named 11 Republicans to serve as impeachment managers for Mayorkas' Senate trial, which is expected to end in the swift dismissal of charges or acquittal in the Democratic-led chamber. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the trial will begin when senators return from recess on Feb. 26. Several Republican senators already have panned the impeachment as "dead on arrival" in the Senate. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), a Trump ally, described it today as "the worst, dumbest exercise and use of time." Meanwhile: House Homeland Security Chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.), who led the push to impeach Mayorkas, told Axios he plans to retire at the end of his term. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 16 Author Members Share Posted February 16 Congress' two roads to nowhere House members are staring down a pair of likely nonviable paths for getting aid to Israel, Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific. Why it matters: This raises the possibility that Congress won't pass any foreign aid package this year, Axios' Andrew Solender reports. "Ukraine is down to three shells a day for artillery," Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) told Axios. Option 1: Bacon and a bipartisan group of lawmakers from the Problem Solvers Caucus are set to unveil a smaller version of the Senate's $95 billion foreign aid bill. The roughly $65 billion package doesn't have humanitarian assistance to Ukraine or Gaza. A version of the Trump-era "Remain in Mexico" policy is in the bill, but it's not clear whether that's enough for House Republicans to put it on the floor. "No aid to Palestinians? That's dead in the Senate," said Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.). Option 2: House Democrats are eyeing an effort to force the Senate bill to the floor through what is known as a discharge petition. That maneuver is likely to fall short, with moderate Republicans and progressive Democrats signaling they would not contribute the necessary 218 signatures. "You really need to be doing the math for both chambers while you're negotiating a package like this," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) told Axios. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 17 Author Members Share Posted February 17 🏛️ Stalled Congress pushing plans to '25 Illustration: Tiffany Herring/Axios The Hill's bleak legislative landscape already has folks around town moving their chips to post-election plans, Nick Sobczyk writes in Axios Pro: Energy Policy. The energy industry and progressives are gaming out competing bills for a lame-duck session and the next Congress. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 18 Author Members Share Posted February 18 A chaotic US House is losing three Republican committee chairs to retirement in the span of a week WASHINGTON (AP) — In a single week, the Republican chairs of three House committees announced they would not be seeking reelection, raising questions about whether the chaos that has reigned this Congress is driving out some of the GOP’s top talent. https://apnews.com/article/congress-retirements-republican-chairs-1fa6864ba5ea80eb8dad88ddcc59cac8? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 20 Author Members Share Posted February 20 How Trump Is Killing Off the ‘Reagan Republican’ in Congress Ukraine aid is showing how isolationist the new GOP is under Donald Trump. https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-trump-is-killing-off-the-reagan-republican-in-congress? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 21 Author Members Share Posted February 21 🐘 Scoop: GOP fight over impeachment trial A group of Senate conservatives is demanding help from Leader Mitch McConnell on forcing a full impeachment trial for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Axios' Stef W. Kight scoops. Why it matters: Senate Democrats will control the process. But the historic impeachment articles are proving to be the next flashpoint for the GOP minority leader. What's happening: 13 Republicans, led by Sens. Mike Lee and Ted Cruz, plan to send a letter to McConnell this morning, demanding they "fully engage our Constitutional duty and hold a trial." A Democratic effort to dismiss the impeachment articles would be "an action rarely contemplated and never taken by the U.S. Senate," the senators argue in a copy of the letter first obtained by Axios. Keep reading. ps:Everytime you think that the maga trumplicans have brought the Republican party down as low as it can go, they come up with something to bring them down to a new level of low!!! Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 21 Author Members Share Posted February 21 Zelensky tells Congress that Russia is taking advantage of its in-fighting and the delay in billions of aid is making life 'very difficult' for Ukrainian troops in the trenches in another blunt message to the US Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky said delays in military aid have made life 'very difficult' for his soldiers and said Russia is taking advantage of American in-fighting. https://www.newsbreak.com/news/3340196517403-zelensky-tells-congress-that-russia-is-taking-advantage-of-its-in-fighting-and-the-delay-in-billions-of-aid-is-making-life-very-difficult-for-ukrainian-troops-in-the-trenches-in-another-blunt-message-to-the-us? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 22 Author Members Share Posted February 22 Scoop ... GOP privately expects shutdown Behind closed doors, House Republicans have shifted from optimism to expecting a government shutdown, Axios' Juliegrace Brufke has learned. Why it matters: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will have to choose in coming weeks between a fight with Democrats that threatens a shutdown, or a deal with Democrats that threatens his job. "People are predicting a shutdown even if it's just for a few days," a GOP lawmaker recently told Axios. They're either "close to reaching a deal or it's about to blow up," one subcommittee chair recently told a fellow House Republican. Zoom in: The government will start a partial shutdown unless a budget or spending stopgap is passed by March 1. It will go into a full shutdown if there's not a budget or stopgap by March 8. "We think we're going to meet the deadlines," Johnson told reporters last week. ⏰ The key date is April 30. If there's not a new budget by then, it will trigger a 1% across-the-board spending cut. Democrats won't back a stopgap bill beyond this. Across-the-board cuts are A-OK for some House conservatives. They're frustrated by the lack of policy riders on abortion, gender-affirming care and medical research in the current negotiations. Between the lines: House Republicans have stopped laughing off the idea that Johnson could face the same treatment as former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Johnson's simple but risky option to avoid a shutdown would be to use Democratic votes to pass a deal with a two-thirds majority. But McCarthy's ouster in October was sparked by him working with Democrats on a spending stopgap. "It's going to be difficult to do what we need to do and not have someone do" a motion to vacate, a member who isn't supportive of removing Johnson told Axios. Reality check: Republicans have no backup plan if they oust Johnson and blaming Democrats for a shutdown would be a challenge if they descend into another embarrassing speaker race stalemate. The bottom line: There's still the option of another spending stopgap into late March or April. But by April 30, Johnson will have to make his choice. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 22 Author Members Share Posted February 22 Dysfunction junction Speaker Mike Johnson walks to the House floor last week. Photo: Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images Axios last night popped two scoops capturing the unprecedented dysfunction among House Republicans running Congress: 1. House Republicans privately expect a government shutdown next month, Juliegrace Brufke revealed in Axios Sneak Peek. Why it matters: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will have to choose in coming weeks between a fight with Democrats that threatens a shutdown — or a deal with Democrats that threatens his job. "People are predicting a shutdown even if it's just for a few days," a GOP lawmaker told Axios. The government will start a partial shutdown unless a budget or spending stopgap is passed by March 1. It will go into a full shutdown if there's not a budget or stopgap by March 8. "We think we're going to meet the deadlines," Johnson told reporters last week. ⏰ The key date is April 30. If there's not a new budget by then, it will trigger a 1% across-the-board spending cut. Democrats won't back a stopgap bill beyond this. Across-the-board cuts are A-OK for some House conservatives. They're frustrated by the lack of policy riders on abortion, gender-affirming care and medical research. 🔎 The intrigue: House Republicans have stopped laughing off the idea that Johnson could face the same treatment as former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Johnson's simple but risky option to avoid a shutdown would be to use Democratic votes to pass a deal with a two-thirds majority. But Kevin McCarthy's ouster in October was sparked by him working with Democrats on a spending stopgap. "It's going to be difficult to do what we need to do and not have someone do" a motion to vacate, a member who isn't supportive of removing Johnson told Axios. 2. A moderate House Democrat is circulating a resolution to protect Johnson from removal by GOP hardliners, Axios' Andrew Solender reports. Why it matters: Centrist Democrats have floated protecting Johnson to give him room to put bipartisan legislation on the floor. The resolution, authored by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), would require Democratic or Republican party leadership to sanction any vote to vacate the speaker's chair, according to a copy obtained by Axios. Under current rules, any single member can force a vote to remove the speaker. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has said she would introduce a motion to vacate if Johnson puts Ukraine aid on the floor. Share the shutdown story ... Share the Dem story. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 23 Author Members Share Posted February 23 Freedom Caucus warns Johnson The House Freedom Caucus confirmed today that it's ready for a fight on a government shutdown, Axios' Juliegrace Brufke reports. Why it matters: The Freedom Caucus' official position leaves Speaker Mike Johnson having to choose between defying the hard-line conservative group and working with Democrats to pass a budget — or working with it and risking a shutdown. Freedom Caucus members prefer a yearlong spending stopgap if they can't get their way on using the budget process to push other policy priorities, they said in a new letter to Johnson today. That's a dealbreaker for Democrats, who won't support the 1% across-the-board cuts triggered by a long-term stopgap. Between the lines: Johnson and Democrats have reached an advanced phase of negotiations on individual spending bills, according to multiple sources familiar with the talks. The current spending negotiations aren't expected to include many, if any, of the numerous restrictions on abortion, gender-affirming care and border policy that were included in earlier bills to secure enough Republican support to pass. Go deeper Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 25 Author Members Share Posted February 25 GOP's impeachment hopes fade House Republicans' dream of impeaching President Biden is starting to die. "I don't see it going anywhere substantive," one House Republican told Axios' Andrew Solender, adding that there "aren't close to enough" GOP votes to impeach Biden. "Would we have the will to do it? I doubt it. I doubt it would get through the House," said Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas), a staunch supporter of the impeachment effort. Why it matters: Even with no chance of a conviction in the Senate, House Republicans have poured time and resources into investigating Biden, and many of them saw impeachment as the place it would all lead. 👀 Behind the scenes: Committee staffers working on impeachment briefed the pragmatist Republican Main Street Caucus on their efforts several weeks ago. 🚧 The response was "healthy skepticism" about "both the legitimacy of high crimes and misdemeanors by the president and politics of impeachment," according to a lawmaker who was there. That was even before the Justice Department indicted an FBI informant whose explosive allegations about Biden and his son Hunter played a prominent role in the probe. Go deeper. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 27 Author Members Share Posted February 27 Biden calls on governors to press Congress on immigration overhaul, Ukraine aid WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden used a meeting with the National Governors Association at the White House on Friday to press for assistance to Ukraine and bipartisan immigration policy changes, both of which are stalled in Congress. https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/02/23/biden-calls-on-governors-to-press-congress-on-immigration-overhaul-ukraine-aid/? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 28 Author Members Share Posted February 28 GOP fears snowballing shutdown House Republicans are privately worried that rank-and-file conservatives will embrace a full government shutdown if a deal isn't reached before this weekend, Axios' Juliegrace Brufke has learned. "I think it could whet their appetite," one House Republican member said about how the House Freedom Caucus would feel about a partial shutdown starting this weekend. Why it matters: Speaker Mike Johnson will have to choose between a deal with Democrats to avoid a partial shutdown, or siding with his most conservative members, who are itching for a shutdown fight. "We feel like there's no plan, morale is really low," the House Republican told Axios. Moderate Republicans consider shutdowns poisonous to their re-election chances. Most of the conservatives who are OK with a shutdown hail from districts where their biggest re-election risk is in a GOP primary. Between the lines: GOP members are pessimistic about tomorrow's White House meeting going well. Johnson told members Friday that another stopgap could be necessary to avert a shutdown while they iron out final details. Another spending stopgap is possible, but April 30 is a hard deadline for Democrats, who won't support the 1% across-the-board cuts that would start after that date. One member called Johnson "handcuffed" by his conference's most conservative members. "The shutdown won't work no matter what we do, but especially because our messaging has been all over the place," another member told Axios. What's next: A partial government shutdown starts this weekend absent a new budget or spending stopgap. A full government shutdown would begin a week later. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 28 Author Members Share Posted February 28 Biden is urgently working to avoid a government shutdown and stalling of international aid Today, President Joe Biden is expected to press lawmakers on passing emergency aid to Ukraine and Israel, as well as averting a looming government shutdown next month, according to a White House official. Read more. Recent developments: The Republican-led House is under pressure to pass the $95 billion national security package. That legislation cleared the Senate on a 70-29 vote earlier this month, but has since stalled. House Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to bring the foreign aid bill up for a vote because he says it lacks provisions to secure the U.S. southern border. But he did previously reject a bipartisan bill that provided immigration funding, saying that the border measures would not solve the problem in the way that he wanted. The first tranche of government funding is due to expire Friday. Parts of the government could start to scale back operations unless a deal on spending and legislation is sent to Biden for his signature. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Biden wants people to know most of the money he’s seeking for Ukraine would be spent in the US Delays in promised Western military aid to Ukraine are costing lives, the defense minister says Biden and Trump both plan trips to the Mexico border Thursday, dueling for advantage on immigration Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 28 Author Members Share Posted February 28 Term limits: The most useless debate in politics | Commentary Any time I hear a politician talk about how they want to get elected, specifically so they can implement congressional term limits, I think of Bill McCollum. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/02/27/term-limits-desantis-mccollum-rick-scott-maxwell/? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 29 Author Members Share Posted February 29 A partial government shutdown is days away. There’s no agreement on federal funding yet. WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden huddled with top congressional leaders at the White House on Tuesday amid a crunch over government funding as well as a familiar stalemate over assistance to two major allies — and no solution immediately in sight. https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/02/28/a-partial-government-shutdown-is-days-away-theres-no-agreement-on-federal-funding-yet/? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 29 Author Members Share Posted February 29 McConnell will step down as the Senate Republican leader in November after a record run in the job WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving Senate leader in history who maintained his power in the face of dramatic convulsions in the Republican Party for almost two decades, will step down from that position in November. https://apnews.com/article/mitch-mcconnell-senate-republican-leader-stepping-down-ba478d570a4561aa7baf91a204d7e366? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 29 Author Members Share Posted February 29 How Hakeem Jeffries’ Black Baptist upbringing and deep-rooted faith shapes his House leadership WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stood together at the annual National Prayer Breakfast — an opportunity, in the words of one introductory speaker, to “put our political differences aside.” https://apnews.com/article/hakeem-jeffries-religious-faith-politics-mike-johnson-bf64b91ffc34c74a0cd2f7662d1a3e9f? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted March 1 Author Members Share Posted March 1 Congress brokers deal on government spending deadlines, trying to avoid shutdown WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans and Senate Democrats attempting to avert a partial government shutdown brokered an agreement Wednesday to extend government funding deadlines for a little while longer. https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/02/28/congress-brokers-deal-on-government-spending-deadlines-trying-to-avoid-shutdown/? Congress approves short-term extension to avoid shutdown, buy more time for final spending agreement WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress passed another short-term spending measure Thursday that would keep one set of federal agencies operating through March 8 and another set through March 22, avoiding a shutdown for parts of the federal government that would otherwise kick in Saturday. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-government-funding-congress-deadline-ca365b6aa96b00a718e491ef7449d9d3? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted March 1 Author Members Share Posted March 1 McConnell to step down as U.S. Senate GOP leader WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky will step down as the Senate Republican leader in November, he said on the Senate floor Wednesday, announcing the end of a run as party leader that broke records for its length and shaped American politics over nearly two decades. https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/02/28/mcconnell-to-step-down-as-u-s-senate-gop-leader/? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted March 3 Author Members Share Posted March 3 Trump pushes Steve Daines to succeed McConnell as GOP's Senate leader Former President Trump quietly has been urging Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) to run for GOP Senate leader — and was doing so even before Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced he was stepping aside as leader, two sources familiar with the situation tell Axios. https://www.axios.com/2024/02/29/trump-pushes-steve-daines-mcconnell-successor-senate? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted March 3 Author Members Share Posted March 3 Mike Johnson's parachute Exasperated Democrats signaled they're ready to stop another speaker ouster, Axios' Andrew Solender reports. Why it matters: House Democrats are carefully watching how House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) handles spending votes next week, along with how he deals with a vote on Ukraine aid. "I don't think he should be punished for doing the right thing," Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) told Axios, stating firmly he would vote against removal. "I am not going to let Marjorie Taylor Greene vacate any speaker," Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) told Axios. "I don't want to go through another speaker fight," said Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.). Between the lines: That's similar to what Democrats said about former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) before they unanimously voted to oust him in October. As long as he "doesn't repeat the mistakes that McCarthy made of punching Democrats in the face when we carried the water," Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) thinks Johnson is safe. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted March 4 Author Members Share Posted March 4 Big deal, Part 1 They've got a deal: Congress will vote this week on passing its first new budget since the Speaker Pelosi era. Why it matters: House Speaker Mike Johnson has called the bluff from some of his most conservative members. Those members preferred a shutdown standoff instead of a budget that didn't have their buffet of policy riders. The six appropriations bills announced today don't include those policy riders, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. The House plans to vote ahead of President Biden's State of the Union address Thursday, Bloomberg reports. Reality check: There are no deals on defense spending, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services. Those bills need to be signed before March 23. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted March 4 Author Members Share Posted March 4 "Three Johns" cozy up The contenders to replace Mitch McConnell as Senate GOP leader are putting special urgency on the economy of favors, endorsements and money that is so important for closed-door leadership votes. Why it matters: It only takes about 25 Senate GOP votes to become McConnell's successor. The three Johns — John Thune of South Dakota, John Cornyn of Texas and John Barrasso of Wyoming — are working the phones with their colleagues, and lining up fundraisers and endorsements for potential new ones, Axios' Stef Kight and Stephen Neukam report. "When and where they endorse — and where they campaign — is an insightful distinction," Zack Roday, a Hill veteran and partner at Ascent, told Axios. Looming over the early jockeying is Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), who is being urged by Trump to enter the leadership race and is leading Senate Republicans' efforts to take back the chamber. Zoom in: Thune is planning to co-host a fundraising event this month with Pennsylvania GOP Senate candidate Dave McCormick, a source familiar with the plans told Axios. Thune will host a pricey virtual fundraiser with former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, with tickets $3,300 a pop, according to an invite for the event obtained by Axios. Between the lines: Cornyn has an advantage as a top Senate GOP fundraiser for years, raising $13 million this cycle for incumbents, the NRSC and nominees. Thune has also been a powerful fundraiser, raising around $8 million for the NRSC this cycle — more than anyone other than Daines. Barrasso has been busy fundraising with Ohio candidate Bernie Moreno, Tim Sheehy, who is running in Montana, Sam Brown in Nevada and Jim Banks in Indiana. Barrasso is the only candidate who has weighed in on the Ohio primary race by backing Trump-endorsed Moreno. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted March 5 Author Members Share Posted March 5 6 House Dems, back from Israel, accuse Netanyahu of ‘utter disregard for Palestinian lives’ WASHINGTON (JTA) — Six U.S. House of Representatives Democrats returned from an Israel trip accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “utter disregard for Palestinian lives” and fearing that he is moving toward Gaza’s “total destruction.” https://www.jta.org/2024/03/01/politics/6-house-dems-back-from-israel-accuse-netanyahu-of-utter-disregard-for-palestinian-lives? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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