Congress: The Senate & The House

[phkrause]

• ?️ The House passed a budget resolution that paves the way for a hulking fiscal bill, including $4 trillion in tax cuts. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) quelled a significant GOP revolt to get the measure passed, by a final vote of 216-214. Go deeper.

[phkrause]

❌ House members want out

Data: Axios research; Chart: Jacque Schrag/Axios The growing universe of House members eyeing higher offices could complicate life for Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries ahead of huge votes in the coming months. Why it matters: Members running statewide tend not to have the best attendance records, and in many cases, their exit would force the party to defend a swing district seat. The big picture: More than a half dozen House members are already running for other offices — six for governor, one for Senate — with at least another 30 considering runs. Some are conditioning their plans on what political heavyweights in their states do. Several ambitious House Republicans in Georgia, for instance, have said they would only consider running against Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) if Gov. Brian Kemp (R) passes on a bid. The same dynamic is at play for incumbent senators, with numerous House Democrats waiting to see whether Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) retires. The intrigue: In Jeffries' case, he's already dealing with two vacancies caused by deaths and another member, Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.), in intensive care. But Jeffries told us he isn't worried, saying House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) "has done a tremendous job; we've had complete attendance, absent a handful of medical emergencies." Zoom in: Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) signaled he could run for Senate or governor, telling us he is "running for reelection to my seat as far as I know, but I'll look at statewide offices. I'm not taking anything off the table." Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) is "99.9%" of the way to a gubernatorial run, a source familiar with her thinking told us. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) isn't ruling out a run for governor or Senate, saying in a statement to us he will "continue my service to the people of Georgia at whatever level they choose in the future." — Andrew Solender

[phkrause]

? Johnson's hat trick

Count 'em: On three occasions this year, Johnson has convinced the ornery House Freedom Caucus to fold after it staked out positions of public defiance.

1. Reconciliation round one in February: Remember the pulled vote, the 13-minute reversal and canceled dinner plans?
2. CR vote in March: Trump threatened to primary Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.). He ended up being the only "no."
3. Reconciliation round two today: Senate Majority Leader John Thune convinced the holdouts the Senate was serious about spending cuts.

The bottom line: Johnson may not be a speaker to be feared (like Nancy Pelosi, by all members) or hated (like Kevin McCarthy, by a few).

• But, with tons of help from President Trump, he keeps surviving.

— Hans Nichols and Justin Green

? Thune's pressure points

Thune gave Johnson a big assist in the last 24 hours. But now GOP senators are drawing their own lines in the sand, and they won't be as easy to flip.

Why it matters: Thanks to a likely baked-in "no" from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Thune can lose only two other GOP votes. That's very possible on several fronts.

1. Death by energy: Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), John Curtis (R-Utah), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) are demanding that leadership protect the Inflation Reduction Act's energy credits from getting cut.
2. Death by Medicaid: Murkowski and Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) voted on an amendment to protect Medicaid. They've made clear they won't vote for any cuts to benefits.
3. Death by spending: Conservative Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) frequently join Paul to raise alarms about the growing deficit.

What to watch: Trump's ask for the cap on SALT to be raised will be another unpopular proposal with Senate Republicans, who are much less amenable to the idea than those in the House.

• Committees will now get to work on how exactly they want to fund border security and the military — and where they want to take a hatchet to current government spending.

The bottom line: It's not impossible to keep everyone happy on the specifics of Trump's "one, big beautiful bill," but it will be a headache.

• Adding to the degree of difficulty, Thune and Johnson have to get this bill passed before the debt ceiling "x-date" in August or September or risk a global financial crisis.

— Stef Kight

[phkrause]

? Burnout hits GOP

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios Thirteen weeks in session, 213 votes, 55 confirmations, two vote-a-ramas and a final 2am vote — Senate Republicans could not be more ready for a two-week recess. Why it matters: Republicans demanded that their new leader get the Senate working hard again. Majority Leader John Thune answered the call, but Republicans are feeling the effects of the Democratic opposition. Thune had to constantly haggle with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on vote times, and delays from Democrats have been particularly draining, Republicans told us. Senate staffers also had to stay nimble, needing to reschedule meetings or media appearances over the past few weeks. Tomorrow will mark the 100th day of the 119th Congress. Hopes for a Thursday afternoon fly-out were spoiled by Democratic holds on President Trump's nominee for chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Between the lines: Nobody wants to admit they're tired, but most GOP senators chuckled when we asked about the level of fatigue among their colleagues. A couple of senators threw each other under the bus. "Listening to our freshmen talk, I think this has been a rough stretch," Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) told us. "I think the older guys are getting tired," another senator told us, not wanting to be named. What they're saying: "My sense is people are looking forward to spending some time at home," Hawley said. "I don't want to think like Washington. I want to make sure I think like home," Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said. "So getting home is really important." "I think we've set, pretty much, records," Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) told us. He expects the Senate to "come back swinging again" but admitted that it will be good to "get away from each other and go back in the states." The bottom line: "We absolutely signed up for this," said Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.). "I think it is a critical moment in time ... and we'll certainly work around the clock, which is exactly what we're doing." "It's definitely different than my first two years when we were in the minority and we weren't doing a lot of stuff," Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) said. "I've never been busier," Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) said. "But I'm proud of what we've accomplished." Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) said that despite "working long hours," the enthusiasm for nominees and tax reform "mitigates any physical exhaustion some of our members might feel." What's next: GOP leadership told senators to expect eight votes a day when they come back from recess, sources told us. — Stef Kight

[phkrause]

? Schumer's TV comeback

After lying low from cable TV in 2024, Schumer is returning to the airwaves.

Why it matters: Signalgate and Trump's tariffs have given Schumer a chance to show some fight after he infuriated the Democratic base last month by voting to avoid a government shutdown.

• ? Schumer appeared on CNN, MSNBC, ABC and NBC at least 10 times since early March to pummel Trump and make the case for himself as Senate Democratic leader.
• "I have the full support of my caucus. ... Democrats are united," Schumer said Tuesday on CNN.

Zoom in: Schumer's team has also increased the rate of his public press events on Capitol Hill over the last month, mainly press conferences bashing the Trump administration and GOP agenda.

• The on-again, off-again tariffs provoked enough GOP infighting to pull the spotlight away from Democratic infighting.
• "They're busy fighting with each other because their programs are so unpopular," Schumer gleefully said at a press conference on Tuesday.

Between the lines: When pressed about his leadership position, Schumer argues Democrats have united around their opposition to Trump.

• "If we keep united and keep our focus trained on Trump, we can certainly bring down his popularity and make those Republicans who vote with him pay that political price," Schumer said when asked about his leadership position on MSNBC last week.

— Stephen Neukam

[phkrause]

Majority Leader John Thune's 'old-fashioned' approach to the Senate has kept Trump on board so far

The Senate has produced the quickest top-level Cabinet confirmation process in the last 20 years under new Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota. But the decision to push forward on even the most unconventional Cabinet nominees has come at a cost. Read More.

[phkrause]

New Dem divide: How hard to fight deportations

Democrats are at odds over whether to make opposition to the Trump administration's deportation policies — and trips to the El Salvadorian prison where deportees are being held — a centerpiece of their anti-Trump message, Axios' Andrew Solender writes.

• Why it matters: Some Democratic lawmakers and aides told Axios that Trump's deportation policies have even started to eclipse top issues like DOGE and tariffs in some constituent phone calls and emails.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) yesterday became the first Democrat to travel to El Salvador to try to meet with Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, an erroneously deported Maryland resident whose return the Supreme Court has ordered.

• "We got 247 calls on it this week, more than any other topic," Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) told Axios.
• A chief of staff to another House Democrat told Axios that, of the 16 calls they personally handled in the last two days, all have been about deportations.

The other side: A House Democrat who spoke on the condition of anonymity told Axios: "With all due respect to some of those folks, I know it's an important issue, but should it be the big issue for Democrats? Probably not."

• Keep reading.

[phkrause]

Maryland Sen. Van Hollen meets with El Salvador’s vice president in push for Abrego Garcia’s release Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador on Wednesday and met with the country’s vice president to push for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man who was sent there by the Trump administration in March despite an immigration court order preventing his deportation. Read more.

Why this matters: Van Hollen said at a news conference in San Salvador that Vice President Félix Ulloa said his government could not return Abrego Garcia to the United States and declined to allow Van Hollen to visit him in the notorious gang prison where he is being held.   The Trump administration has sharply criticized the trip, while Democrats have rallied around Abrego Garcia. President Donald Trump and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said this week that they have no basis to send him back, even as the U.S. Supreme Court has called on the administration to facilitate his return.   Democrats have seized on the case to highlight what they say is Trump’s disrespect for the courts and as base voters have encouraged them to fight harder against Trump’s policies. “This is a constitutional crisis,” said Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., one of the Democrats who is considering a trip. “This is not just about a deportation policy. This is about defying the Constitution and the Supreme Court.”

[phkrause]

Van Hollen meets wrongly deported man

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) met yesterday with Kilmar Ábrego García — the Maryland resident who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, Axios' Russell Contreras and Rebecca Falconer write.

• Why it matters: Ábrego García is being held in El Salvador despite a Supreme Court ruling last week that the Trump administration must "facilitate" his return.

Van Hollen said he had previously made two requests to visit Ábrego García at the high-security prison during his trip to El Salvador, but both were denied.

• "I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar. Tonight I had that chance," Van Hollen tweeted last night.
• "I have called his wife, Jennifer [Vasquez Sura], to pass along his message of love. I look forward to providing a full update upon my return."

It's unclear how the meeting was arranged, where they met or what will happen to Ábrego García.

• Keep reading.

ps:It seems to me that the president of El Salvador aloud them to meet, other it would not of happen!!!

Abrego Garcia

Kilmar Abrego Garcia is still being detained in a notorious mega-prison in El Salvador without due process — even though the US government conceded his deportation was a mistake and despite the rulings of several courts. Sen. Chris Van Hollen managed to meet with Abrego Garcia on Thursday and posted several pictures on social media of their encounter. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele responded on X and declared that Abrego Garcia will remain incarcerated in El Salvador. Abrego Garcia's wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, celebrated when she heard about the senator's meeting with her husband. “My children and my prayers have been answered. The efforts of my family and community in fighting for justice are being heard, because I now know that my husband is alive,” she said in a statement. Van Hollen plans to release more details about their meeting today.

 

House Dems fume at DNC official

The plan by DNC vice chair and gun-control activist David Hogg to spend $20 million to primary older Democratic incumbents in Congress has sparked intense anger from some lawmakers, Axios' Andrew Solender writes.

• Why it matters: The skirmish between some lawmakers and a top DNC official comes at a time when Democrats are struggling to find a united strategy to fight Trump.

House Dems told Axios that, while Hogg isn't targeting battleground-district members, they believe he'll divert attention and resources away from their races and the fight to retake the House.

• "What a disappointment from leadership. I can think of a million better things to do with twenty million dollars right now," swing-district Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.) told Axios.
• "Fighting Democrats might get 'likes' online, but it's not what restores majorities."

Keep reading.

[phkrause]

60,000 Americans to lose their rental assistance and risk eviction unless Congress acts

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says that rental assistance for some 60,000 Americans fleeing homelessness or domestic violence will run out of money by the end of next year. Read More.     ? The Senate's silent caucus Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who leads his party's messaging arm, has some simple advice for fellow GOP senators: Don't talk with reporters when you're walking to votes. Why it matters: Cotton is one of a handful of senators who refuse to answer questions from congressional reporters in the Capitol hallways covering whatever is the biggest story of the day. Call it curtness. Or call it message discipline. But it allows Cotton and taciturn colleagues to respond to questions on their own terms. And it spares them from having to react to every utterance from President Trump. These senators will give occasional interviews to the press or join Sunday shows, but they are less likely to show their cards on days when the president makes controversial news or the Senate makes moves. The Senate's "silent caucus" also includes: Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), now chair of the NRSC, most often refers reporters to his staff or explains he does not answer hallway questions. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) will usually quickly tell reporters she doesn't do hallway interviews. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) while leader refused to answer spontaneous questions in hallways. He indicated to Politico last year that his approach may change in his post-leader era, but so far has largely maintained his silent stare when approached with a question. Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) usually refers reporters to his office when they pose a question. Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) is new to the Senate but has already informed journalists he will not be taking regular questions when walking to and from votes. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) will also inform reporters she does not do hallway interviews when approached. Between the lines: A Curtis spokesperson challenged the "silent" characterization, saying the senator supports the media's role but that they're wary of "bad faith" hallway conversations. "He wants to have honest, thoughtful, nuanced conversations and most of the time that's impossible to do in a 15 second sound bite," a spokesperson told us. The other side: There are plenty of Democrats who are not considered media friendly, and many senators use tactics to avoid reporters from time to time (such as pretending to take a phone call to shun conversations). But most will give some kind of response to questions in the halls. Zoom out: The decline of local reporters working from D.C. already means some constituents may hear less reporting on how their lawmakers are voting and reacting to major news, Axios Media Trends author Sara Fischer notes. — Stef Kight

[phkrause]

✌️✋ House exodus

The U.S. Capitol on March 4. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images A growing number of House lawmakers are giving up relatively safe seats to enter bitter Senate primaries. Just today, Reps. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) and Andy Barr (R-Ky.) launched campaigns for open U.S. Senate seats in their districts. Why it matters: To some lawmakers, the high number of House members seeking higher office is a sign the institution is in trouble. Others say these runs are more a sign of personal ambition than any broader dynamics. "The House is broken, doesn't pass legislation, doesn't work anymore," said one House Democrat, calling the lower chamber "just a big comms shop." Former Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) told us he's heard "increased frustration" from his former House colleagues, who are chafing under four years of Republican control. Barr and Stevens likely won't be the last: At least three House Democrats are sizing up Sen. Dick Durbin's (D-Ill.) seat in case he decides to retire. Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) is seen as likely to challenge Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan for her state's Senate seat. Zoom out: Three House Republicans and two Democrats are currently running for governor in their states. In South Carolina, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) is likely to run for governor. In New York, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) is looking at a run for governor. Reps. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) have openly expressed interest in challenging Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. In Iowa, several House Republicans are considering running to replace retiring Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds. — Andrew Solender

[phkrause]

Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in Senate, announces he won’t seek reelection

Dick Durbin, the longtime second-ranking Democrat in the Senate, announced plans to retire at the end of next year, setting off a succession scramble to take his powerful leadership spot in the chamber and a likely crowded primary in Illinois for the seat.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/23/politics/dick-durbin-senate-retirement?

[phkrause]

? Dem leadership fight

From left: Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Brian Schatz and Catherine Cortez Masto. Photos: Via Getty Images Sen. Dick Durbin's (D-Ill.) retirement is setting off a once-in-a-decade leadership fight for Senate Democrats. Why it matters: Durbin, 80, has been the Senate Democratic whip since 2005. Whoever replaces him becomes the instant front-runner to replace Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer down the road. An open fight for the whip spot next year could also complicate Schumer's strategy of privately mediating intraparty disputes. It will potentially expose the party's deep divide on whether to elect a moderate — or a progressive — to help them return to power. Zoom in: Sen. Brian Schatz, 52, of Hawaii is actively making outreach to members about replacing Durbin. His interest in the job is a poorly kept secret on Capitol Hill, and he's got a head start as the current chief deputy whip. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, 64, of Minnesota wants the job, sources tell us. Schumer made her the No. 3 Senate Dem last year, and she's respected by her colleagues. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, 61, of Nevada is also interested in moving up, although it's not clear if she's ready to challenge Schatz or Klobuchar. Between the lines: Schatz and Cortez Masto voted with Schumer last month in support of a GOP spending plan to avert a government shutdown. Those votes were seen as key indicators of their interest in leadership gigs. Klobuchar voted against the measure, as did Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), another one of Schumer's top leadership officials this year. Schumer intervened this year when Klobuchar and Booker were on a crash course for the leadership spot vacated by former Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.). Zoom out: Durbin's retirement has also ignited what could be a bitter Illinois primary battle to succeed him in the Senate, we reported today. Durbin predicted "at least a dozen" candidates will jump into the race. Reps. Lauren Underwood and Raja Krishnamoorthi could start out as the front-runners in the big-dollar race, according to polling data released last month. Krishnamoorthi has a $19 million war chest, and Underwood has over $1 million in cash on hand. Rep. Robin Kelly, another possible candidate, has $2 million in cash. — Stephen Neukam, Hans Nichols and Andrew Solender

[phkrause]

? Schumer's bold prediction

Schumer is setting expectations pretty high for a party that's still feeling pretty low.

• "We are going to be in the majority in 2027, " Schumer told Semafor's Burgess Everett.
• "The electorate will desert Republican candidates who embrace Trump, in an overwhelming way."

Between the lines: By promising the majority, Schumer has now done what all leaders of the minority do when they're not in power.

• But the risk for Schumer is that he is promising something that few of his colleagues believe he can deliver.
• But there would be an even greater downside for him — disengaged donors, despondent activists — if he accepted minority status for more than two years.

— Hans Nichols

? End of an era

Durbin's retirement also means the Senate Judiciary Committee will have a whole new look next year.

Why it matters: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the current chair, is term-limited after this Congress and will relinquish the top spot in 2027.

• He and Durbin have a combined 72 years in the Senate. Along the way, they learned to work together.
• Grassley, 91, wrote on X about Durbin: "sorry 2see him retire from the Senate Obviously he's liberal & I'm conservative yet we hv a wonderful working relationship."

What we're watching: The next chair and ranking member of the committee will play a key role in vetting Trump's judicial nominees.

• But if a Supreme Court justice decides to retire before the midterm election, the two senators could have their last joint act on the committee vetting the nominee.

— Hans Nichols and Stef Kight

[phkrause]

? Jeffries' looming migraine

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

Progressive groups, emboldened by grassroots outrage at the older Democratic establishment, are preparing to go all in on unseating veteran lawmakers in favor of a younger generation. Why it matters: That's going to create a big headache for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries as he takes another stab at winning a speaker-making majority in 2026. Bitter primary battles threaten to deplete Democrats' resources ahead of the general election and deepen an already acute intraparty fissure. They'll also present Jeffries with the delicate task of defending incumbents who could end up losing to future members of his caucus. Driving the news: Three months into the new Congress, more than half a dozen House Democrats already are facing primary challengers. That number is about to skyrocket. DNC vice chair David Hogg, whose group Leaders We Deserve is spending $20 million to primary incumbents to the chagrin of many House Democrats, told us: "Some truly generational leaders will be announcing their campaigns very soon." Usamah Andrabi, a spokesperson for Justice Democrats, told Axios that "dozens" of House Democrats could end up drawing serious challengers, adding, "It could be a large portion of the caucus." "I have talked to folks who have been thinking about jumping into these primary races who haven't come out yet," said Amanda Litman, founder of Run For Something. "There are more coming." ? By the numbers: At least seven House Democrats — nearly all north of 70 years old — are already staring down primary challenges from younger insurgents. In some cases, the age gap is yawning: 85-year-old former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is facing 39-year-old political operative and software engineer Saikat Chakrabarti. Of this group, three incumbents, including Pelosi, have not said whether they will seek reelection in 2026. The others — Reps. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), André Carson (D-Ind.) and Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) — are running, spokespeople told Axios. So is Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. ? Jeffries, in a Sunday appearance on ABC's "This Week," said he looks forward to "standing behind every single Democratic incumbent." Yes, but: These primary battles are just the latest front in a generational civil war that has been tearing the Democratic Party apart for the better part of a year. Then-President Biden's withdrawal from the Democratic ticket last July was a watershed moment. That was followed by House Democrats breaking with tradition and pushing out three of their oldest committee leaders, including Scott. Now, Hogg's plan to challenge incumbents while a DNC official has further fanned the flames of intraparty discord. — Andrew Solender

[phkrause]

? Schumer with the assists

Chuck Schumer is battering and bashing New York Republicans in their own backyards to help Jeffries become speaker.

Why it matters: The Senate minority leader is making peace with his House Democratic counterpart by waging a shared war against Republicans.

Over the recess, Schumer visited a hospital in a district represented by Rep. Mike Lawler, a nursing home in Rep. Nick Langworthy's district and a Veterans Affairs field office in a county represented by Rep. Claudia Tenney.

• ? The tour is part of Democrats' strategy to bring the fight directly to Republicans' doorsteps ahead of the 2026 midterms.
• Standing in a local business in GOP Rep. Nick LaLota's Long Island district today, Schumer argued Trump's tariffs are suffocating small businesses in the state.
• "No matter what your vantage ... the tariffs are one giant mess," he said.

Between the lines: Schumer's two-week New York offensive is another sign the two Democratic leaders are working to patch up a relationship that publicly frayed this year.

Zoom in: Schumer and other Democrats hope that by forcing Republicans to defend cuts to popular programs like Medicaid, they'll secure enough moderate defectors to scuttle the GOP plans.

• That would deprive their opponents of a major campaign promise — extending President Trump's first-term tax cuts — just in time for the midterms.

— Stephen Neukam

[phkrause]

? Johnson's favorables inch up

realclearpolling.com/Axios Visuals House Speaker Mike Johnson is seeing an improvement in his net favorability rating, while Schumer is heading in the opposite direction. Why it matters: Both party leaders, along with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, are underwater. ⭐️ Jeffries has the best score of the four, with essentially a neutral reading — 29.2% approval and 28.8% disapproval. By the numbers: Johnson's 30.1%-36.3% favorable/unfavorable rating is up 1.8 percentage points since January, according to Real Clear Politics' average of surveys from Jan. 9 to April 15. Schumer, who has been pilloried by progressives for backing a GOP plan to fund the government, has the highest negative rating, with a 27.4%-45.6% reading. That's down 1.2 percentage points. Jeffries and Thune have remained more consistent, barely registering any change. — Hans Nichols and Kathleen Hunter

[phkrause]

✈️ Bidding Francis farewell

The body of Pope Francis at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Photo: Stefano Spaziani/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images

Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson are sending bipartisan delegations with a total of 15 lawmakers to attend Pope Francis' funeral in Rome on Saturday. Why it matters: The House delegation is being led by Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), the highest-ranking Catholic in the chamber. Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) is leading the Senate group. The House delegation also includes: Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.) Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.) Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) Rep. John Joyce (R-Pa.) Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Wis.) Rep. Laura Gillen (D-N.Y.) ➕ The Senate delegation: Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) — Stef. W. Kight

[phkrause]

Hearing could set up billionaire Isaacman for full Senate vote to lead NASA

Billionaire and two-time traveler to space Jared Isaacman could soon get the full Senate’s attention for his nomination by President Donald Trump to be the next head of NASA.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/04/26/hearing-could-set-up-billionaire-isaacman-for-full-senate-vote-to-lead-nasa/?

[phkrause]

Connolly stepping down as top Democrat on Oversight Committee

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said Monday he will soon step aside as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee after just four months in the role.

https://www.axios.com/2025/04/28/gerry-connolly-house-oversight-committee-cancer?

? AOC's big decision

Most — but not all — of the young, ambitious House Democrats on the Oversight Committee are waiting to see what Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) does before jumping into the race for ranking member themselves.

• Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), the 75-year-old who defeated 35-year-old Ocasio-Cortez for the job in December, is stepping away as he undergoes treatment for esophageal cancer.

Why it matters: The role would position AOC as an official leader of the Democrats' anti-Trump resistance at a time when the party's base is demanding a younger, more vigorous opposition.

• Not everyone is waiting on AOC. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), 44, is publicly signaling interest in the role and privately jockeying for it.
• Some of Crockett's colleagues are saying she should get the role as Connolly's vice ranking member — a position Ocasio-Cortez previously held.
• Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), who is serving as interim ranking member in Connolly's stead, said today that he would run for the role as well.
• If AOC does run, she'll have the backing of 28-year-old Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), who is interested in the role only if she skips the race.

Zoom in: AOC would have to jump through more procedural hurdles than other prospective candidates to succeed Connolly — though she is still seen as a likely front-runner.

• Ocasio-Cortez told reporters that Connolly's "announcement is not that he is stepping down, so there's presently not a vacancy to run for."

— Andrew Solender

[phkrause]

Thune's victory lap

Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) will each take a victory lap on the Senate floor tomorrow, marking the first 100 days of President Trump's second term with a focus on the border.

Why it matters: On-and-off again tariffs, sweeping DOGE cuts and a leaked military plan haven't made things easy on GOP leadership on the Hill. They see the border as a clear win.

• "I don't need to tell anyone what things were like at our southern border under the last administration," Thune will say, according to excerpts we first obtained.
• "President Trump promised that he would put an end to the Biden border crisis and restore order and respect for the rule of law," he will continue. "And in just 100 days, he has delivered to an incredible degree."
• "Americans want secure borders. We are delivering them. Illegal crossings hit a record low last month," Barrasso will say, according to excerpts provided first to us.

Go deeper

— Stef Kight

? Schatz vs. TBD

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) is off to a blistering pace as he tries to succeed Senate Democratic whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

• Schatz told the Washington Post today there's an "emerging generation in Senate leadership" that he wants to help lead.

Why it matters: Unlike some of his colleagues, Schatz's ambition is to win Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's job, not a Democratic presidential nomination.

• Schatz has an internal whip team that includes Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.).
• Sources tell us to expect more public endorsements in the coming weeks after Booker publicly endorsed Schatz on Friday.
• Schatz's potential competitors for the gig — namely Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) — have remained publicly quiet.

Between the lines: Klobuchar said the focus should be on stopping President Trump, not running for whip.

• She told reporters today it's a "mistake" to talk "about something, a year and a half from now and we have no idea who's going to win the Senate."

Zoom in: Sources point to other factors that give Schatz a leg up in the whip race.

• He embraces the tedious, but critical, politics of the Senate floor.
• He has a track record on Durbin's whip team, serving as the Democrats' chief deputy whip this Congress. In 2023, he hired longtime Durbin adviser Reema Dodin to serve as his chief of staff.

— Stephen Neukam

[phkrause]

New taxes deadline

Top White House and congressional officials said today that Independence Day is the deadline for Trump's big tax promises.

Why it matters: It gives a little more room than Johnson's aggressive Memorial Day deadline. But there are still major decisions that need to be made, and quickly.

• Johnson and Thune met for about an hour today with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett, Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.).

Zoom in: Over the two-week Easter recess, staffers for Crapo and Smith met consistently to write up the details for the tax provisions of the bill.

• There is broad GOP agreement on extending the 2017 tax cuts and other Trump campaign promises, like no tax on tips.
• Other issues could get dicey, including raising the cap on the SALT deduction. The depth of cuts to the Inflation Reduction Act is an ongoing discussion between the chambers, per Bessent.
• Finding more than $1 trillion worth of spending cuts to help pay for the bill is sure to be the biggest headache, with moderates in both chambers insisting that Medicaid be preserved.

What to watch: The most serious deadline for passing the package is the debt ceiling X date, which people expect to hit in August or September.

• "We do not have a new X date yet," Bessent told reporters after the meeting. "We are still taking in revenues. ... We may have a better calculation toward the end of the week or next."
• "The U.S. will never miss the X date," Bessent added.

— Stef Kight

[phkrause]

? Old guard fights back

Rep. Gerry Connolly's (D-Va.) shock announcement that he plans to step down as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee is set to open yet another front in Democrats' intergenerational war.

Why it matters: The old guard is preparing to fight back against their younger, social media-savvy colleagues.

• Left-wing critics heaped scorn on House Democrats for electing Connolly — a 75-year-old with esophageal cancer — to lead their party on a panel that runs investigations into the Trump administration.

But Connolly's interim replacement, 70-year-old Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), told us he plans to run for the role and is clear-eyed about the outside pressure bearing down on his colleagues to choose a younger lawmaker.

• "The base is responding to social media, so they're pushing the people that they see on social media," he said. "I get that."
• "There is a job to be done — and as an attorney, this is an investigations committee, and so it's serious business. It's not going to be run in the press," Lynch told us.
• Some lawmakers are lining up behind Lynch: "I have a preference for seniority, assuming ability, and I think Lynch is surely able," said Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the former House majority leader.

Between the lines: Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), 44, is expected to throw her hat in the ring.

• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), 35, who lost the role to Connolly last December and subsequently left Oversight, is mulling a bid to return to the panel as ranking member.

What we're hearing: Some House Democrats believe the months of upheaval within the grassroots base since Connolly's election could help swing things in favor of the younger wing of the party.

• One lawmaker cited a conversation they had with a roughly 65-year-old colleague who expressed regrets about voting for Connolly in December.
• "I think that seniority culture here is beginning to significantly shift from this assumption that automatically the person that is next on the committee becomes ranking member," said another House Democrat.

Yes, but: Others cautioned not to overweigh the importance of external factors on House Democratic elections.

• "I don't think that what folks say on Twitter has a huge effect on how these elections happen," a third House Democrat told us.

— Andrew Solender

[phkrause]

? Scoop ... GOP freeze out

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios The NRSC is urging big-dollar donors to freeze out ambitious House lawmakers from jumping into 2026 Senate races. Why it matters: GOP party leaders know stemming retirements in 2025 is a big part of keeping the House in 2026. Plus, NRSC Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) wants to avoid messy primaries. Anyone looking to fund GOP Senate races in Texas and Michigan should only give to Sen. John Cornyn and former Rep. Mike Rogers, NRSC political director Brendan Jaspers told national donors yesterday on a conference call. ? The real targets of the call weren't on the line, and they weren't mentioned by name. But the implication was clear: Reps. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) and Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) should not be thinking about the Senate. The emphasis on Cornyn also sends a message against helping Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has announced a primary challenge. "No other candidates for Senate in these states, declared or posturing, should receive financial support from the donor and PAC communities until they have made the smart decision to remain in the House and defend the president's margins there," Jaspers said, according to a person familiar with the call. Zoom out: House Speaker Mike Johnson and his top political lieutenants, NRCC chair Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) and Rep. Brian Jack (R-Ga.), met with President Trump on Monday at the White House. ? Hours later, the president endorsed several House candidates. Johnson is acutely aware retirements could decimate his ranks and make his job of retaining the speakership that much harder. What they're saying: "My preference, of course, is everybody stays, and we get the job done together," Johnson told Hans today during an exclusive Axios News Shapers interview. "But I don't begrudge anyone for seeking a higher office — governor or senator. "And there'll be some folks who retire. It's just inevitable in the cycle," he said. "I'm in the candidate recruitment phase right now, so we're working to recruit high-quality folks to run." — Hans Nichols and Stef Kight

[phkrause]

House GOP's Medicaid rebels

Speaker Johnson is staring down a growing rebellion from his centrist wing over Medicaid cuts in the GOP's "big, beautiful bill."

Why it matters: Johnson told us today he's not sure House Republicans would come up with $500 billion in savings in the Medicaid program, but "we aspire to that."

1. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) was one of 12 Republicans to warn Johnson this month about the issue. He told us this week he communicated to the White House he won't support more than $500 billion in cuts to Medicaid.
2. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) said, "I will not vote for any bill that cuts eligible legal people. ... That means our working poor."
3. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), asked about lowering the federal share of costs for the Medicaid expansion, replied: "I've been very clear about this. You guys keep asking the same stupid f--king question: No."
4. Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) said of the per capita cap: "My sense is that would be a cut, and I'm not in favor of that."
5. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.? "I don't have a number, I think it's just we have certain things that we will not do with regards to Medicaid."

The other side: "These same individuals want to keep all these green energy tax credits and ... raise the SALT cap deduction," said Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.).

• "You're not going to get the tax cuts that the American people want ... if you're talking about those kind of low numbers, on actual reform to Medicaid," Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said.

— Andrew Solender, Peter Sullivan and Victoria Knight

? Senate tariff rebels

Two surprise absences derailed a symbolic effort today to oppose Trump's tariffs on the Senate floor. Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) did not vote, allowing the resolution to fail on a 49-49 tie. Why it matters: Republicans have largely held the line, giving Trump space to test his theory on tariffs. But a few have been willing to break with the ranks and join Democrats. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) led the charge against Trump's global tariffs by co-sponsoring the resolution with Democrats that sought to repeal the 10% across-the-board tariffs and steeper China tariffs. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) once again jointly defied the Trump administration, voting with Democrats on the resolution. McConnell spokesperson David Popp provided a statement, "The Senator has been consistent in opposing tariffs and that a trade war is not in the best interest of American households and businesses. He believes that tariffs are a tax increase on everybody." Go deeper — Stef Kight and Stephen Neukam