Congress: The Senate & The House

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? Next shutdown squeeze

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Civilian federal workers start getting their last (partial) paychecks this morning until the shutdown ends. And barring a breakthrough, their military peers will miss payday altogether next Wednesday, Axios' Justin Green writes. Why it matters: That new, real-life bite could be an impetus for solving the shutdown, which today enters Day 10. ?️ Despite doubts raised by the White House, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told Axios' Kate Santaliz that "of course" Congress will ensure furloughed federal workers get back pay once the government reopens. Timeline: Deadlines that could pressure Congress to reopen the government.

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US Senate unanimously endorses repeal of 2002 Iraq war resolution

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than two decades later, Congress is on the verge of writing a closing chapter to the war in Iraq.

https://apnews.com/article/congress-war-powers-iraq-trump-a6bc311c0b0890022cb818550758c94e?

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? Trump raises the stakes

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (left) and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Photo: Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Four short words from OMB Director Russ Vought — "The RIFs have begun" — marked the first serious escalation in the shutdown staredown. Why it matters: Operation mass layoffs may have launched, but it hasn't triggered eleventh-hour negotiations. Democrats blasted Vought's reductions-in-force plan but are banking on the courts to stop the move. Republicans, mostly, shrugged. What they're saying: "The way we reopen government is compromise ... and no amount of threats will change that," said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Committee. "No one is making Trump and Vought hurt American workers — they just want to," she said. "This is a disaster for Virginia, intentionally inflicted by President Trump and his Republican allies," said Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.). "These firings are also already being fought in court." "Regardless of whether federal employees have been working without pay or have been furloughed, their work is incredibly important to serving the public," said Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine), who called the layoffs "arbitrary" and said she "strongly" opposes them. The other side: Before Vought's announcement, Republicans hinted the pain of a shutdown would only be compounded. "Every day that it goes by, it gets a lot worse for the American people," Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters this morning. Americans are going to "feel a lot more pain and miss a lot more paychecks in the very near future." "We just needed five more votes — five more Democrat votes — that the Democrats wouldn't give us yesterday." Zoom out: The shutdown has gotten real for federal workers — and is coming for military personnel — but Congress isn't feeling this government shutdown. It's mostly business as usual at the Capitol, at least for the nonpublic. Cafeterias are open, trash is being picked up and parking lots are open. In the Senate, destination fundraisers in exotic locations still have the green light. The 2013 shutdown, when long security lines and shuttered cafes brought the shutdown home, is a distant memory. The bottom line: Senate staffers will miss their first paycheck on Oct. 20. In the House, it will be at the end of the month. — Hans Nichols

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✂️ More cuts coming

House Speaker Mike Johnson said today that more rescissions will be coming "in the days ahead." "We worked on rescissions, and there'll be more of that, we expect," Johnson said during a rare joint press call with the House Freedom Caucus. Why it matters: A fresh effort to claw back, or rescind, congressionally approved spending could threaten the little progress made toward reopening the government. "A rescissions package is part of our process. I know the Democrats hate to cut spending in any way, in any form," the speaker told reporters after the call. The bottom line: While health care has been the key demand for Democrats in the shutdown fight, they also want assurances the White House will spend the money lawmakers authorize. "Whatever final resolution we reach to reopen the government, in my view, has to include some protection and some understanding that the funds that we will appropriate will not then be taken back through rescissions," Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) told us in the Capitol on Wednesday. — Kate Santaliz

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? The House's missing month

"Republicans in the House have decided to remain on vacation," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters today.

• "They canceled votes last week, they canceled votes this week and now they've canceled votes next week. They're not serious about reopening the government," he said.

The big picture: Johnson announced today that votes planned between next Tuesday and Friday are being canceled.

• That means the House will not return to session until Oct. 20 at the earliest.

The bottom line: The House hasn't voted since Sept. 19, when it passed a spending stopgap that would have prevented the shutdown.

• "Hakeem Jeffries and the House Democrats ... are clamoring to get back here and have another vote, because some of them want to get on record and say they're for paying the troops. We already had that vote," Johnson said this week.

— Andrew Solender

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Democrats don't want $3.6M for 'Haitian male prostitutes' to reopen government

The rumor, popularized by Sen. John Kennedy, appeared to be connected to an HIV/AIDS prevention program started under U.S. President George W. Bush.

Claim:

Democrats wanted $3.6 million in cooking classes and dance focus groups for "Haitian male prostitutes" as a condition for reopening the U.S. government in the fall of 2025.

Rating:

FALSE!!!!!

 

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/government-democrats-haitian-male-prostitutes/?

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? Cracks of GOP dissent

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Doug Mills/The New York Times

As President Trump basks in his success in the Middle East, hairline fractures within his Republican base are cropping up on a smattering of domestic issues, Axios' Alex Isenstadt reports. Why it matters: Republicans have been in near-lockstep with Trump in his second term. So the small pockets of resistance — on the National Guard deployments, free speech, the federal shutdown and more — signal concerns within the GOP as the 2026 midterms come into sight. Key Republicans who've pushed back: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, once one of Trump's most loyal supporters on Capitol Hill, has been vocal — along with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) — in calling on the White House to release Epstein records. And Greene has seemed to echo Democrats in chiding GOP congressional leaders over the shutdown. "I'm carving my own lane," Greene posted on X last week, adding that she was "absolutely disgusted" that health insurance costs for millions of Americans would soar if the GOP-led Congress doesn't extend the tax credits Democrats are demanding to end the shutdown. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt told The New York Times he disagreed with Trump's decision to send Texas National Guard troops to Illinois. Stitt, like scores of Democrats, called it a violation of "states' rights." Oklahomans "would lose their mind" if Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) "sent troops down to Oklahoma during the Biden administration," Stitt said. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox took to X over the weekend to express his unhappiness about the Trump administration canceling North America's largest solar power project: "This is how we lose the AI/energy arms race to China." Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas compared FCC chair Brendan Carr's implied threats to broadcasters as mafia tactics, calling them "dangerous as hell." Cruz said he plans to introduce a bill to make it easier for people to sue the government for censorship. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, up for reelection next year, criticized White House budget director Russ Vought over his decision to permanently lay off thousands of federal workers during the shutdown: "Regardless of whether federal employees have been working without pay or have been furloughed, their work is incredibly important to serving the public." ? White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai dismissed the idea that the president is facing pushback within the GOP, saying it was "more united than ever under President Trump's leadership."

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Marjorie Taylor Greene Tears Into ‘Weak’ Republican Men in Congress

MTG, a President Trump loyalist, has spoken out against her own party several times of late.

MAGA Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has gone scorched-earth on her own party, publicly lambasting what she called “weak Republican men” in Congress.

The Georgia Republican suggested that men don’t have the guts to truly fight for the conservative agenda, while strong Republican women like herself and New York Rep. Elise Stefanik are sidelined.

While Trump’s cabinet is stocked with firebrand women, just one woman chairs a committee in the House, despite it being controlled by the Republicans. Only three serve in leadership positions, Greene said, in a wide-ranging interview with The Washington Post.

“Whereas President Trump has a very strong, dominant style—he’s not weak at all—a lot of the men here in the House are weak,” she said. “There’s a lot of weak Republican men, and they’re more afraid of strong Republican women. So they always try to marginalize the strong Republican women that actually want to do something and actually want to achieve.”

Greene said some of these so-called feeble GOP men are afraid of their female counterparts. “They’re always intimidated by stronger Republican women because we mean it and we will do it and we will make them look bad,” she said.

Greene has accused House Speaker Mike Johnson, whom she made an unsuccessful bid to oust in 2024, of sidelining women in the House. She said there is a “night and day” difference between his regime and that of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who championed women.

Greene said Johnson gave Stefanik “some honorary bulls--t role” after she was abruptly yanked from her U.N. ambassadorship in March when Trump declared she was needed back in the House.

Her replacement, national security adviser Mike Waltz, slid into the post following the chaos of Signalgate, when he invited a reporter into a private group chat of Cabinet officials discussing a planned military strike. In April, Stefanik was appointed by Johnson as Chairwoman of House Republican Leadership for the 119th Congress. “She’s a woman, so it was okay to do that to her somehow,” Greene said, after noting that her colleague was “shafted.”

Representatives for both Johnson and Stefanik have been contacted for comment.

Her critique is part of a growing streak of intra-party sharpshooting. On The Tim Dillon Podcast last weekend, she ripped the Trump administration’s approach to immigration and trade. She criticized Trump’s tariff policy as blunt and simplistic and called for “a smarter plan” than mass deportations of undocumented workers.

In August, Greene told The Daily Mail, “I don’t know if the Republican Party is leaving me, or if I’m kind of not relating to the Republican Party as much anymore.”

Greene, however, maintains her loyalty to Trump, calling him her “favorite president.”

Even still, that hasn’t totally shielded the president from her missives. Perhaps most boldly, she’s taken issue with the administration over the Jeffrey Epstein files. Greene is one of just four House Republicans to join Democrats in a discharge petition forcing a floor vote on releasing the complete records tied to Epstein.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-tears-into-weak-republican-men-in-congress/?

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Mike Johnson Hit With Legal Threat in Epstein Vote Drama

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes believes that the only reason Adelita Grijalva has not been sworn in is to stop the release of the Epstein files.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has been threatened with legal action if he does not swear in an Arizona Democrat who could be key to forcing a vote on the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes warned Johnson that she will take him to court if Adelita Grijalva is not officially sworn in as the representative for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District following her special election victory in September.

Grijalva, who won the seat previously held by her father, Rep. Raúl Grijalva, who died in March, has pledged to be the 218th and final signature needed on a discharge petition to force a vote on releasing files related to Epstein, the billionaire pedophile who died in prison in 2019.

Mayes, a Democrat, sent a letter to Johnson on Tuesday condemning the House speaker’s “ever-shifting, unsatisfactory, and sometimes absurd” excuses for delaying Grijalva’s swearing-in. She warned she would seek judicial relief if Johnson did not immediately provide a timeline for Grijalva to be admitted to her Arizona seat.

Speaking to CNN’s Laura Coates Live on Tuesday, Mayes said she will have “no other choice” but to take Johnson to court unless he swears in Grijalva soon, suggesting that her support for the Epstein files petition is the Republican’s real motivation for the delay.

“There’s no legitimate reason for him to refuse to swear her in right now—no other reason that I can think of, except that perhaps she’s the final vote to discharge the Epstein files,” Mayes said. “And it’s not fair for Mike Johnson to be holding the state of Arizona hostage because he doesn’t want to release the Epstein files.”

Johnson has said the Epstein files have “nothing to do” with the delay in swearing in Grijalva and that he will be prepared to do so once the government shutdown ends and the House is back in session.

Democrats have urged Johnson to swear her in during a so-called “pro forma” session, in which the House briefly convenes for constitutional purposes. Two Florida Republicans were sworn in during a pro forma session in April, just one day after winning their own special elections.

Mayes argued that Johnson’s actions are “unconstitutional” and are “depriving” Arizona of full representation in Congress.

“This really has not been done before, and the case law in general is with us on this issue,” Mayes told CNN. “So we would be saying to a judge we’d like a declaratory judgment that says the speaker has to seat Adelita Grijalva, he has to swear her in. And if he doesn’t, then he’ll be violating our rights as Arizonans, and he’ll be violating the Constitution.”

The Daily Beast has contacted Johnson’s office for comment.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/mike-johnson-hit-with-legal-threat-in-jeffrey-epstein-vote-drama/?

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? Jeffries' 2026 rebels

Dozens of Democrats running for U.S. House seats across the country told Axios they either wouldn't vote for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries as party leader or declined to commit to doing so.

Why it matters: Jeffries has enjoyed the unanimous support of his caucus since becoming Democratic leader in 2022. That may no longer be the case next Congress amid growing grassroots frustration towards his leadership, particularly on the left.

➗ By the numbers: We reached out to virtually every Democrat running for a House seat that could conceivably be won by a Democrat in 2026, with 113 responding in phone interviews or written answers.

• Of those, 20 said they wouldn't vote for Jeffries as speaker or minority leader, with five more saying they were likely to vote against him.
• Another 57 candidates declined to commit to supporting Jeffries — saying it was premature to do so, citing ideological differences or outlining perceived flaws in strategy, messaging or leadership they want to see addressed.
• Only 24 said they would definitely vote for Jeffries, with another seven saying they would likely do so.

Between the lines: "Leader Jeffries is focused on battling Donald Trump, ending the Republican shutdown of the federal government and addressing the crushing GOP health care crisis," Jeffries spokesperson Justin Chermol told Axios.

State of play: Plenty of the Jeffries skeptics are outsiders and long shots, while many of the front-runners in key battleground districts declined to respond.

• Still, some of the Democratic leader's detractors and holdouts have a real chance of making it into Congress.
• Daniel Biss and Kat Abughazaleh, two of the leading candidates in the Democratic primary to succeed retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), both stopped short of saying they would vote for Jeffries.
• So did insurgent Democratic candidates like Luke Bronin, Donavan McKinney, Mai Vang, Saikat Chakrabarti and Patrick Roath, who are raising substantial sums in their bids to unseat older Democratic incumbents.

Data: Axios research; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals

Reality check: Several sitting progressive House Democrats predicted Jeffries will ultimately win over his skeptics — congressional leaders often manage to bridge these gaps — but cautioned not to overlook the real anger perforating his once rock-solid support within the party.

The bottom line: "The question is going to be how many are going to win," said one House progressive.

• "If there's a contingency of 10 to 12 of them and they're sticking together, I think it's going to really shake things up." 

— Andrew Solender

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⚾️ Dems' hardball tactics

Senate Democrats are privately debating how to respond to Senate Majority Leader John Thune's plan to jam them on a vote over funding the Defense Department.

Why it matters: After nine failed shutdown votes on the House-passed spending bill, Thune is trying a different tactic to divide Democrats and start funding the government department by department.

• But it's unlikely to break the logjam, senators and aides told us.
• ? After a closed-door discussion, key Democrats signaled to us they were prepared to block a procedural motion to advance a standalone defense funding bill tomorrow.
• The strategy isn't set in stone and will be heavily influenced by Thune's next move – whether he will bring the defense bill to the floor by itself or if he'll pair it with other appropriations packages.
• "If we have to vote with no clarity about that, I would vote against proceeding to the House defense approps bill," Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), an appropriator, told us today.

State of play: Still, confusion reigned inside the Democratic caucus on what kind of spending package Thune would ultimately bring to the floor, making it difficult for Democrats to settle on a final strategy.

• "My understanding is that there are going to be other bills put on it, and then if we have a commitment to move forward with appropriations, it helps us," Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) told reporters.

Zoom in: Internally, Democrats are not all on the same page on how they will vote on a standalone defense bill.

• During their closed-door caucus meeting, some Democrats argued it would be bad to be seen as voting against funding troops and the Defense Department, per multiple sources.
• ? But others think that voting to proceed with the defense bill relinquishes some of the party's leverage over shutdown negotiations, distracting from the goal of drawing concessions from Republicans on health care.

The bottom line: The uncertainty over how the defense bill will be brought to the floor underscores just how little trust exists between the two parties in the Senate.

— Stephen Neukam and Hans Nichols

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GOP's soybean angst

Key Senate Republicans pressed U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer about struggling soybean farmers as President Trump moves forward with a $40-billion bailout for Argentina.

Why it matters: It's yet another sign of tension between farm-state Republicans and a president who believes in the power of tariffs — and the prowess of his negotiating skills.

• "China is retaliating to keep their trade advantage with us," Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) told Axios. "And we need to win."
• "And we encouraged the USTR to be a tough negotiator in these things — on behalf of American farmers and American manufacturers and everybody that's being cheated in the process."

? Driving the news: Trump announced a $20 billion bailout for Argentina this week, which Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent doubled today.

• China, meanwhile, has stopped purchasing U.S. soybeans and is buying massive quantities from Argentina.
• Senators from big soybean-producing states — including Husted, Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) — had tough questions for Greer during a lunch today, multiple sources in the room told us.
• Greer assured senators he is working on the issue, they said.

— Stef Kight

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? Shutdown crystal ball

Rep. James Walkinshaw, whose Northern Virginia district has one of the country's highest concentrations of federal workers, is expecting the government shutdown to last around 30 days.

Why it matters: Walkinshaw is the newest sworn-in member of Congress, but the Democrat served as chief of staff to the late Rep. Gerry Connolly during the three most recent government funding lapses.

• ? "If I had to give an over/under, I would say 30 days, which would be the end of the month," he said at an Axios News Shapers event.
• "Nov. 1 is open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act," he said, which will force families to make "very hard decisions about their health care coverage."

Zoom in: Virginia's 11th Congressional District has an estimated 52,000 federal employees, which make up approximately 12% of its workforce, according to the Congressional Research Service.

• "From federal workers, I hear 'hold the line' because we need to stand up to the administration," he said.
• Walkinshaw insists that only "a very small percentage" of his constituents are calling on him to reopen the government immediately. The vast majority want assurances their health care won't be adversely affected.

The bottom line: This shutdown feels different from the previous three, Walkinshaw said.

— Hans Nichols

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Dems plot Fetterman ouster

Photo illustration: Maura Kearns/Axios. Photo: Nathan Howard/Getty Images

Top Democrats in Pennsylvania are maneuvering to run against Sen. John Fetterman (D) in a 2028 primary contest, threatening to tear the party apart in the biggest battleground state in the nation, Axios' Holly Otterbein writes. Why it matters: Democrats haven't flipped a GOP Senate seat since Fetterman did it in 2022. He's still popular with Pennsylvania voters, even as Democrats turn on him over his softened approach to President Trump. Potential Democratic challengers are already bashing Fetterman — and each other — years ahead of schedule. Some Democratic officials are openly contemplating running against Fetterman or keeping the door open to a Senate bid in the event he retires. ?️ The big picture: Democrats who could run against Fetterman include Reps. Brendan Boyle and Chris Deluzio and former Rep. Conor Lamb, according to multiple political insiders in Pennsylvania. Boyle has been loudly critical of Fetterman on TV and social media, calling him "Trump's favorite Democrat" and accusing him of visiting the president at Mar-a-Lago to "kiss the ring." Deluzio has been cultivating a national brand as a young populist leader from the Rust Belt. Lamb has won the praise of progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) for repeatedly attacking Fetterman, who beat Lamb in the 2022 Democratic primary. The other side: When Axios began reporting on this story, Fetterman texted, "Enjoy your clickbait!" Asked a follow-up question, Fetterman said: "Please do not contact." Fetterman later shared an article about a report from a conservative group showing that he is among "the least Trump-aligned Democratic lawmakers" in Pennsylvania, voting with the president 6% of the time. ps:How stupid is that??

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⚡️Exclusive: Dems' shutdown advantage fades

The White House is telling congressional Republicans to hold firm on the government shutdown, citing internal polling that shows Democrats' support is eroding, Axios' Marc Caputo reports.

• "Democrats are taking on water. And we have a higher pain tolerance," a senior administration official told Axios.

? Zoom in: According to the administration's internal polling, 44% of Americans blame the shutdown on President Trump and the GOP-led Congress, while 38% blame Democrats.

• But public opinion is shifting in Republicans' favor. Democrats' edge has shrunk by more than half over the past two weeks.
• That trend line is consistent with YouGov/Economist surveys, which show Democrats taking more blame as the shutdown grinds on.

Go deeper.

Last paychecks and new side hustles: Government workers’ TikToks show shutdown life

New York  — “Good morning, my fellow federal furloughed employees!”

https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/16/tech/tiktok-government-shutdown-federal-workers?

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? Exclusive: Silent treatment shutdown

Two weeks into the government shutdown, Thune and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer are talking at each other through the media — but not to each other.

Why it matters: Both see President Trump as the key to eventually unlocking real negotiations on health care.

• "I don't think Schumer's negotiating on any of this," Thune told us today in a sit-down interview. "He's in a box. He's got all these groups coming in this weekend and a base that's unhappy and wants to see him fight Trump."
• ? Thune explained he didn't speak directly to Schumer to offer to vote by a certain day on extending enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies — nor did he pitch his counterpart on passing a package of bipartisan funding bills.
• Schumer and Thune have not spoken this week, sources familiar with the matter tell us.

Zoom in: Thune tells us he still sees a path to ending the shutdown through rank-and-file Democrats.

• "There's a group of Democrats ... who've been meeting and communicating with members on our side," Thune told us, not naming names. "There have been several, sort of, offers exchanged."

? What to watch: Democrats have been demanding guarantees from Trump on health care, and Thune expects the president to eventually enter the conversation.

• ? "The key to all this will be what the White House decides they want to do," he said, but he said he does not expect that to happen until after the government is reopened.
• "I don't think the president or his team are ... ready to enter into that conversation until the hostage-taking ends," he said. 

— Stef Kight

Go deeper: Why the White House is convinced it's winning the shutdown

Thune's soybean demand

Thune, who represents a top soybean-producing state, defended Trump's Argentina bailout as a currency exchange with precedent — but is demanding the administration do more to help farmers, fast.

• "We have made it very clear to the administration — as recently as yesterday, we had Jamie Greer up here, who's the U.S. trade rep — that they have got to get markets open for soybeans," Thune said.
• ? As we told you yesterday, key Senate Republicans used the session to press Greer about plans to aid struggling soybean farmers.

— Stef Kight

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? Exclusive: MTG's latest jab

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) accused Speaker Mike Johnson of "hypocrisy" for brushing off questions about a protective order issued against Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.).

Why it matters: It's the latest example of a pattern that has defined Greene's time in Congress: supporting leaders when it suits her political agenda and scorching them when it doesn't.

• Greene leveled the hypocrisy jab at Johnson (R-La.) during an interview with us today.
• She was referring to Johnson telling reporters yesterday that he would prefer to "talk about something serious" than address the protective order issued against Mills for allegedly threatening to release sexually explicit photos and videos of his ex-girlfriend.

? Driving the news: Johnson "was Speaker and oversaw George Santos being expelled. Why isn't he doing anything about Cory Mills?" Greene told us.

• "This is a serious matter, and it needs to be taken seriously."
• Mills has previously denied the allegations.

The other side: Johnson didn't vote in favor of expelling former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) from Congress and warned about the precedent it would set to expel a member before they're convicted of a crime.

• "Maybe he will be convicted by a jury of his peers, but that hasn't happened yet," Johnson said at the time on "Fox and Friends."
• Santos subsequently pleaded guilty to identity theft and wire fraud and is serving an 87-month prison sentence. 

— Kate Santaliz

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?Generational cash clash

Data: Axios research; Note: Candidates with "N/A" either launched their campaigns after Q3 2025 or have not yet filed with the FEC; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/Axios Half a dozen House Democrats age 70 or older lost the fundraising race to their younger primary rivals between July and September, an Axios analysis has found. Why it matters: The statistic highlights an unusually large number of credible Democratic primary challenges this election cycle as younger party members mount a major push for generational change. Driving the news: Some incumbents were bested by orders of magnitude, with Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), 70, raising just $61,000 to the $143,000 brought in by attorney Patrick Roath, 38, over the same period. Former venture capitalist Eric Jones, 34, raised a stunning $1.5 million compared to about $612,000 raised by Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), 74. And Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawaii), 73, raised close to $109,000, compared to the $228,003 raised by state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, 42. ? Zoom in: The largest gap, proportionally speaking, was in the race to be D.C.'s non-voting delegate to Congress: 88-year-old incumbent Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) raised just $3,227 between July and September. Former DNC official Kinney Zalesne, 59, the first major challenger to jump into the race against Norton, brought in a little over $435,000. City councilwoman Brooke Pinto's campaign said the 33-year-old raised $300,000 on her first day. What they're saying: "Incumbency used to guarantee a fundraising advantage — that's no longer true, and that's a big flashing warning sign for the establishment," Run for Something founder Amanda Litman told Axios. Share this story — Andrew Solender

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? Schumer's tightening grip

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer helped draw the battle lines over the shutdown. Now he's using them to strengthen his position as the leader of the often-divided Democratic caucus.

Why it matters: His colleagues are taking notice.

• ? Progressives and moderates alike have remained united behind Schumer's plan to reject any GOP funding plan that doesn't include concessions on health care. And they are giving him high praise.
• For a leader who faced internal and external criticism over his decision seven months ago to help Republicans fund the government, it's a marked change.

? What they're saying: Schumer "understands the urgency of this moment," Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told us.

• "He's got a very hard job, but he's been able to effectively convey to our members how serious this moment is," said Murphy, who was among those who questioned Schumer's tactics in March.
• "The fact that we've had [several] votes in a row and we have stayed consistent, I think speaks for itself," Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) told us yesterday, when Democrats defeated a 10th GOP effort to pass a short-term spending bill.
• ? "The proof is in the pudding," Slotkin said.

Zoom out: Since the shutdown began more than two weeks ago, Schumer has held together a caucus that often fractures along ideological lines.

• Preventing health insurance premiums from skyrocketing has become a rallying cry for Democrats, who are demanding that the GOP extend expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits.
• The unity has stymied the Republican attack plan, which predicted that Democrats — particularly moderates — would eventually fold under the pressure of a prolonged shutdown.
• Schumer can't lose any more than seven of his caucus members. So far, only three moderates have broken ranks to vote for the GOP funding bill.

— Stephen Neukam

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? Dems' Q3 haul

Data: Total receipts from candidates' FEC Q3 filings; Note: Janet Mills entered the Maine Senate race after Q3 2025; Chart: Axios Visuals Fundraising last quarter by Democratic Senate candidates shows major enthusiasm on their side. Why it matters: Big quarterly hauls don't always translate into electoral victories, but they do help gauge energy. And Democrats are clearly tapping into a motivated base — and banking big cash advantages for next year. Fundraising directly to a candidate's primary account, however, is not the full picture of a campaign's might. ? Between the lines: Campaigns are increasingly relying on joint fundraising committees and outside super PACs for major spending. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), for example, raked in millions in Q3 through his multiple joint fundraising committees — separate from his principal campaign account featured in the chart. That money can also be spent on ads at the lower, candidate rate as he fends off a double primary challenge from state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas). Candidates like Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) also have joint fundraising committees. ? What to watch: Gov. Janet Mills' (D-Maine) decision to jump into the Maine race just this week means she does not have a Q3 filing, though her campaign announced she raised $1 million in the first 24 hours of her campaign. — Stef Kight

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House Rep Demands Answers About Delayed EPA Report on PFNA, a Toxic Forever Chemical

What Happened: The ranking member of a key House subcommittee demanded answers this week from the Environmental Protection Agency about why it has yet to make public a report documenting the health risks posed by a forever chemical found in the water of millions of Americans.

https://www.propublica.org/article/epa-pfna-report-chellie-pingree-letter?

? Map du jour: Shutdown cuts target Dem districts

Grants are grouped by the congressional district of the grant recipient. (Work funded by the grant could occur in the same district, a different district, or across multiple districts and states.) Map: The New York Times Democratic districts account for 97% of $28 billion in federal funding for infrastructure projects that the Trump administration has frozen or canceled during the shutdown, the N.Y. Times' Tony Romm and Lazaro Gamio report. 87 Democratic districts have lost $27.24 billion for projects. 14 Republican districts have lost $738.7 million. Gift link.

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Supreme Court will consider whether people who regularly smoke pot can legally own guns

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said on Monday that it will consider whether people who regularly smoke marijuana can legally own guns, the latest firearm case to come before the court since its 2022 decision expanding gun rights.

https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-marijuana-guns-e86c342bf248c7822722ad027980b72b?

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? Dems erase GOP's edge

Data: FEC; Chart: Axios Visuals Democrats out-fundraised Republicans last quarter in two-thirds of the "toss-up" House seats (per Cook Political Report) with an incumbent running for reelection next year, according to FEC filings. Why it matters: Nearly every vulnerable Democratic and Republican incumbent raked in more than half a million dollars in the third quarter. But Democratic challengers are tapping into grassroots energy to blunt incumbents' edge in seats the GOP needs to hold. Third quarter fundraising hauls don't decide elections, but odd-numbered years are important for candidates building their campaign war chests. Data: FEC; Chart: Axios Visuals. Note: AZ-01 is rated a toss-up race, but there is no fundraising data for the GOP candidate yet. The bottom line: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee reported $26.6 million in Q3 receipts, outpacing the National Republican Campaign Committee's $24 million haul. "Americans are tired of the disastrous GOP agenda of higher costs, broken promises, and tax breaks for billionaires. They're ready for change," DCCC spokesperson Viet Shelton said in a statement. "House Democrats are broke, divided and out of gas," NRCC spokesperson Mike Marinella said. — Kate Santaliz and Hans Nichols

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Ted Cruz's phone targeted

Sen. Ted Cruz's phone records were subpoenaed as part of then-special counsel Jack Smith's investigations into then-former President Trump, we have learned.

Why it matters: Congressional Republicans have demanded investigations over the news that former President Biden's Justice Department obtained and reviewed some lawmakers' call logs.

• Cruz's phone records were ultimately not analyzed as part of Smith's Jan. 6 Capitol attack investigation because AT&T did not comply with the subpoena, according to a source directly familiar with the situation.

Between the lines: The disclosure makes Cruz the ninth Republican senator for whom the Justice Department sought phone records, according to a subpoena copy we obtained.

• His inclusion was not previously known.

Zoom in: The newly reported subpoena requested records associated with Cruz's cellphone from Jan. 4-7, 2021.

• The document spells out the request for names, addresses, "detail records for inbound and outbound calls, text messages, direct connect and voicemail messages," among other information.

What he's saying: "Arctic Frost was the Biden administration's 21st-century digital Watergate," Cruz said in a statement to us.

• "They weaponized the DOJ and FBI to try to access records on me, President Trump, and other political opponents of the Democrat Party," Cruz said.
• "It was intentional, targeted political spying that likely went to the very highest levels of the administration — demonstrating utter contempt for the Constitution and separation of powers — and there should be the broadest possible investigations and accountability."

What to watch: The House Judiciary Committee last week called for Smith to testify before the panel.

• Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) has demanded answers from phone companies and called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate.

The big picture: The increased scrutiny of Smith's actions comes as other critics and investigators of Trump have been recently targeted by the Justice Department.

• Smith investigated both Jan. 6 and Trump's misuse of classified documents.
• Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton was most recently indicted on charges related to mishandling classified documents.
• It follows indictments of New York Attorney General Letitia James, who prosecuted Trump, and former FBI Director James Comey.

— Stef Kight

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? Exclusive: Trump's "indefinitely" stalled nominee

The White House paused the judicial nomination of former Florida Deputy Attorney General John Guard due to his involvement with a charity linked to Gov. Ron DeSantis that's under criminal investigation, sources tell Axios.

Why it matters: The White House wants to fill the open judicial seat in the Middle District of Florida, but the sources say the administration doesn't want the headache now that Guard has been subpoenaed.

• "The White House doesn't have any reason to really believe that John broke the law, but it doesn't want a nasty confirmation fight about this until it all gets cleared up," said a source with direct knowledge of the confirmation.
• Guard declined to comment.

Zoom in: The controversy stems from the diversion of $10 million in secret settlement money from a Medicaid provider that helped fund a DeSantis-controlled political committee in 2024 to kill a marijuana-legalization initiative.

• Guard signed the settlement but first privately raised concerns about it, according to emails obtained by The Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Florida Capitol Bureau.
• Florida House Republicans and independent observers allege the arrangement amounted to an illegal siphoning of Medicaid funds.
• Last week, the state attorney in Tallahassee convened a grand jury to investigate. DeSantis has denied wrongdoing.

What they're saying: Guard's nomination was abruptly halted when the investigation was announced and Guard was subpoenaed this month, the sources said.

• A source familiar with the situation said Guard's nomination will be "indefinitely" paused.

The bottom line: Insiders say Guard will still probably get confirmed if the investigation wraps up quickly.

• "Guard is still qualified and the White House wants to fill this spot," one of the sources said.

— Marc Caputo