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☆ Kyrsten Sinema’s exit puts the spotlight on the Senate’s shrinking pool of dealmakers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Lauren Fox | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

For months, the two of them had worked tirelessly alongside Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma to craft a bipartisan deal on immigration. “The base of each party wants individuals who will fight, but not individuals who will reach across the aisle to get things done,” Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah said. “I’ve seen a shift towards basically really not wanting to do anything,” West Virginia Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said. Last cycle alone saw the retirement of Ohio Republican Sen. Missouri Republican Sen. Roy Blunt, another GOP pragmatist, retired after the 2022 election, replaced by Sen. Eric Schmitt.

Persons: Sen, Kyrsten, Democratic Sen, Chris Murphy, Republican Sen, James Lankford of, Sinema, Murphy, ” Murphy, “, ” Sinema, Donald Trump, Mitt Romney, Joe Manchin, he’d, Romney, Trump, ” Romney, I’ve, ” West Virginia Republican Sen, Shelley Moore Capito, Ohio Republican Sen, Rob Portman, J.D, Vance, Trump . Missouri Republican Sen, Roy Blunt, GOP pragmatist, Eric Schmitt, appropriator Sen, Richard Shelby of, Richard Burr of, Bob Corker, Marsha Blackburn, Anna Moneymaker, we’ve, Lamar Alexander, ”, Tim Kaine, “ We’re, Kari Lake, –, Mark Kelly, ” Corker, Kaine, Todd Young, Thom Tillis, It’s, Brian Schatz, ” Sen, Mark Warner, Nathan Howard, Manchin, John Cornyn of, John Thune of, isn’t Organizations: Democratic, Connecticut, Republican, CNN, Senate, ” West Virginia Republican, Ohio Republican, GOP, Trump . Missouri Republican, Intelligence, Senate Foreign Relations, 118th, Democrat, North Carolina Republican, Getty, America Locations: Arizona, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, Ohio, Richard Shelby of Alabama, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Tennessee, Indiana, Hawaii, Washington , DC, John Cornyn of Texas, John Thune of South Dakota, America

The House on Tuesday voted in favor of a stopgap measure to keep the government funded, with Democrats propelling it to passage after conservative opposition put its approval in jeopardy. House Democrats throughout the day Tuesday were largely mum on whether they would support the resolution, as its fate hung in the balance. They added that House Republicans should work with Democrats on the full-year spending bills going forward. Political Cartoons on Congress View All 272 ImagesFor Democrats, the measure fostered some initial skepticism, with an unusual two-step timeline put forward by the House Freedom Caucus. But ultimately, it aligned with their priorities in a surprise to many as the new, more conservative House speaker took the reins of the chamber.

Persons: Rosa DeLauro, Mike, ”, Chip Roy, Mike Johnson, “, ” Johnson, “ You’ve, Kay Granger Organizations: Senate, Jan, House Democrats, Republicans, House, Caucus, Democrats, Texas Republican, House Republican Locations: Connecticut, Texas

☆ Republican US House Speaker Johnson nears choice on avoiding gov't shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Newly elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) addresses the U.S. House of Representatives after he was elected to be the new Speaker at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., October 25, 2023. Despite signs of some bipartisan talks between the chambers, Johnson has been focused on finding a solution that his 221-212 House Republican majority can accept. The choice will test Johnson's effectiveness as the top Republican in Congress, just two weeks after he was chosen following nearly a month of Republican infighting. Johnson, 51, a relative novice in leadership politics with few political enemies, continues to enjoy goodwill within the fractious House Republican caucus. "The four corners are talking," said Schumer, using a term that refers to Johnson, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries and himself.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Elizabeth Frantz, Johnson, David Joyce, Andy Harris, you've, Mike Simpson, Kevin McCarthy, Harris, Chuck Schumer, Schumer, Mitch McConnell, Hakeem Jeffries, David Morgan, Scott Malone, David Gregorio Our Organizations: U.S . House, U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Republican, Democratic, Senate, Committee, Republicans, Louisiana Republican, House Democratic, New York Democrat, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Louisiana

☆ Uncertainty looms for future aid to Ukraine and Israel as speaker drama continues
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Lauren Fox | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

It’s asinine, unpaid for, ineffective and dangerous,” Rep. Chip Roy of Texas posted on X about the supplemental request. The Israel funding will likely move quickly in the House, but it’s very likely that the future speaker would decouple the requests so they are voted on individually. The tightrope any future speaker will walk is that the Republican conference is divided over sending additional aid to Ukraine. But there are some members for whom support Ukraine is an essential issue. “I support Ukraine and Israel.

Persons: It’s asinine, Chip Roy, “ Israel, Mike Garcia of, Rep, Don Bacon of Nebraska, “, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Brian Fitzpatrick, Chuck Schumer, ” Schumer, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin Organizations: Washington CNN, Republicans, Democrats, GOP, Ukraine, ” Republican, CNN, Republican, ” Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, Texas, Mike Garcia of California, Pennsylvania

The vote for House speaker, once a formality in Congress, has devolved into another bitter showdown for the gavel. Bipartisan groups of lawmakers have been floating ways to operate the House by giving greater power to the interim speaker, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., or another temporary speaker. The House had never ousted its speaker before McCarthy, and the lawmakers are in rarely tested terrain. “We can’t sit around and suck our thumbs and hope the world will wait until the House Republicans get their act together,” Gingrich told Fox News' Sean Hannity on his show. “Jim Jordan will be a great speaker,” the former president said outside a courthouse in Manhattan, where he is facing business fraud charges.

Persons: —, Jim Jordan, Donald Trump, Jordan, Jordan's, Kevin McCarthy, “ We're, ” Jordan, Hakeem Jeffries, Jeffries, Patrick McHenry, McCarthy, ”, Newt Gingrich, ” Gingrich, Sean Hannity, John Boehner, “, Hannity, “ Jim Jordan, Joe Biden, Jordan’s, Don Bacon, Murmurs, Steve Scalise, Mario Diaz, appropriator, Ken Buck, Biden, Trump, Kevin Freking, Mary Clare Jalonick Organizations: WASHINGTON, Republicans, Capitol, Democratic, GOP, Republican, Fox News, Trump, Democrat, Biden, Caucus, Ohio State University, Associated Press Locations: Ohio, New York, R, Manhattan, Ken Buck of Colorado, Jordan, Ukraine, Israel

While the impetus on Republicans to pick a new speaker escalated after the terrorist attack in Israel over the weekend, the House GOP conference remains bitterly divided over how it should proceed – and who can get the 217 votes needed to lead it. Republicans are preparing for the prospect that neither House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana nor House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio can get the votes to be elected speaker, leaving the conference with no clear path forward. In some corners of the conference, there was a push to quickly settle on a speaker. House Foreign Affairs Chairman Mike McCaul called for a new speaker by Wednesday to avoid appearances of weakness and dysfunction amid war in Israel. Until a new speaker is selected, the House can’t pass legislation to address the crisis, McCaul noted.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan, They’re, McCarthy, “, ” Scalise, Derrick Van Orden, ”, Max Miller, Steve Womack, GOP appropriator, ” Womack, Jordan, Cory Mills, who’ve, Chip Roy, Texas, –, Mike McCaul, McCaul Organizations: CNN — House Republicans, GOP, Republicans, CNN, Florida Republican, Foreign Locations: coalescing, Israel, Louisiana, Ohio, Scalise, Jordan, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Florida

Notably, the bill does not include aid for Ukraine, which Democrats, the White House, and some Republicans had advocated strongly for. After a meeting with his conference, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced that the House would put the stopgap bill on the floor. But McCarthy positioned the move as one that would enable House Republicans to continue their work on border security going forward, while keeping the government open. Some Democrats delivered strong rebukes of the bill for lacking aid to Ukraine ahead of the vote Saturday. Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the lead appropriator for House Democrats, suggested the move was a “shameful” defiance of the American value of freedom.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, ” McCarthy, Hakeem Jeffries, McCarthy, Rosa DeLauro, Mr, ” DeLauro, “ Organizations: Republicans, GOP, Senate, Saturday, Capitol, Republican, House Democrats Locations: Ukraine, Connecticut

Instead, he has acceded to a small band led by those instigating his ouster, even if that means closing federal offices. All the while, McCarthy has retreated from his budget deal with Biden months ago that established the spending threshold for the year. Democrats have been eager to lay blame for the impending shutdown on McCarthy and the dysfunction in the House. Biden has called on McCarthy to stick to the annual spending numbers they negotiated to raise the nation’s borrowing limit. He argues that House Republicans need to pass their own bills at the lower numbers to to strengthen their hand in negotiations.

Persons: —, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, “, John Boehner of Ohio, Paul Ryan of, Joe Biden, Matt Gaetz, crowed, Gaetz, Biden, Jim McGovern, Rosa DeLauro, Democrat appropriator, Patrick McHenry of, McCarthy's, it’s, ”, Steve Womack, Kevin Freking Organizations: WASHINGTON, ., GOP, Capitol, California Republican, Coast Guard, Biden, Connecticut, Democrat, Senate, Republican, Republicans, Democratic, U.S . Senate, Arkansas, Associated Press Locations: Washington, California, Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, Ukraine

☆ The government could shut down in a week. Here's what's at stake for Americans.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Come September 30, some Americans may not see a paycheck or be able to visit parks. For everyday Americans, that could mean losing out on paychecks or childcare spots, and it could even worsen flight delays. The Social Security Administration, for instance, anticipates about 8,500 employees would be furloughed in a shutdown. Travel plans might be further disrupted as Transportation Security Administration workers and air-traffic controllers go without pay, the White House said. The White House has repeatedly said Republicans are bringing Americans this close to another government shutdown.

Persons: GOPers, Kevin McCarthy, holdouts, McCarthy, I've, Here's, wouldn't, Deb Haaland, Biden, Mike Simpson, Politico, we've, haven't Organizations: Service, Caucus, Main Street Caucus, Punchbowl News, Social Security, Management, Social Security Administration, Social, Department of Health, Human Services, Medicare, Center, American Progress, Environmental, Agency, Drug, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, US Department of Agriculture, NASA, Republican, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Budget, East, Republicans Locations: Wall, Silicon, East Coast, Idaho

☆ U.S. House Republicans target deeper spending cuts, raising shutdown threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

That is about $120 billion below the $1.59 trillion set out in the debt ceiling bill negotiated by Biden and McCarthy. The targets would maintain defense spending at the $866 billion level agreed in the debt ceiling legislation. "The debt ceiling bill set a ceiling, not a floor, for fiscal year 2024 bills. Lower spending levels could make it harder for the House to reach agreement with the Democratic-led Senate. Federal agencies could have to shut down if the two chambers are unable to agree to spending levels by October.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, Biden, McCarthy, Kay Granger, Rosa DeLauro, Democratic appropriator, Steve Womack, David Morgan, Andy Sullivan, Alistair Bell Organizations: Democratic, Republicans, Food and Drug Administration, Reuters, Republican, Thomson Locations: China

☆ Inside a debt ceiling standoff ‘far more dangerous than people will recognize’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Jeremy Diamond Lauren Fox Melanie Zanona Phil Mattingly Arlette Saenz Kevin Liptak | Jeremy Diamond | Lauren Fox | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

“She’s well respected by both sides,” McCarthy said of the former longtime House Appropriations Committee staffer, according to White House officials. “Asking me about the communication (with the White House) implies there was communication,” one House Democrat said. For the White House negotiators, that meant late nights and early mornings. The White House negotiators left Capitol Hill abruptly and for hours, it was unclear when the conversations would resume. Quietly, White House negotiators had never actually stopped talking to their Republican counterparts.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, “, “ You’ve, ” Rep, Patrick McHenry, Biden, Steve Ricchetti, Shalanda Young, Louisa Terrell, ” McCarthy, James S, Alex Wong, Young, Garret Graves, ” Graves, Graves, Tom Cole of, ” Cole, White, Jeff Zients, McHenry, ‘, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, Ricchetti, ”, ” Terrell, Dan Meyer, –, apprised, decamping, ’, Anna Moneymaker, nonstarters, ” McHenry, McHenry –, —, Susan Walsh, businesslike, Biden’s, Eisenhower, Zients, Jose Luis Magana, Young –, Louisianans –, Jim Clyburn, Clyburn, Annie Kuster, ” Kuster, wasn’t, ” Young Organizations: CNN, White, ”, Republican, Legislative, Young, Management, Brady, Capitol, White House, GOP, McCarthy’s, Pennsylvania, Capitol Hill, U.S, Biden, Democrat, Democratic, Republicans, Building, Air Force, West Executive, LSU Tigers, South Carolina Democrat, New Democrat Coalition, Democrats Locations: Irish, Washington , DC, Louisiana, Tom Cole of Oklahoma, McHenry, Hiroshima, Japan, Washington

☆ House passes $1.7 trillion spending bill that rewrites U.S. election law, sending it to Biden to sign
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Sahil-Kapur-Headshot.Jpg | Sahil Kapur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

WASHINGTON — The House on Friday voted to finalize a massive $1.7 trillion government funding bill, sending it to President Joe Biden and marking the end of two years of Democrats controlling both chambers of Congress. It overhauls federal election law by revising the Electoral Count Act of 1887 to try to prevent another Jan. 6. The bill funds a swath of domestic programs as well, averting a shutdown and keeping the government funded through next fall. “We have a big bill here, because we have big needs for our country,” outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on the floor. The measure was negotiated by Democratic leaders and top Senate Republicans, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

WASHINGTON — The $1.7 trillion government funding bill released Tuesday includes extra money for the Justice Department to prosecute Jan. 6 cases. One source involved in the Jan. 6 criminal investigation said Tuesday they were “sincerely grateful” for the boost in funding under the omnibus bill. Proponents of fulfilling DOJ's request have long seen this funding bill as their last opportunity to secure the money, fearing that a Republican-controlled House would block the request early in the new year. Last week, the FBI re-arrested Jan. 6 defendant Edward Kelley for allegedly plotting to kill FBI special agents involved in his investigation. “The Senate should pass this bill,” he said.

CNN —House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy took to Fox News primetime last week and dinged his counterpart across the Capitol: Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell. In the new Congress, McConnell will lead a 49-seat Senate minority while McCarthy will have 222 Republican seats in the House. That’s because McCarthy, like many other House Republicans, doesn’t want to deal with the threat of a government shutdown immediately upon entering their new majority. One Republican lawmaker pointed out that McConnell and McCarthy are dealing with different conferences and political dynamics, which explains their sometimes conflicting approaches. “Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy are gonna be just fine.”

☆ Democrats in U.S. Congress aim to pressure Republicans with go-it-alone funding bill
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Richard Cowan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Congress has until Dec. 16 to either pass an "omnibus" bill funding the government through Sept. 30, 2023, or a shorter "continuing resolution" to avoid a partial government shutdown. Some conservative Republicans have urged a short-term bill, to delay talks on a full-year bill into January when they will have a stronger negotiating position. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell drew a hard line in opposition. For the last several years, Congress has appropriated government funding that was roughly evenly split between defense and non-defense programs. If the Democrats' effort fail in the Senate next week, Congress might have to resort to a stop-gap funding bill that simply extends current funding levels.

☆ DOJ says it needs more money for the Jan. 6 probe. The next spending bill may be its last chance.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Sahil-Kapur-Headshot.Jpg | Sahil Kapur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration says it is in critical need of more money to bring the Jan. 6 rioters to justice. The Justice Department has told Congress that more than $34 million in funding is "critically needed" to fund the investigation. “The cases are unprecedented in scale and is expected to be among the most complex investigations prosecuted by the Department of Justice,” the Justice Department wrote to the legislative branch. Before they broke for recess, lawmakers involved in the talks told NBC News that the fate of the Justice request was still unsettled. I don’t have any problem giving the Justice Department the resources it needs to do that,” he said.

There’s no palpable hunger for a shutdown so close to the Nov. 8 midterm elections, so Congress must pass a bill by midnight Sept. 30 to avert a lapse in funding. “The cleaner the bill is, the more likely” it is to pass quickly, said Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D. He wants tens of billions for Covid, and he says the pandemic is over,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a physician. Cases, hospitalizations, deaths, mental health aspects of Covid, long Covid. But conservatives are rebelling, saying Congress should push the issue into 2023 in the hope that the GOP will seize the majority and write legislation to its liking.

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