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Trump’s pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, was accused of sexual assault. Trump himself has faced various sexual misconduct allegations, which he has denied, though he was found liable last year for sexual abuse in a civil trial over an alleged incident in the 1990s that he also denies. Now, after having won the presidency again, he’s spending early political capital to confirm appointees who have faced sexual misconduct allegations of their own. The allegations against Trump’s picksGaetz’s years of controversies have been thrust back into the spotlight now that he’s up for a Cabinet post. “It’s a very scary time for young men in America when you can be guilty of something that you may not be guilty of,” Trump told reporters.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Matt Gaetz, Pete Hegseth, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Gaetz, Hegseth, Kennedy, “, Trump, ”, Marc Short, Mike Pence’s, we’ve, Trump’s, hasn’t, Tim Parlatore, Bill Clinton’s, George H.W, Barack Obama’s, haven’t, Andy Puzder, Puzder, Patrick Shanahan, Shanahan, Ronny Jackson, Jackson, Brett Kavanaugh, Kavanaugh, ” Trump, reconsidering, JD Vance, Karoline Leavitt, Vance, MAGA, ” Leavitt Organizations: NBC News, NBC, “, Justice Department, Trump, Committee, Washington Post, Republican, You’re, Politico, Pentagon, White House, Department of Veterans Affairs, Supreme, Capitol, White Locations: groping, Florida, America, Hegseth, Washington

☆ Vance debuts new role as Trump’s point person on Capitol Hill
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Alayna Treene | Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Congressional Republicans acknowledge that Vance hasn’t necessarily developed longstanding relationships on Capitol Hill during his abbreviated time in Washington. His coattails turned a 49-51 senate to a 53-47 senate,” Vance wrote on X on Wednesday. The three developed a bond that predates the campaign and has carried into the early days of Trump’s transition. But when you look at the effectiveness of JD in the campaign, there’s no better surrogate for President Trump’s agenda,” the adviser said. “In JD’s view, his role of VP is to take on any issue that President Trump would like him to take on,” the person close to Vance told CNN.

Persons: JD Vance, Donald Trump’s, Vance, Matt Gaetz, he’ll, Pete Hegseth, Vance hasn’t, ”, North Dakota Sen, Kevin Cramer, Trump, “, Donald Trump, ” Cramer, ” Vance, “ Donald J, coattails, Joe Biden’s, Grace Chong, Steve Bannon’s, Chong, ” Trump, Tom Homan, ’, Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump Jr, —, Trump’s MAGA, Kamala Harris ’, JD, James Braid, “ Vance, you’ll, ” CNN’s Ted Barrett Organizations: CNN, Capitol, Trump’s Cabinet, Florida Rep, Fox News, Department of Defense, Senate, White, GOP, Cabinet, Trump, FBI, Republican, Democratic, Mar, Elon, JD, Central America —, “, White House Locations: Ohio, Washington, North Dakota, Central, Trump

The House Ethics Committee weighs releasing their report on Matt Gaetz. And Susan Smith, who made headlines for killing her sons 30 years ago, is up for parole. The Ethics Committee has jurisdiction only over sitting members of Congress, Johnson argues. But there is precedent for the Ethics Committee to publish reports after a member of Congress has resigned. Susan Smith up for parole 30 years after killing her sonsSusan Smith leaves court after a hearing in Union, S.C., in 1995.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, Susan Smith, Donald Trump, Gaetz, Susan Wild, Joel Leppard, Mike Johnson, Trump, Johnson, Read, Mike Cavanaugh, ”, Vladimir Putin, Brooks Kraft, Smith’s, Michael, Alex, Smith, Rafael Nadal, Jay Leno, Barbara Gauntt, Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Lumumba, — Bracey Harris Organizations: Comcast, Justice Department, Republicans, Democrats, Gaetz, MSNBC, Syfy, Golf, CNBC, Oxygen, NBC News, NBC, Bravo, United, Brooks, Brooks Kraft LLC, Getty, South, Davis, Mississippi State Capitol, Clarion, Ledger, Residents Locations: Florida, USA, U.S, Kyiv, United States, Ukrainian, Russian, Ukraine, Union, South Carolina, Northern California, Pacific, California, Jackson

WASHINGTON — Members of the House Ethics Committee will meet behind closed doors Wednesday afternoon to discuss whether to publicly release a report detailing their sweeping investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general. Several Republicans and Democrats in the Senate have said they want to review the House report before a Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing for Gaetz next year. She argued that there is precedent for the Ethics Committee to publish reports after members of Congress have resigned. If the committee declines to make the Gaetz report public, any House member can try to force a vote to release it. In September 1996, House Democrats tried to force the Ethics Committee to release a report from an outside counsel about its investigation of then-Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump’s, Gaetz, Mike Johnson, Trump, “ I’ve, ” Johnson, “ Matt Gaetz, —, Michael Guest, Susan Wild, Joel Leppard, Leppard, ”, JD Vance, Pete Hegseth, Bill Boner, Boner, Boner’s, Buz Lukens, Newt Gingrich Organizations: WASHINGTON, Republicans, Democrats, Justice Department, NBC News, Trump, Capitol, Cabinet, Senate, Congress, “, Committee Locations: Florida, Nashville, Ohio

☆ Absences by Trump’s Senate pals help Democrats confirm Biden judges
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Tierney Sneed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Trump earlier this month had urged Senate Republicans not to allow any judicial confirmations in the final weeks of the Biden administration while the upper chamber was under Democratic control. Since then, other judicial nominees have been able to clear pivotal votes because not enough Republicans were present to block them. Two of the missing Republicans, Sens. Several of the missing Republicans – which also included Sen. Marco Rubio, Trump’s pick for secretary of state – were back in the chamber Wednesday. Even if no other Biden-appointed judge is confirmed, Trump will start his second term with a number of openings that is fewer than half of that previous number.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump’s, Trump, JD Vance, Embry Kidd, Sen, Joe Manchin, Vance, Bill Hagerty of, –, Democratic Sen, John Fetterman, Biden, Carrie Severino –, ” Vance, Grace Chong, Steve Bannon’s, Christopher Wray, Fetterman, Sarah Russell, Kamala Harris, Hagerty, Ted Cruz, Hagerty’s, Republicans –, Marco Rubio, Trump’s, Mike Braun, Cruz, Rebecca Pennell, Amir Ali, doesn’t, Ali, Kyrsten Sinema, Montana GOP Sen, Steve Daines, Embry, Aileen Cannon, Jack Smith’s, Barack Obama’s, Alyana Treene, Kristen Holmes, Betsy Klein, Devan Cole Organizations: CNN, GOP, Conservative, Republicans, Ohio Republican, Circuit, Mar, Democratic, Trump, Crisis Network, FBI, House, Republican, Sens, SpaceX, Indiana, US, Court, of, Montana GOP, Senate Locations: Ohio, Trump’s Florida, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Hawaii, Ted Cruz of Texas, Texas, Eastern, of Washington, Montana

Fresh from a devastating loss to Donald Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris may now head to Capitol Hill to defy him in what could be her last major act in office. As the president of the Senate, Harris wields the constitutional power to provide a tie-breaking vote. “We are going to use the lame duck to confirm judges. GOP senators can slow the process down, but Democrats need a simple majority to overcome any obstruction and confirm judges. The senior administration official declined to discuss whether Biden has talked to Harris or Schumer about lame-duck confirmations.

Persons: Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Trump, Harris, —, Chuck Schumer, Biden, ”, “, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Warren, Schumer, ” Schumer, irking Trump, ” Trump, ” Sen, Mazie Hirono, they’re, That’s, “ I’m, “ Hope she’s Organizations: Capitol, House, Senate, D.C, Biden, NBC News, Radical, Republican Senators, Trump, Republicans, Democrats, Appeals, White, Democratic, Dems Locations: Hawaii, California

Nebraska’s Dan Osborn is returning to work Tuesday as a steamfitter after his unsuccessful Senate run, but his political career isn’t over. Osborn, who ran as an independent, is launching a political action committee, called the Working Class Heroes Fund, to support working-class candidates of all parties. And he isn’t ruling out another run for office after his loss to GOP Sen. Deb Fischer. Osborn said his PAC will support candidates of any party, and he said he didn’t expect to have many policy litmus tests, apart from supporting campaign finance overhaul and rejecting corporate donations. His Senate campaign raised $7.9 million through mid-October, according to the latest campaign finance reports, and he said it ultimately raised more than $14 million.

Persons: Dan Osborn, Osborn, GOP Sen, Deb Fischer, ” Osborn, Pete Ricketts, Sen, Ben Sasse’s, Ricketts, “, “ Pete Ricketts, Kamala Harris, Fischer, Donald Trump, I’ve, we’ve, ” Organizations: GOP, Senate, Chicago Cubs, Nebraska, Republicans, Democrats, Marijuana, Party Locations: Nebraska

And Gaetz himself has been making calls to GOP senators and visiting his own loyalists in the House GOP. The pressure is all building ahead of a planned Wednesday meeting of the House ethics panel, which is expected to discuss the fate of the report. But privately, Republicans on the panel are signaling that they could bury the report as Gaetz and Trump are making direct appeals. In a call last week to GOP Sen. Josh Hawley, Gaetz urged him “to give him a shot,” Hawley told CNN. Meanwhile, nearly 100 House Democrats are calling on the House Ethics Committee to “immediately” release the report.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, J.D, Vance, Donald Trump’s, Gaetz, GOP Sen, Chuck Grassley, we’ve, ” Grassley, “ You’ve, …, Sen, John Kennedy, Pete Hegseth, Elise Stefanik, Doug Collins, Trump, Lindsey Graham, Judiciary —, Josh Hawley, “, ” Hawley, Hawley, Mike Simpson, ” Simpson, ”, Simpson, Kevin McCarthy, “ Matt, Rogers, Gaetz wouldn’t, Tim Burchett, he’s, Glenn Ivey, Ivey Organizations: CNN, GOP, Capitol Hill, Republican, Trump, Louisiana Republican, Fox News, Department of Defense, United Nations, Veterans Affairs, Judiciary, House, Caucus, Missouri Republican, Republicans, Armed, Democrats, Capitol, Florida congressman, ” Democratic, Maryland Locations: Trump, Louisiana, United, Gaetz, Florida

☆ Trump urges Senate GOP to block Biden's last judicial nominees
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday pushed his fellow Republicans in the Senate to stop Democrats from confirming any more of President Joe Biden's judicial nominees. The Senate has confirmed 216 of Biden's nominees to the federal judiciary. Biden has put forward 261 total judicial nominees, the White House said in a Nov. 8 press release announcing his 56th round of hopefuls. Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told ABC News he would continue to bog down the nomination process. "I was on the Senate floor until almost midnight last night voting to confirm President Biden's judicial nominees," Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., wrote on X.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden's, Trump, Judge Embry Kidd, Biden, Chuck Schumer, Schumer, John Thune, Sen, Thune, Patty Murray, We'll, Murray, Kamala Harris, Susan Collins of, Lisa Murkowski Organizations: America, Policy, Tuesday, Senate, Radical, Republican, U.S ., Appeals, ABC News, Democrat, ABC, Republicans, GOP Locations: Palm Beach , Florida, U.S, Susan Collins of Maine, Alaska

☆ Trump escalates test of strength over Gaetz pick
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Video Ad Feedback Lawyer describes client's testimony in House Ethics Committee investigation of Gaetz 03:04 - Source: CNNThe Ethics Committee report has quickly become the first big crisis of the nascent second Trump administration. A small handful of Republican senators would be needed to defect in order to block Gaetz’s nomination when the party controls the Senate majority next year. GOP senators could pay a price for a prolonged confirmation fightIf Trump sticks with his pick, Republican senators feeling the MAGA movement’s pressure could be forced to defend Gaetz for weeks. Maine Sen. Susan Collins told CNN’s Raju that it would be “helpful” to see the House Ethics report. “Whether we get the ethics report or not, the facts are going to come out one way or the other,” Cornyn said.

Persons: Donald Trump, Matt Gaetz, Joel Leppard, CNN’s Erin Burnett, Gaetz, Mike Johnson, Trump, Dakota Sen, Kevin Cramer, ” Cramer, CNN’s Manu Raju, MAGA, Cramer, Pete Hegseth, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Florida Republican –, Capitol Hill, it’s, Washington Trump, Bill Clinton, Zoë Baird, Kimba Wood, Maine Sen, Susan Collins, CNN’s Raju, Texas Sen, John Cornyn, ” Cornyn, “, Johnson, Susan Wild of, won’t, —, ” CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Axios, Kennedy, Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, It’s Organizations: CNN, Florida Republican, Justice Department, Trump, Gaetz, Fox News, Human Services Department, GOP, Capitol, FBI, Democrat, —, National Intelligence, Senate, Republican, North Dakota Republican Locations: Dakota, Washington, Texas, Susan Wild of Pennsylvania

WASHINGTON — Congress faces a Dec. 20 deadline to fund the government and avert a shutdown, and Speaker Mike Johnson says House Republicans will probably push the fight into early 2025 rather than reach a full-year funding deal this year. And then then we should be actually working on the next year’s appropriations.”But even if they push the fight to early 2025, Republicans won’t have full control over spending decisions. Government funding legislation is subject to the 60-vote threshold in the Senate, which top Republicans have promised to preserve. That means they’ll have to reach a deal with Democrats, who currently control the Senate and want to pass full-year funding this year, not in 2025. “The bottom line is we’ve got to control spending and not allow there to be a runaway spending bill in December,” he said.

Persons: Mike Johnson, “, We’re, ” Johnson, Donald Trump’s, you’d, Donald J, Trump, Robert Aderholt, there’s, it’ll, ” Aderholt, Trump’s, ” Sen, John Boozman, ” Boozman, Republicans won’t, Patty Murray, Susan Collins, We’ve, I’ve, ”, Pete Aguilar, “ Mike Johnson, Chip Roy, Boozman Organizations: WASHINGTON, “ Fox, Democrats, ”, Committee, Republicans, NBC, GOP, CRs Locations: WASHINGTON —, Maine, Texas

☆ Trump doubles down on provocative Cabinet picks as their fates hang in the balance
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-18 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Not all of Trump’s picks are causing uproar. But in a conventional administration, controversies raging around at least four key Cabinet picks would be seen as a disaster. The president-elect’s son explains the planGaetz and several other Trump picks have caused consternation in some circles given the questions about their qualifications and past behavior. That’s what the American people want.”It would take a handful of Republican senators to block the most provocative Trump nominees early next year, given that Democrats are likely to vote en masse against them. If he’s qualified, he’s qualified.”Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt said he believed Trump’s nominees would get confirmed.

Persons: Donald Trump, Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Hegseth, Trump’s, Intrigue, Gaetz, —, Kennedy, Florida Sen, Marco Rubio, Trump, he’s, ” Johnson, South Dakota Sen, John Thune, Mike Johnson, CNN’s Jake Tapper, “, ” Sen, Adam Schiff, Jim Himes, they’re, Matt Gaetz —, Robert Kennedy, Tulsi, ” Trump, Donald Trump Jr, ”, Sen, Markwayne Mullin, “ I’ve, … I’ve, Matt, ” Missouri Sen, Eric Schmitt, Alabama Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Pennsylvania Sen, John Fetterman Organizations: CNN, Washington, Republican Senate, Office, Fox News, Florida Republican, of Justice, Department of Health, Human Services, Senate, Trump, South, Louisiana Republican, California Democrat, Democrat, House Intelligence, Sunday, Connecticut Democrat, CBS, Republican, Fox Business, Oklahoma Republican, Press, ” Locations: Gaetz, — Russia, Washington, Florida, South Dakota, “ State, Louisiana, United States, California, Connecticut, ” Missouri, Alabama, Pennsylvania

Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday left the door open to adjourning Congress so President-elect Donald Trump can appoint his Cabinet nominees outside of the usual Senate confirmation process if necessary. Both chambers usually gavel in for pro forma sessions even during times of recess specifically to prevent the president from making recess appointments and bypassing congressional approval. President Barack Obama once tried to use recess appointments and was rebuked by the Supreme Court, which said in 2014 that recesses needed to be 10 days or longer for recess appointments to be legal. Johnson isn’t the only Trump ally who has left the door open to using a recess appointment to confirm Trump’s Cabinet picks. “I have literally not discussed one word about the ethics report, not once, and I’ve been with him quite a bit this week,” Johnson said.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Donald Trump, ” Johnson, “, he’d, Trump, Johnson, Barack Obama, Trump’s, , Oklahoma GOP Sen, Markwayne Mullin, It’d, ” Mullin, Hakeem Jeffries, Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz, There’s, I’ve Organizations: Sunday, “ Fox, Supreme, , Oklahoma GOP, NBC, Press, GOP, Democratic, Trump’s, House, CNN Locations: Washington, , Oklahoma, D, Gaetz

"I have said that there's, there's some positives to vaccinations. And if it isn't vaccines, there's no -- nothing wrong with actually taking a hard look and finding out, is that's what's causing it? Recess appointments would allow the president-elect to place the House and Senate into recess so that he could appoint his nominees without having to go through the traditional Senate confirmation process. It's something that the Senate strives to avoid and it's why the chamber gavels into pro-forma sessions even while they're in recess. "It'd be the absolute last resort," Mullin told Welker.

Persons: Sen, Markwayne Mullin, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Donald Trump's, Kennedy, I've, Mullin, Kristen Welker, Trump, John Thune, Barack Obama, Welker Organizations: Department of Health, Human Services, NBC, America, for Disease Control, CDC, National Academy of Medicine, Republicans, Supreme Locations: United States, Oklahoma, TruthSocial

While Gaetz’s ability to be confirmed appears on the rocks among Senate Republicans, President-elect Donald Trump’s team remains confident he will eventually be confirmed, even if it’s after an ugly battle. Gaetz and Trump attorney Todd Blanche are moving full speed ahead on trying to fill out the Justice Department, according to sources familiar with the planning. In his few terms in the House, Gaetz has often been embroiled in controversy. The attorney, John Clune, also called for the release of a House Ethics Committee report detailing the committee’s investigation into Gaetz, which has been ongoing for several years. Since the Truth Social post, Trump has not asked for any specific Cabinet pick, including Gaetz, to be confirmed via recess appointment.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump’s, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Trump, ”, JD Vance, Gaetz, Matt, ’, Mike Johnson, John Clune, ” Sen, Lindsey Graham, Johnson, “, John Cornyn, Sen, Kevin Cramer, Michael Guest, ” Cramer, Gaetz —, Democratic Sen, Richard Blumenthal, we’re, Tom Williams, Vance, Cramer Organizations: Republicans, Department of Justice, NBC, Trump, Justice Department, NBC News, Trump —, Capitol, House, ”, Democratic, …, Washington , D.C, Inc, Getty, Pennsylvania’s Senate, GOP, Truth Social Locations: America, Texas, Orlando, Washington ,, Pennsylvania’s

House Speaker Mike Johnson said yesterday that he will request the committee not release the report. For defense secretary: Separately, the Trump transition team was caught off guard by a previous allegation of sexual assault against defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth, who had received little internal vetting, according to sources. Several members of Trump’s team have since raised questions about the viability of his nomination, according to two people close to the situation. Within 48 hours of Trump announcing Hegseth, the heads of the president-elect’s transition team were brought a complaint about the sexual assault allegation. But the nature of the allegations caused incoming chief of staff Susie Wiles to question Hegseth during a call Thursday, a source told CNN.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Matt Gaetz, Trump, Gaetz, Mike Johnson, “ Merrick, ”, Trump’s, Pete Hegseth, Hegseth, Susie Wiles Organizations: ABC News, CNN, Trump Locations: Congress, Florida, Monterey , California, Monterey County

☆ Why Trump and Elon Musk want key administration officials to be confirmed without a floor vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-16 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementDonald Trump wants the next GOP senate leader to give him greater power to staff vacancies. Trump wants to use the president's recess appointment power in a major way. Like Trump, Musk is a big believer in flexing the recess appointment power. Related storiesIn his push for recess appointment power, Trump argued it was about ensuring he could staff up in a timely manner. Officials installed via recess appointment can only serve until Congress' next session.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Elon Musk, Matt Gaetz, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, It's, Casey Burgat, Sen, John Thune of, Mitch McConnell of, Thune, Bret Baier, JD Vance's, Ronald Reagan's, hasn't, Kennedy, Sarah Binder, George W, Bush, John Bolton, Don McGahn, McGahn, Ed Whelan, Whelan, Burgat Organizations: White, Trump, Human Services, GOP, Legislative, George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management, Fox News, Republicans, Center, Biden, Brookings, United Nations, Public Policy Center Locations: Washington, Florida, John Thune of South Dakota, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky

Trump wants Gaetz confirmed “100%,” a source told CNN. He also believes Gaetz is uniquely positioned to defend the Trump administration on television, an attribute prioritized by the president-elect. Trump’s pick for deputy attorney general — his defense attorney Todd Blanche — will carry out the day-to-day work of overseeing the Justice Department’s more than 40 agencies and 115,000 employees. In recent days, Gaetz has been reaching out directly to Republican senators, according to a source familiar with the efforts. The Democratic-controlled Judiciary Committee formally requested the House Ethics Committee report already, but Democrats will lose control of the committee in January.

Persons: Donald Trump, Matt Gaetz, Trump, Gaetz, ” Trump, Trump’s, Todd Blanche —, Justice Department’s, ” Gaetz, “, ”, Sean Spicer, Gaetz’s, Pete Hegseth, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Tulsi Gabbard, Kennedy, Sen, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins of Maine, Joni Ernst, “ He’s, North Dakota Sen, Kevin Cramer, Kevin McCarthy, Oklahoma Sen, Markwayne Mullin, CNN’s Manu Raju, ” Mullin, Mullin, Mike Johnson, Mike Rounds, John Cornyn of, ” Rounds, Chuck Grassley, Grassley, John Thune, Thune Organizations: CNN, Department, Senate, Justice Department, Trump, Justice, Fox News, Hawaii Rep, Republican Senate, Republicans, Republican, North Dakota, Democratic, GOP Locations: Florida, Alaska, Iowa, Oklahoma, John Cornyn of Texas

WASHINGTON — When President Joe Biden relinquishes power in January, some parts of his legacy will be secure, while others may be undone by President-elect Donald Trump and a new Republican-controlled Congress. The pieces of Biden’s legacy go into four buckets. But it will be difficult for Trump to undo bipartisan legislation, such as measures about infrastructure and preventing gun violence, and the judges Biden appointed can’t be unseated. Biden’s immigration orders are ripe for Trump to target after he ran on a platform of mass deportations and clamping down on border security. Bipartisan Biden-era bills (largely safe)The parts of Biden’s legacy that will be relatively safe are the bipartisan laws he passed, which are subject to filibusters and therefore give Democrats the power to protect them.

Persons: WASHINGTON, Joe Biden relinquishes, Donald Trump, Trump, Biden, can’t, they've, Roe, Wade, Sen, Kevin Cramer, ” Cramer, Kamala Harris, Thom Tillis, they’ve, ” Sen, Shelley Moore Capito, Tommy Tuberville, “, ”, Ben Cline, John Thune, they’ll, Angus King, It's, ” King, Ketanji Brown Jackson Organizations: Republican, Trump, Democrats, NBC News, GOP, Biden, American, Finance Committee, Public, Republicans, Postal Service, Democratic Locations: U.S, South Dakota, Maine, Pennsylvania

☆ Elon Musk is looking for DOGE cuts. A GOP senator's list caught his eye.
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Musk reposted on Wednesday a list of cuts from Sen. Rand Paul, a longtime critic of the federal budget. Elon Musk is on the hunt for federal spending to cut — and a Republican senator's list caught his eye. A prior report highlighted $50 million of US funding for Tunisia's tourism industry, meant to help it increase visitor numbers through 2026. AdvertisementThe 2023 report outlined a USDA study on whether Labrador fur color affects their body temperature, while the 2022 report highlighted a Cornell University study on social communication between parrots. But Musk has emphasized his desire to do identify wasteful spending in public, culminating in a leaderboard of spending deemed wasteful.

Persons: Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Rand Paul, Sen, Rand Paul of Kentucky, crosshairs, Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Paul Organizations: of Government, DOGE, Republican, Department, Government, Musk's America PAC, America PAC, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Transportation, Cornell University, National Institutes of Health, NIH, National Institute of Allergy Locations: Sen, Esna, Egypt, Labrador, South Carolina

☆ How Democrats can still flex power in Trump's Washington: From the Politics Desk
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( The Politics Desk | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

In today’s edition, senior national political reporter Sahil Kapur examines the way Democrats can still exert some power in Donald Trump's Washington. How Democrats can still flex power in Trump’s WashingtonBy Sahil KapurRepublicans have won full control of Washington, but Democrats will retain two key levers of power to shape legislative outcomes in Donald Trump’s second term. That margin is slimming further as Trump plucks House members for administration jobs. The last two years showed how chaotic and dysfunctional this GOP-controlled House can be, even when the stakes are low. The Ethics Committee has jurisdiction over only sitting House members.

Persons: Sahil Kapur, Donald, Donald Trump's Washington, Matt Gaetz's, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Donald Trump’s, Robert Garcia, “, Sen, John Thune, ”, Chris Van Hollen, Van Hollen, Patty Murray, Richard Hudson, Trump, Donald Trump, it’s, it’ll, Tony Gonzales, Matt Gaetz, Ryan Nobles, Julie Tsirkin, Frank Thorp V, Kate Santaliz, Gaetz, Justice Department —, they’ll, Joni Ernst, John Curtis, → Trump, Berkeley Lovelace Jr, Dasha Burns Trump, Kennedy, Bill Cassidy, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy’s, 🗞️, Tim, lea Organizations: NBC, White House, Capitol, Republicans, Health, Human Services Department, Sahil Kapur Republicans, Trump plucks, ”, Republican, Senate, GOP, House Republican, Justice Department, NBC News, Committee, Punchbowl News, RFK, Human Services, Department of Health, Food and Drug Administration, Education, Labor, Pensions, “ RFK, Trump, Elon, of Government, Cabinet Locations: Donald Trump's, Trump’s Washington, Washington, “, Texas, Florida, Congress, Iowa, Utah, Elon, usk

☆ Why Trump is trying to outrage Washington with his controversial Cabinet picks
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Donald Trump’s increasingly provocative Cabinet picks have left some Republican senators aghast and Washington in shock. The dismay engulfing establishment elites contrasted with the euphoria rocketing through conservative networks and social media among Trump fans. News that Hegseth had been picked to lead the Pentagon rocked Washington the night before the Gaetz pick and sparked similar questions about Trump’s motives. And she was accused of “parroting” false propaganda from America’s premier espionage adversary, Russia, by no less than Utah GOP Sen. Mitt Romney. Not all Trump’s picks are contentious.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, aghast, Florida Republican Matt Gaetz —, Justice Department —, Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s MAGA, Pete Hegseth, Geraldo Rivera, Gaetz —, Trump, ‘, Anthony Scaramucci, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Pennsylvania Democratic Sen, John Fetterman, CNN’s Manu Raju, “, —, Gaetz, Elie Honig, Hegseth, Gabbard, ”, Bashar al, Assad, Utah GOP Sen, Mitt Romney, Florida Sen, Marco Rubio, Rubio, Alaska Sen, Lisa Murkowski, Maine Sen, Susan Collins, Iowa Republican Sen, Joni Ernst, South Dakota Sen, John Thune, Thune, Matt Gaetz, Alabama Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Republicans — you’re, ” Tuberville, acquiesce Organizations: CNN, Florida Republican, Justice Department, Democratic, Fox News, Trump, Senate, Pennsylvania Democratic, Gaetz, FBI, CNN International ., Pentagon, Fox, Defense Department, Utah GOP, GOP, Republican Trump, Iowa Republican, South Dakota, Republican, Republicans, Pennsylvania Senate, Treasury, Health, Human Services, Republican Senate Locations: Washington, Florida, Pennsylvania, Russia, America, Iraq, Afghanistan, Hawaii, Utah, China, Alaska, South, Alabama

☆ Gaetz faces rocky road to confirmation as pressure builds for release of House ethics probe
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Manu Raju | Lauren Fox | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he “absolutely” wants to see the House Ethics Committee’s findings on Gaetz. “I think there should not be any limitations on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s investigation, including whatever the House Ethics Committee has generated,” he said. Trump has pushed to keep all options on the table to greenlight his nominees, including recess appointments, which would bypass the typical Senate confirmation process. However, Sen. Rick Scott told CNN, “I believe in recess appointments.” Scott had supported recess appointments during his bid for GOP leader, which he lost to Thune. The Supreme Court has ruled on questions about recess appointments, which makes the outcome of taking these questions to court uncertain.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Matt Gaetz, Sen, John Cornyn, “, ”, Gaetz, John Thune, James Lankford, ” Cornyn, Cornyn, Rick Scott, ” Scott, Scott, Trump’s, Dick Durbin, Richard Blumenthal, Chris Coons, Durbin, Donald Trump, ” Blumenthal, “ Matt Gaetz, ” Coons, he’s, Thune, Leah Millis, Reuters Sen, Chuck Grassley, “ We’ve, ” Grassley, Lindsey Graham, Thom Tillis, Tillis, Graham, ” Sen, Josh Hawley, ” Graham, Matt, ” Tillis, Samuel Corum, it’s, ’, Thune couldn’t, CNN’s Danya Gainor, Sarah Ferris, Annie Grayer, Ted Barrett, Morgan Rimmer, Emma Newman Organizations: CNN, Top, Republicans, GOP, Trump, Florida Republican, Democratic, Democrats, Republican U.S, U.S, 119th, Capitol, Reuters, Democrat, Senate Locations: Florida, Washington , U.S, Sens, Washington , DC

CNN —President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk have big ambitions for making the federal government leaner and more efficient by reviewing its budget and operations from top to bottom. Details about how the new Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, will operate – and how Musk and his co-leader Vivek Ramaswamy will avoid conflicts of interest – remain scarce. Musk also took aim at the Department of Education, a frequent target of Trump and Republicans, criticizing the agency for allegedly indoctrinating kids with left-wing propaganda and other failings. Slashing that much from the federal budget – which totaled roughly $6.8 trillion in fiscal 2024 – would require cutting every program by roughly one-third, said Bobby Kogan, senior director of federal budget policy at the left-leaning Center for American Progress. “Trump’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ will not be an actual department.

Persons: Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump, ” Musk, Ramaswamy, Musk, ”, “, ” Ramaswamy, Stephen Moore, Elon, Vivek, Moore, Larry Summers, Clinton, Glenn Hubbard, George W, Bush, Bobby Kogan, ” Kogan, Brian Riedl, Riedl, GOP Sen, Rob Portman, Sharon Parrott, Ronald Reagan, Reagan, William Hoagland, Peter G, Peterson, –, Jon Greenbaum, ’ that’s, Harry Sandick Organizations: CNN, Elon, Department of Government, Trump, Republican, White House, SpaceX, Department of Education, of Defense, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security, Education Department, Labor Department, FBI, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Heritage Foundation, US, of Economic, American, Security, Social Security, Manhattan Institute, GOP, ‘ Department, Government, White, White House & Congress, Congressional Republicans, Children’s Health Insurance, Affordable, Budget, Republicans, Grace, Center, Elon Musk, Federal Advisory Committee, Democratic Locations: Rob Portman of Ohio

☆ The Republican senators who could be headaches for Trump's nominees
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Trump is rolling out new nominees for his administration. Here are the GOP senators to watch in the next several months. Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementStill, there will be a handful of senators to watch as the Senate begins holding confirmation hearings in January.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Trump, Biden, Sen, Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth's, Matt Gaetz's Organizations: Trump, Senate, GOP, Service, Democratic, State, Defense Locations: Marco Rubio of Florida

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