Democrats seek knowledge on DOJ shakeup and job terminations

POLITICO

Leading House Democrats are demanding details from acting Attorney General James R. McHenry III about the role politics may have played in an abrupt shakeup of top officials at the Department of Justice.
Afterward, some House Republicans had their own message: If only it were so easy.
“The Budget Committee will proceed with Mr. Vought’s nomination as scheduled,” a committee spokesperson said in a statement.
Murray warned that the White House’s move amounted to “massive, massive overreach” that could imperil the traditional bipartisan negotiations over federal funding.
Johnson noted House committee chairs will walk through their plans and options for possible spending cuts in meetings throughout the day Tuesday.

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Acting Attorney General James R. Dot McHenry III is being questioned by prominent House Democrats about the possible political influence behind the sudden removal of senior Justice Department officials.

Reps. Following McHenry’s recent decision to fire over a dozen prosecutors who worked on the Department’s investigations into Donald Trump during the Biden administration, Jamie Raskin and Gerald Connolly, the top Democrats on the House Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform Committees, respectively, were named.

Revocation of internship and employment offers through the Attorney General’s Honors Program was also questioned by the Democrats.

Raskin and Connolly wrote to McHenry, “We write to you with alarm and profound concern about reports of the administration engaging in the widespread summary firing and involuntary reassignment of excellent career prosecutors and federal agents throughout the Department of Justice.”. “When considered collectively, your actions give rise to serious concerns that you intend to appoint career employees to the DOJ and FBI based on their political services or personal allegiance. “”.

The lawmakers want to know the names of all DOJ employees who have been reassigned or fired since Trump took office last week, as well as any correspondence they may have had with the White House about their dismissal. Additionally, Raskin and Connolly are requesting details regarding the reviews of career employees’ social media accounts and the influence of their political views on the choices made.

Trump has stated on numerous occasions that he plans to expel political rivals from the United States. A. the government. Since they are a minority in both the House and the Senate, Democrats are powerless to compel the administration to provide the information they request.

DORAL, FL — In a meeting held behind closed doors on Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance informed House Republicans that President Donald Trump still wants to include a reference to the impending debt ceiling in the GOP’s large party-line reconciliation package. However, the leaders of the hill are planning something else.

In this manner, Republicans don’t have to bargain with Democrats to raise the debt ceiling, Vance said during the House GOP retreat in Florida, according to two Republicans present who were asked to remain anonymous in order to discuss the private comments.

Nonetheless, GOP leaders in the House and Senate are more inclined to include a hike in a government funding deal with Democrats, given internal Republican disagreements over the borrowing cap.

When drafting a budget resolution, which is the first step in the party-line reconciliation process, Vance also advised members to avoid becoming mired in details. Republicans interpreted that as an order to aim for floors for spending cuts that could be changed later in the process, making the blueprint as ambiguous as possible.

Vance’s main takeaway for GOP lawmakers, according to those present, was to follow orders and carry out Trump’s agenda.

Later, a few Republicans in the House had their own message: If only it were that simple.

Rep. said, “The next few weeks will be challenging.”. Dusty Johnson (from R to S. A. ), the leader of the Main Street Caucus and a crucial negotiator.

After attempting to work with Republicans to amend the legislation, Senate Democrats were able to block a GOP-led bill to sanction the International Criminal Court on Tuesday afternoon.

In reaction to the ICC accusing Israeli officials of involvement in the war in Gaza, Republicans are advancing the bill. Democrats were concerned that sanctions against the United States could result from the bill’s excessive breadth. S. members of the ICC as well as U.S. allies. S. . The court’s supporting tech companies have been attempting to work out language that would allay those worries.

Sen. D-N Jeanne Shaheen. A. The lead negotiator for the Democrats told reporters that the talks were “ongoing” approximately two hours prior to the procedural vote. Although it is currently unclear how those discussions are going, Shaheen has more clout now that the bill has failed.

As the GOP pushes for politically difficult votes for his party, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has been having trouble keeping his caucus together. An immigration bill led by Republicans received enough Democratic support earlier this month to reach President Donald Trump’s desk, and more votes are expected as the GOP makes the most of its trifecta.

In a new letter, the bipartisan Senate Judiciary Committee leaders express their alarm over President Donald Trump’s decision to fire over a dozen inspectors general and request more information about their dismissal.

Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the chair, and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) jointly made the request. The White House failed to give Congress the required 30-day notice to fire the inspector general, according to the report. In addition to the names of the officials who will take their places, the senators are seeking more details regarding the 18 watchdog dismissals that took place late Friday.

“As other Members of Congress have expressed more generally, this is a matter of public and congressional accountability and ensuring the public’s confidence in the Inspector General community,” the senators wrote to Trump. “You have made it clear in public that you are also determined to eradicate waste, fraud, abuse, and misconduct within the Executive Branch bureaucracy, and IGs are essential to doing. “.”.

According to Durbin and Grassley, a prominent voice on whistleblower issues, “the law must be followed” and more information must be provided to Congress to guarantee that the inspectors general were dismissed for justifiable reasons.

Despite a string of Democratic no votes that seemed to be a protest against recent White House orders for agencies to halt spending, the Senate on Tuesday confirmed Sean Duffy as the next head of the Transportation Department.

Duffy was confirmed 77–22, with Democrats casting all of the no votes.

Sen. D-Ill.’s Tammy Duckworth. told POLITICO that Trump’s recent directive to freeze grant funding would cause her to vote against Duffy, who was unanimously approved by the Senate Commerce Committee, which she serves on.

Prior to the vote, she declared, “I’m going to be a no.”.

Sen. Andy Kim (D-N. J. . claimed that up until what he described as “this unconstitutional effort” to freeze spending, he was “prepared to vote for him.”.

It didn’t seem possible for me to vote for him at that time. Kim declared, “You know, if he’s going to be someone who just follows through and, you know, agrees with the President—”.

Just one day earlier, Duffy, a former Wisconsin member of the House whose confirmation process has gone smoothly, had received a unanimous cloture vote on his nomination.

According to court documents filed by federal prosecutors, a man who was detained on Monday after allegedly bringing Molotov cocktails to the Capitol expressed his intention to murder Speaker Mike Johnson, Pete Hegseth, and Scott Bessent.

When Ryan English turned himself in to Capitol Police, he acknowledged that he had two Molotov cocktails made out of 50 milliliter bottles of Absolut Vodka, knives, and hand sanitizer-stained cloths inside.

According to police, English stated that he had planned to attack Hegseth, the new Defense secretary, and Bessent, the recently confirmed Treasury secretary. Upon learning that Bessent’s confirmation vote was scheduled for Monday, he informed authorities that he had left his Massachusetts home on Sunday with the intention of targeting Johnson and Hegseth.

According to court documents, English said he thought about committing what might be considered “suicide by cop” after realizing he wouldn’t be able to approach Bessent near the Capitol due to the security measures in place.

Charges against English include bringing an incendiary device into the Capitol and illegally transporting a firearm.

Russ Vought is the president’s choice for White House budget director. The office he is running for head issued a memo Monday night ordering a freeze on “all federal financial assistance,” prompting Senate Democrats to urge Republicans to delay committee action on his appointment. “.”.

“I urge fellow appropriator Lindsey Graham, chair of the Senate Budget Committee, to postpone Russ Vought’s nomination, which was scheduled for this Thursday,” Sen. Murray, Patty (D-Wash). ), the Senate Appropriations Committee’s leading Democrat, during a press conference on Tuesday morning. Republicans should wait for the Trump administration to abide by the law before pushing that nomination out of committee. “.”.

Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, is being courted by Murray, who also serves on the Budget Committee, as a senior member of the panel who would typically be worried about attempts to limit Congress’ “power of the purse.”. “.

Sen. D-Ore’s Jeff Merkley. The postponement should last for two weeks, “until we answer these questions and resolve this constitutional crisis,” according to a ranking member of the Budget Committee and another appropriator. “.”.

The second committee that has authority over Vought’s nomination is the Senate Budget Committee. Trump’s choice to head the Office of Management and Budget has already been sent to the Senate floor by a vote of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

As the director of OMB during the first Trump administration, Vought has come under fire from Democrats for his prior support of efforts to limit spending that Congress has already authorized.

According to a statement from the committee, “The Budget Committee will proceed with Mr. Vought’s nomination as scheduled.”.

Senate Democrats threatened possible legal action against President Donald Trump, warned Republicans about the possible effects on their own states, and pledged to fight a White House freeze on federal financial assistance. They also called for a delay in the confirmation of Trump’s nominee for White House budget chief.

On Monday evening, the Office of Management and Budget announced that “all federal financial assistance” would be suspended, with effect from 5 p.m. A. Tuesday, that might be the focus of executive orders he has already signed that halt funding for energy projects, diversity initiatives, and foreign aid.

“In red states and blue states, in cities, in suburbs, and in rural areas, it’s a dagger at the heart of the average American family,” stated Chuck Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader (D-N). Y. ). It is simply absurd. “”.

Democrats argued that the broad funding freeze violates the 1974 Impoundment Control Act, which Trump and his supporters also claim is unconstitutional.

Sen declared, “We have a constitutional crisis.”. Merkley Jeff (D-Ore). ), the Senate Budget Committee’s top Democrat, is set to vote on Russ Vought, the head of Trump’s White House budget and one of the architects of the spending freeze, on Thursday.

Additionally, Senate Appropriations Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-Washington) stated that Congress has the power of the purse. ). That is made abundantly evident in the Constitution. “”.

To date, Republican leaders have defended the action.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters Tuesday morning, “I suppose that’s a typical procedure at the start of administration, until they have a chance to examine how the money is being spent.”.

“We’ll see how big of a problem it is and what they plan to do more fully.”. As of right now, though, I believe it’s just a kind of preemptive measure that most administrations take,” Thune added.

However, Democrats are getting ready to take action. According to Schumer, he has already contacted Attorney General Letitia James of New York. He stated, “She intends to appear in court immediately on this horror.”. “.”.

Although states are anticipated to be the first to file lawsuits, groups that represent those affected by the funding freezes may also be able to do so.

Apart from tossing U. S. . This action could endanger congressional efforts to keep the federal government funded past a shutdown deadline of March 14 by leaving agencies, states, and municipalities in the dark about the future of their federal funding.

Murray said the White House’s action was a “massive, massive overreach” that could jeopardize the customary bipartisan talks over federal funding.

On Tuesday, Murray asked, “Can you imagine what it’s going to be like … if those agreements mean nothing? That somebody can sit back and say, ‘Sure, I’ll give you that,’ knowing full well that their president is in power and they will keep the funding out?”. “If we cannot respect and uphold our ability to reach agreements in Congress, we cannot operate as a democracy in this nation.”. “”.

DORAL, Florida — At their Florida retreat, House Republicans are in for a long day of difficult discussions about how to finance President Donald Trump’s expansive legislative agenda, with different factions already pointing fingers at the package.

Speaking to GOP members behind closed doors Tuesday morning at Trump’s resort in the Miami area, Speaker Mike Johnson said that the amount of spending cuts included in the party-line package covering border, energy, and tax policy would depend on what the committee process could accomplish, according to two people in the room.

The comprehensive legislation, which is expected to be passed through the budget reconciliation process, is being pushed by hard-line House Republicans for significant cuts across the federal government. But Republicans in competitive districts have expressed worries about cutting back on federal programs like the social safety net.

Johnson pointed out that during Tuesday’s meetings, the chairs of the House committees will go over their options and plans for potential spending cuts. The House Budget Committee will consider the budget resolution next week, and the measure will be introduced on the House floor the following week, he added, restating his ambitious timeline for the reconciliation package.

For some members, however, the speaker caused anxiety because they were hoping to hear a more clear-cut strategy. Given the opportunity to remain anonymous in order to discuss the talks openly, one House Republican in the room claimed that GOP leadership was “talking in circles” throughout the meeting, leaving Republicans where they began.

In order to ensure that the process is “member-driven,” Johnson and GOP leaders have purposefully kept their plans extremely broad. He made his remarks the morning after Trump presented a lengthy and expensive list of policy proposals for the reconciliation package.

In a quick interview earlier on Tuesday, Whip Tom Emmer suggested that Republican leaders are attempting to avoid significant disputes within their conference for the time being. He said they do not need to leave the retreat with firm decisions regarding the reconciliation package and a separate, bipartisan attempt to increase the debt limit and extend government funding. When the time comes for a vote, we must have everyone on board. People are free to disagree until then, Emmer stated.

Johnson also emphasized to GOP members in the Tuesday morning meeting the value of cooperation and “remembering the lessons” Republicans learned from their previous reconciliation attempt in 2017 — when internal disputes hampered and ultimately destroyed the party’s attempt to roll back the Affordable Care Act, causing a wave of GOP losses in the 2018 midterm elections.

DORAL, FL — The No. On Tuesday morning, three House Republicans praised Donald Trump’s bold decision to suspend federal assistance, describing it as a step to challenge the status quo.

In a quick interview on the fringes of the House GOP retreat, Whip Tom Emmer stated that Trump’s action, which is set to go into effect at 5 p.m. A. — indicates that he’s “achieving his elected goals.”. “,”.

“When you see things like this, your initial thought will be, ‘Well, this isn’t the way it’s been done,'” Emmer stated. You must realize that his election was intended to challenge the status quo. “,”.

A complete freeze on “all federal financial assistance” that could be targeted under Trump’s prior executive orders was ordered by his budget office on Monday. This halts funding for a variety of priorities, including energy and domestic infrastructure projects that Republicans in competitive House districts fought for.

When asked how he would respond to his GOP colleagues in competitive districts who are now worried about the freeze, Emmer said, “Get on the team.”. “.”.

At the retreat, those vulnerable Republicans were already prepared for a day of intensive, behind-closed-door discussions about the trillions in spending cuts that their colleagues are demanding to fund Trump’s expansive agenda.

In a different interview, House Republican Policy Chairman Kevin Hern (R-Okla) stated that Trump is emphasizing that “we’re giving aid to people who respect the relationship, not just blanket giving out American taxpayer dollars.”. “.

For you, me, and the grant recipients, it’s about time, right?” Hern remarked. “You must also shut off the spigot in Washington, D.C., if you plan to reduce taxes and transfer funds home.”. You can’t do both. “.”.

DORAL, FLORIDA — On Monday evening, President Donald Trump made his wishes clear to House Republicans. They can now begin the exciting task of figuring out how to pay for it.

Speaker Mike Johnson has stated that he hopes to receive a “blueprint” this week regarding his party’s budget reconciliation bill, which will address funding cuts, taxes, energy, and the border. Republicans have persisted in hoping that Trump will offer additional direction to ease the way forward because this has proven to be an infamously challenging process thus far.

Instead, Trump used his Monday night address to House Republicans to outline a costly legislative wishlist for the party-line bill. This wishlist included spending more on border security and calling for no cuts to Social Security or Medicare, two of the largest payers for the government. Trump, most notably, reaffirmed a particularly costly campaign pledge: no taxes on social security, overtime, or tips.

As they left the dinner, House Republicans, who have been hesitant to publicly split from Trump since he was elected, expressed their concerns.

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb. suggested that those tax proposals might need to be capped, while Tom Cole, the Republican chair of the Appropriations Committee (Okla. remarked that since it was not possible to cut spending from discretionary sources, some cuts would have to come from mandatory spending, which includes Social Security and Medicare: “It’s going to take some heavy lifting.”. “.”.

The big heave begins today, when House GOP leaders and committee chairs will hold retreat sessions throughout the day to discuss their plans with Republicans regarding spending cuts and reconciliation priorities.

We are also keeping an eye on the following.

Democrats’ ICC dilemma: Senate Republicans are preparing to vote on a bill that would sanction the International Criminal Court on Tuesday, which means that Chuck Schumer, the minority leader, will once more have to lead his caucus through a difficult vote. Democratic leaders, including Sen. Changes are still being negotiated by Jeanne Shaheen. Republicans’ willingness to cooperate is still unknown.

Never-ending nominees: Trump’s nominees are being swiftly sorted by Thune. Sean Duffy’s confirmation as secretary of transportation will be decided by the Senate on Tuesday. Doug Collins for VA secretary, Chris Wright for Energy secretary, Doug Burgum for Interior secretary, and Lee Zeldin for EPA administrator are the next nominees the Senate will consider this week.

Vance appearance: At 12:30 p.m., the vice president will speak to the House GOP in Doral. M.

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