The question of whether certain Trump candidates have the support of voters for confirmation remains unanswered, according to Thune

five hours prior.

Trump appoints an Estonian lawyer to serve as ambassador to the Baltic state.

Because Estonia and Russia share a border, the role may receive more attention than usual.

Roman Pipko, a lawyer from Estonia, has been selected by President-elect Donald Trump to be the United States’ next ambassador to the small Baltic nation.

Senate confirmation is required for the position, and since Republicans control the upper house, getting such approval should be relatively simple. Yet, because Estonia is one of the European nations most outspoken about the need to protect Ukraine from a Russian invasion and shares a border with Russia, the role may receive more attention than usual.

Pipko has been a representative of U. S. . Trump announced his intentions Friday night at the Russian American Enterprise Fund and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He has represented the U.S. S. . The announcement stated that businesses and negotiated projects from Europe to Africa. He has dealt with the enforcement of sanctions as part of his job.

Pipko grew up in Estonia, where she was born. Trump wrote, “As a lawful immigrant, he has lived America’s promise, and I trust that he will advance American interests in his new role.”.

six hours prior.

A package of rules extending Johnson’s protections is adopted by the House.

Now, a motion to resign the speakership would need to be supported by nine Republican conference members.

The House, which is closely divided, passed a rules package by a vote of 215-209. The most notable change is that the threshold for members to attempt to remove the speaker will be raised significantly.

According to the rules’ section-by-section analysis, a motion to cede the speakership would now require nine Republican conference members, compared to just one when the GOP chose to remove then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy from office during the previous Congress.

Republicans opposed the package’s adoption, including Rep. Massie Thomas (R-Ky. as well as R-Ga’s Marjorie Taylor Greene. previously objected to the inclusion of language that would examine a bill that would impose sanctions over any action taken by the International Criminal Court against individuals such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On social media, Massie questioned, “How did a bill to protect Netanyahu make it into the House rules package to be voted on immediately after the speaker vote?”. “Where are we focusing on?”.

POLITICO was the first outlet to report on the decision to raise the bar for firing a speaker last fall.

Language in the rules package that would restrict votes on suspensions measures, an expedited process that needs two-thirds support to pass, to Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays is one of the other changes. A short-term government funding bill has recently been passed by House lawmakers using that process on days later in the week, such as Friday.

According to a GOP lawmaker who was given anonymity to discuss negotiations, the House Freedom Caucus pushed for the suspension calendar change to be included.

One contributor to this report was Meredith Lee Hill.

Seven hours ago.

Reluctantly? Trump appoints a former critic to serve as his Middle East envoy.

The president-elect’s endorsement of his new hire was not particularly stellar.

Morgan Ortagus, a former spokesperson for the State Department, has been invited by Donald Trump to join his new administration, but he doesn’t appear to be very excited about the invitation.

Ortagus served as the State Department’s public face for three years during his first administration. The president-elect announced Friday that he would name Ortagus as his deputy special presidential envoy for Middle East peace.

Hopefully, Morgan has learned her lesson after fighting me for three years, Trump wrote in a social media post. “.”.

He gave no details about the nature of their disagreement. After Trump won the Republican nomination in 2016, Ortagus changed his stance from criticizing his isolationist views to openly supporting him.

Additionally, Trump wrote in a note that may not give his choice much confidence that “these things usually don’t work out, but she has strong Republican support, and I’m not doing this for me, I’m doing it for them.”. Let’s observe what occurs. “.”.

Ortagus and Steve Witkoff, the Middle East Envoy, will collaborate.

Ortagus shared on social media, “It is [a] dream come true to be given the chance to represent my country and the Trump Administration in a crucial diplomatic role once again.”. “What matters most is that we bring peace and stability to a region that is in turmoil through President Trump, and I am honored to have even a small part in that effort. “,”.

Before that, Ortagus, a Navy Reserve officer, worked as an intelligence analyst on Middle East issues in the Treasury Department’s office of intelligence and analysis.

eight hours prior.

Rep. Following Friday’s speakership vote, Virginia Foxx slipped and hurt herself, according to her spokesperson, who spoke to POLITICO.

“After going up to speak with her family in the gallery, she slipped while descending the marble staircase outside the House chamber. Following assistance in standing and examination by medical staff, she went independently to the attending physician’s office to receive treatment for a few minor cuts. “It appears that everything is going well,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Foxx, 81, has served as her district’s representative since 2005.

Although the chamber has successfully reelected Johnson as speaker, a rules package still needs to be voted on. The measure might require Foxx’s vote to pass.

eight hours before.

Leaders of the Freedom Caucus warn Johnson.

The 11 members, who are also on the group’s board, stated that even though they finally voted for Johnson following a contentious first round, they still have misgivings about him.

After Mike Johnson didn’t give up the speaker’s gavel on Friday, eleven members of the House Freedom Caucus wrote a letter to their fellow Republicans stating their expectations of him.

After a dramatic first ballot that initially appeared to leave Johnson short of the votes required to win the gavel, the group’s board, which consists of 11 members, made it clear that they still have concerns about Johnson.

“Speaker Johnson needs to demonstrate that he will carry out President Trump’s ambitious plan,” the group wrote in the letter.

They went on to say that they hope Johnson will introduce legislation that addresses a number of policy objectives, such as border security, inflation control, and prohibiting congressional members from trading stocks, among other things.

Johnson should have adhered to the 72-hour rule, added in-session work days to the House calendar, and ensured that future reconciliation bills cut spending and the deficit, they added.

eight hours prior.

Trump’s unconventional decision to run taxes at the Treasury.

Ken Kies is an experienced tax policy expert who has lobbied on behalf of large corporations.

Business will have a powerful ally in the administration as it pushes through significant tax legislation thanks to the appointment of an experienced insider as President-elect Donald Trump’s point man on taxes at the Treasury Department.

Leading tax lobbyist Ken Kies, who has defended large companies like Microsoft and Hess, is widely regarded as being very informed about the tax code and Washington customs. However, he has also earned a reputation among some for having a prickly, suffer-no-fools demeanor and sharp elbows.

Kies would have a significant say in the battle over Republicans’ expiring tax cuts if confirmed as assistant secretary for tax policy. He would also have jurisdiction over a wide range of regulatory matters, including the IRS’s “Direct File” program for Democrats and the structure of their corporate minimum tax.

Alongside him, he would form a peculiar duo with Billy Long, the eccentric former congressman from Missouri whom Trump appointed to lead the IRS despite his lack of tax policy expertise.

The Kies appointment is a blatant indication that the Treasury will be far more business-friendly than it was under the Biden administration, when a number of academics led the department and advocated for higher taxes on high earners and corporations.

When Kies’ nomination is presented to the Senate Finance Committee, Democrats will undoubtedly criticize his ability to lower business tax bills. Kies has lobbied on behalf of numerous companies, most recently the insurance industry, real estate investment trusts, and the cruise line industry.

Kies has been a mainstay in Washington’s tax community since the 1980s, and his background may give him particularly broad influence now that Scott Bessent, Trump’s choice to lead Treasury, and many other congressional Republicans—many of whom weren’t even in office when the GOP implemented its 2017 tax cuts—are not familiar with the nuances of the code.

Kies would not comment.

Kies led Congress’s nonpartisan tax accountants, the Joint Committee on Taxation, in the late 1990s before launching his own lobbying firm, which he later sold. He served as Republicans’ chief counsel for the House Ways and Means Committee prior to that, which included helping lawmakers pass a landmark code overhaul in 1986.

Nine hours ago. .

President-elect Donald Trump posted on his social media network to congratulate Speaker Mike Johnson on keeping the gavel, stating that the Louisiana Republican received an “unprecedented Vote of Confidence in Congress.”. “.”.

In his post, Trump stated, “Mike will be an excellent speaker, and our country will benefit.”. The American people have been waiting for leadership, strength, and common sense for the past four years. Now they will get it. “.”.

Nine hours ago.

Trump chastises Democrats for celebrating half-staff flags during his inauguration, calling them “giddy.”.

The White House will not reevaluate keeping the flags at half-mast during Trump’s inauguration, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

Democrats were criticized by President-elect Donald Trump on Friday for being “giddy” about the fact that American flags will fly at half-mast during his inauguration in remembrance of the late former President Jimmy Carter.

Last week, President Joe Biden declared after Carter’s passing that all U.S. S. . Since 1954, it has been customary for the White House and public buildings to have their flags flown at half-staff for 30 days, which coincides with Trump’s January death. 20th inauguration.

On Truth Social, Trump wrote, “No American can be happy about this, and nobody wants to see it.”. “Let’s observe the outcome. “.”.

Karine Jean-Pierre, the press secretary for the White House, stated on Friday that the administration will not reevaluate keeping the flags at half-mast during the inauguration.

Before the 100-year-old Democratic former president passed away, Trump and Carter had a well-documented spat. Carter said he hoped Trump would live long enough to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris and referred to his first term as “a disaster.”. Last week, following Carter’s passing, Trump claimed that “he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans,” despite his criticism of Carter during his first term in office and on the campaign trail. “”.

However, Trump also values a lot of pomp and circumstance, even when it comes to his inaugurations. When Kellyanne Conway claimed that then-White House press secretary Sean Spicer had used “alternative facts” to assert that Trump’s 2017 inauguration had the “largest audience” of any inauguration ever, it sparked one of the first controversies of his first term.

Nine hours ago. .

Officially, members of the House of Representatives have taken the oath of office and been sworn into the 119th Congress.

Speaker Mike Johnson, just after defeating a mini-conservative uprising to keep his gavel, administered the oath of office to the entire chamber.

Nine hours earlier.

The reasons behind two GOP stalwarts taking Johnson’s vote.

Though some Republicans denied it, President-elect Donald Trump called both lawmakers, which influenced their votes. Self and Ralph Norman.

Representatives. Two Republicans, who asked not to be named, said that between their initial votes against Speaker Mike Johnson and their subsequent flips to support President-elect Donald Trump, Ralph Norman and Keith Self received calls from him.

Most importantly, however, the two Republicans said, they and other holdouts obtained general pledges from Johnson and other Republicans regarding greater cooperation at the GOP conference.

One Republican remarked, “His one-on-one calls weren’t what got it done,” in reference to the Trump calls. The sentiment was echoed by a few Republicans.

Self acknowledged speaking with Trump on several occasions, describing it as “lively.”. However, he also mentioned that their goals are the same. Additionally, he stated that he and Norman wanted the budget reconciliation process—which Republicans intend to use to pass ambitious legislation on taxes, energy, and the border—to be transparent.

“There are disagreements over the structure of the reconciliation package, so we need to make sure this Congress is as strong as possible when we take on the Senate on it. Making this Congress successful for the Trump agenda is all I wanted to accomplish today,” Self stated.

Because “Mike assured us that he was going to fight for everything as it moves forward,” Norman said he had a change of heart. Additionally, he acknowledged that he had a conversation with Trump, saying Rep. Mace, Nancy (R-S. C. linked them, and the call proceeded “quite nicely.”. “,”.

Norman remarked, “He just made a point about how Mike is the only one who can get elected, and that he’s likable; which I knew.”. “We simply made Mike realize how serious what he’s going to do is. The whole question we had was whether he would fight for financial stops. Trump was useful, but I understood his position. “.

There was “no quid pro quo” with Johnson, he added. The speaker had previously told reporters that he had not made any suggestions to persuade Norman and Self to change their votes.

Ten hours ago.

On Saturday, the House GOP plans to begin establishing budget goals for tax and other policies.

In order to expedite the vital budget reconciliation process it intends to employ, it seeks to start settling on the general “toplines” for its legislative priorities.

The first step in launching their ambitious legislative agenda involving energy, border, and tax policy is for House Republicans to begin working on the budget targets for key committees on Saturday.

According to House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.), the Ways and Means Committee will only be able to draft tax legislation in accordance with the budget reconciliation instructions. ), who will be in the lead on extending the tax cuts proposed by President-elect Donald Trump.

When asked about the main objective of a GOP conference meeting tentatively scheduled for Saturday at Fort McNair, an Army post in Southwest Washington, Smith responded, “And so when the conference figures out what they want in those instructions, we’ll be able to deliver according to those parameters.”.

In order for Republicans to pass their policy priorities without Democratic support in the Senate, the so-called budget reconciliation process must be accelerated by determining the cost and savings directives for the House committees.

In particular, Republican leadership can draft a budget resolution that specifies the required budgetary adjustments for each committee over predetermined time periods if the conference can agree on the overall framework.

Nicole Malliotakis (R-N) of Ways and Means claims that because of this. Y. ), the GOP retreat will feature presentations from the chairs of several committees, including Homeland Security, Energy, Commerce, and Ways and Means.

Malliotakis stated that Republicans will be “going over a little bit of the playbook” related to reconciliation. “They mentioned they could do toplines. “.

Additionally, Malliotakis stated that the GOP was still undecided about whether to combine all of its policy priorities into a single package or reconcile in two bills.

Smith has publicly clashed with Trump adviser Stephen Miller and incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune over the process, with the latter two advocating for a two-bill process with taxes as the second item.

Malliotakis stated, “Jason will concentrate on the necessity of completing the tax package within the first reconciliation, not to delay it.”.

A comprehensive agreement reached by GOP leadership during the December government spending debate to reduce spending by $2 trillion and raise the debt ceiling by $1 trillion, in response to Trump’s demands, is one of the other topics that would be covered as part of the reconciliation package.

Both the Senate Finance and Ways and Means committees would be in charge of any increase in the debt ceiling.

Speaking about the reconciliation bill on Friday, House Budget Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) stated, “With everything we’re doing to restore fiscal health and sincerity, we ought to put the debt ceiling in there as well.”.

New York and New Jersey Republicans also plan on insisting Saturday that any tax bill include an increase to the $10,000 state and local tax deduction. Throughout the 118th Congress, their demands for tax relief—which were otherwise unpopular in the GOP conference—kept tax legislation from advancing on multiple occasions.

Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N. Yep. declared his intention to “assure, as President Trump demands, that [SALT] remains a priority in our tax policy.”. “”.

ten hours prior.

The GOP becomes enraged after Norman initially refused to vote for speaker.

Following a protracted pause, Norman and Keith Self gave the speaker’s gavel to Johnson and switched their votes in favor of him.

Members of the Freedom Caucus gathered to attack Rep. before he changed his vote. Ralph Norman (R-S. C. ) after initially running against Mike Johnson for speaker on the first ballot.

I am prepared to work with a group of ninety political operatives to eliminate Ralph Norman, and I am intimately familiar with the entire district. “He is a disgrace to South Carolina and does not endorse MAGA,” Wesley Donehue, a seasoned GOP strategist from South Carolina, wrote in an X post.

Former President-elect Donald Trump’s chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, who had previously served as the district’s representative before Norman, responded, “I might know a little about SC5.”. What can I do to help?

Norman and Republican Representatives. Massie Thomas, Ky. initially joined forces with Keith Self (Texas) to ostensibly deny Johnson the speakership on the first ballot. However, after a protracted pause, Norman and Self gave the speaker’s gavel to Johnson and changed their votes to support him.

Since taking over for Mulvaney in 2017, Norman has been in office. His office did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the threat.

ten hours prior.

Johnson wins the position of Speaker.

Republican promises to quickly carry out President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda are greatly aided by this.

ten hours previously.

Rep. R-Ga. Marjorie Taylor Greene. ) spoke with Susie Wiles, Donald Trump’s new chief of staff, on the House floor just after the first speakership ballot’s initial voting ended without Mike Johnson receiving a majority, according to a photo that photojournalist Al Drago reviewed for POLITICO.

Then she sat down and started talking to Rep. R-Ky. Thomas Massie. soon after the call concluded, who is spearheading the opposition against Johnson.

Eleven hours ago.

On Friday, the Senate unanimously approved allowing former President Jimmy Carter to lie in state in the Capitol rotunda. Carter passed away last month. Later that day, the measure was approved by the House unanimously.

The Congressional Research Service describes the use of the rotunda as “often involving a concurrent resolution,” which required approval from both the House and the Senate. Until Friday afternoon, when Mike Johnson was elected speaker, the House was unable to take any action on resolutions or legislation.

Eleven hours ago.

On the first ballot, Johnson is initially unsuccessful in gaining speakership.

Rep. was joined by two House Republicans. Thomas Massie, who was Johnson’s opponent for the floor speaker.

11 hours ago.

In the contest for the gavel, Speaker Mike Johnson receives his first formal vote against him as Rep. Kentucky’s Thomas Massie. voted for Rep. Emmer Tom (R-Minn. ().

The incumbent cannot afford another defection in his attempt to hold onto the speakership, but Massie’s opposition was long anticipated.

Despite lacking the votes necessary to secure the speakership at this time, Emmer has been suggested as a potential Johnson replacement.

eleven hours prior.

On the first ballot for the speakership, a number of well-known previous holdouts, including Reps. Burchett, Tim (R-Tenn). Lauren Boebert (R-Colo. as well as Eli Crane (R-Ariz. ).

Representatives are among the other holdouts. (R-Ariz) Andy Biggs. Texas Republican Michael Cloud and Georgia Republican Andrew Clyde. Gosar, Paul (R-Ariz. (R-Md.) and Andy Harris, the chair of the House Freedom Caucus. When their names were called, they remained silent. To keep his gavel, Johnson can only afford one defection.

A dozen hours ago.

Former Rep. According to a letter that the House clerk formally read into the record on Friday, Matt Gaetz will not be taking his seat for this session of Congress.

It officially indicates that Speaker Mike Johnson can retain his gavel even if he loses one GOP vote.

The letter was read into the record, and the House chamber’s Democrats cheered and laughed. Gaetz, R-Fla. won reelection to his seat in November, but decided not to run again after his unsuccessful attempt to become attorney general under President-elect Donald Trump.

Twelve hours ago. .

The current Senate has been sworn in. Democrats control 47 seats, while Republicans control 52. Sen. -elect Jim Justice (R-W. Virginia. is still serving out the rest of his term as governor and has not yet been sworn in. Once sworn-in, he will bring Republicans’ total to 53 seats.

Twelve hours ago.

Johnson pledges to collaborate with Musk and Ramaswamy on spending reductions prior to the vote for speakership.

Johnson stated that he would collaborate closely with the so-called Department of Government Efficiency in a post on X immediately before a speakership vote is scheduled to start.

In an attempt to secure the votes necessary to keep his gavel, Speaker Mike Johnson pledged to implement several new measures aimed at limiting the size and reach of the federal government.

In a post on the social media site X just minutes before a speakership vote is set to begin, Johnson said he’d create “a working group comprised of independent experts” to work with the so-called Department Of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy; review existing audits of federal agencies and instruct House committees to “undertake aggressive authorizations and appropriations reviews. ”.

According to his post, Johnson stated, “I will lead the House Republicans to reduce the size and scope of the federal government, hold the bureaucracy accountable, and move the United States to a more sustainable fiscal trajectory.”.

That message comes as the Louisiana Republican seeks to tamp down GOP defections and retain his speakership. According to Musk and Ramaswamy, their fledgling project will cut trillions of dollars in government spending.

12 hours prior.

Speaker Mike Johnson’s bid to keep the gavel as voting is about to start has received support from a number of well-known holdouts. But others are casting doubt Johnson can win on the first ballot.

Among them is Rep. R-Ind’s Victoria Spartz. who, after waiting, informed NOTUS that she would now back Johnson, and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla. is viewed as a possible speaker substitute by some conservatives.

Donalds stated to POLITICO that he supports Johnson for speaker on the first ballot. It’s unclear if that will be sufficient to keep the Louisiana Republican’s gavel.

Ralph Norman (R-S), a member of the Freedom Caucus. A. ) would not detail how he’ll vote, but predicted Johnson “will not get it on the first ballot. Another holdout said, “There’s no way” he gets it on the first ballot.

A dozen hours ago.

An insider close to the whip’s office told POLITICO that House Democrats anticipate full attendance before the first roll call vote to choose the speaker for the 119th Congress.

Due to health concerns, two lawmakers were absent, Reps. Evans Dwight (D-Pa. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and… were observed prior to the election.

After a fall during a delegation trip prior to the holidays, Pelosi underwent hip replacement surgery overseas, and Evans has been out since May following a stroke.

“Fine,” Pelosi said with gritted teeth when asked how she was feeling close to the House chamber.

Twelve hours ago.

In preparation for a speakership election in which Mike Johnson is running for a second term, the House has formally convened for the 119th Congress.

Members started to arrive in the chamber at 11:30 a.m. M. prior to the official meeting. With the support of President-elect Donald Trump, Johnson can only win the speakership by allowing one defection.

12 hours prior.

To win the speakership, Johnson should avoid making concessions to conservatives, according to centrists.

They are especially against Rep. Leading the Rules Committee is Chip Roy.

To win the gavel, Speaker Mike Johnson is being cautioned by centrists in the House not to make shady deals with conservatives.

Johnson is headed for a showdown over maintaining his speakership, with a vote scheduled to start just after noon, when he raises the verbal red flag. He doesn’t seem to have enough votes to make it on the first ballot because roughly a dozen Republicans are publicly undecided and one Republican has vowed to run against him.

Among other demands, Johnson’s right flank is looking for pledges to reduce spending. One important request, though, is to offer Rep. The biggest source of resentment is Chip Roy (R-Texas), who was given the gavel by the Rules Committee. It is up to the speaker alone to decide who gets the Rules gavel, unlike most top committee positions. That influential panel decides which party-line bills are brought to the floor.

According to centrist Rep., it’s like “putting Stalin in charge of Amnesty International.”. Bacon Don (R-Neb. referred to handing Roy the gavel.

Some Freedom Caucus members have gone so far as to publicly state that Roy will win the speakership on the first ballot if Johnson accedes to their demand that he be given the chairmanship of the Rules.

However, two people who are familiar with Roy’s thinking and were given anonymity to speak candidly claim that he has not made his vote in the speaker’s race dependent on winning the Rules gavel. One further stated that during Friday’s Freedom Caucus meeting, which was held behind closed doors, the Texas Republican delivered that message.

Johnson stated that he is willing to discuss “process changes,” but he has cautioned that he will not make concessions to get the gavel.

“There is no quid pro quo here; I don’t make deals with people. “I promise to make this institution run as effectively and efficiently as possible, and that’s all I do in exchange for a vote,” he told reporters.

In addition, Johnson’s supporters are adamant that he will not make a deal to appoint Roy as the panel’s chair in order to win his speakership. Meanwhile, centrists have privately cautioned that he should generally refrain from striking the kinds of agreements that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy did. Many of those deals with conservatives ultimately led to McCarthy’s removal a few months later and severely damaged the GOP leadership in the House as a whole.

“It will cause problems elsewhere,” said one Republican lawmaker, granted anonymity to speak candidly.

Members of the business-minded Main Street Caucus of the Republican Party “are in lock step: No side deals,” Bacon continued. Goalposts are moved by [Conservatives]. ”.

This report was compiled by Meredith Lee Hill and Daniella Diaz.

Twelve hours ago.

House Democrats gave former Speaker Nancy Pelosi a long standing ovation as she entered the chamber to vote on the House speaker. Pelosi had recently undergone hip replacement surgery following a fall in Europe.

Around the seasoned Democratic leader, members gathered and shook her hand. In response to POLITICO’s question about her emotional state, Pelosi said, “All right. “.

A dozen hours ago.

Thune: I keep the filibuster alive.

The next Senate leader promised to uphold the 60-vote threshold.

John Thune, the soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader, will begin his term in office by reaffirming his commitment to maintaining the legislative filibuster, according to passages from his prepared remarks that POLITICO was able to obtain.

“Making sure the Senate remains the Senate will be one of my top priorities as leader,” Thune said in his prepared statement. That entails upholding the legislative filibuster, which is currently the Senate rule that may have the biggest influence on maintaining the Senate’s Founders’ intent. “.”.

The statement goes on to say, “That includes empowering committees, restoring regular order, and engaging in extended debate on the Senate floor, where all members should have a chance to make their voices — and the voices of their constituents — heard.”.

Maintaining the filibuster could be a challenging endeavor. President-elect Donald Trump has previously advocated for doing away with it, and Republicans’ 53-seat majority will still fall short of the 60-vote threshold required to avoid a filibuster for significant policy. Nonetheless, Republicans will have a narrow window of opportunity if they control the House, Senate, and White House, enabling them to use budget reconciliation legislation sparingly. To pass the chamber, that kind of legislation just needs a simple majority.

In addition, Thune’s comments highlight his top priorities for the term, which include reinstating Trump’s tax cuts from his first term and addressing border security.

In addition, the GOP leader will pledge to act on “an overdue farm bill to update farm programs for farmers and ranchers to reflect current agriculture needs” and “bring appropriations bills to the floor for serious deliberation, so that we make the best possible use of taxpayer dollars.”. “”.

After four years of Democratic rule, Republicans will formally take control of the Senate when the new session begins at noon.

thirteen hours ago.

American Oversight, a liberal watchdog group, is suing for government documents pertaining to Kash Patel, the FBI chief chosen by President-elect Donald Trump.

With both chambers of Congress controlled by Republicans, the Freedom of Information Act request is a preliminary look at the nature of opposition to Trump’s second term. Outside organizations like American Oversight are well-positioned to play a significant role in the effort to block Trump’s nominees because Democrats lack the investigative authority that comes with committee gavels.

Patel was a top ODNI official during Trump’s first term and a senior Pentagon staffer. His emails were sought in the FOIA lawsuit against the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which was filed Thursday. An outspoken Trump supporter, Patel has promised to close the FBI headquarters and reopen it as a “museum of the deep state,” promoted conspiracy theories regarding the 2020 election, and implied that he would target Trump’s adversaries. “.”.

Fourteen hours ago.

Some of Johnson’s critics believe he will still prevail.

They might not support him in the initial round of voting, but they might later.

Given that Mike Johnson’s speakership is in jeopardy, some possible Republican holdouts are indicating that they are getting ready for Johnson to win the gavel on Friday.

According to three Republicans familiar with the conversations who were given anonymity to speak openly about them, some of the Louisianan’s critics have privately stated that they will “vote for Trump’s agenda,” making it apparent that they will either support Johnson on the first ballot or at least after the first few rounds of voting.

But the main holdout, Rep. The same sentiment has not yet been privately voiced by Chip Roy (R-Texas), according to four Republicans who were also given anonymity.

Rep. Ogles, Andy (R-Tenn. ), another lingering dissenter, stated at the Capitol on Friday that he believes Johnson will win— “it just depends on if it’s going to be one or three” rounds of voting.

Johnson will meet Friday morning with members of the Freedom Caucus.

14 hours prior.

Before Friday’s House speaker vote, incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Speaker Mike Johnson is in good health.

Thune told reporters, “It seems like everything is coming together over there.”.

Republicans will assume control of both chambers of the new Congress when it convenes at noon. The Senate’s current minority whip, Thune, will take the helm. In the meantime, Johnson will need to win a majority of votes in the House, which is evenly divided, in order to maintain his position. Whether he has that support or not is still unclear.

14 hours previously.

Fourteen hours ago.

The Senate Republican leader’s Capitol nameplate, which was occupied by Sen. R-Ky’s Mitch McConnell. has been replaced by John Thune, the incoming majority leader, in the leader’s complex close to the Senate floor for decades.

The change occurs at 11:45 a.m. during the final pro forma session of the departing Democratic Senate majority. M. when the current Congress will be overthrown and replaced by the new GOP-led one.

14 hours prior.

14 hours prior.

14 hours prior.

This time around, the opposition to Trump is different. Simply consider immigration.

Democrats seek a message that challenges Trump while simultaneously being sensitive to the results of the election.

fifteen hours prior.

15 hours prior.